ATLANTA, Aug. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameris Bancorp
(NASDAQ: ABCB), the parent company of Ameris Bank, announced today
that Karlene Gordon has been
promoted to be the bank's diversity and inclusion officer. In this
role, Gordon will be responsible for further developing and
implementing results-driven action plans designed to foster,
cultivate and preserve diversity, inclusion and equal dignity
throughout the organization.
Ameris Bank recognizes the value of a diverse and inclusive
culture and the importance of supporting and encouraging the
sharing of ideas, respecting differences and working toward common
goals together.
"Growing a robust, diverse and talented group of teammates is an
initiative that we take very seriously. It is crucial to the
continued success of our organization as we meet the ever-changing
business needs and demands of our unique and diverse customer
base," said Chief Executive Officer Palmer
Proctor.
As the diversity and inclusion officer, Gordon will be the
champion for equal dignity at Ameris Bank. She will develop and
promote training programs to enhance teammate understanding of
diversity and inclusion, guide the recruitment of a diverse
applicant pool and seek ways to improve teammate engagement,
production and retention. As a thought leader, Gordon will ensure
diversity, inclusion and equity continue to permeate the bank's
work in the community, with both businesses and individuals.
"Ameris Bank appreciates the importance of continuing to grow
and maintain a workforce that is rich in diversity, where everyone
feels like they belong and everyone is empowered to reach their
full potential," shared Gordon. "One of our bank's core values is
respect, and my goal is to further advance Ameris Bank's culture of
respect and inclusiveness. These feelings of belonging and
empowerment allow our teammates to contribute their best work
inside and outside our bank's walls."
With over 20 years of human resource experience, Gordon has most
recently served as an Ameris Bank senior human resources business
partner since joining the bank in 2018. She has held a variety of
human resources roles throughout her career, supporting the
Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Live Person and HR Dynamics, among other
businesses. A graduate of Queens College of
New York, Gordon holds a bachelor's degree in psychology.
She is an active member in the Accomplished Leaders Exchange with
the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in Atlanta, Georgia.
The role of diversity and inclusion officer is reflective of
Ameris Bank's heightened emphasis on environmental, social and
governance issues. Earlier this year, Ameris Bank named its first
Chief Governance Officer, Michael
Pierson, to lead ESG initiatives, including the expansion of
the bank's diversity and inclusion programming, corporate social
responsibility and investor relations and outreach.
"This is an exciting time for our company. We have many plans to
expand our ESG initiatives and our diversity and inclusion officer
role is instrumental to this effort. We are proud to have Karlene's
expertise on our team and to be able to promote her to this
valuable position," said Pierson. "Her HR experience, passion for
teammate greatness and commitment to this initiative makes her the
ideal leader for this role."
About Ameris Bank
Ameris Bank manages over
$18 billion in assets and nearly 300
financial centers across the Southeast. Headquartered in
Atlanta, Ameris Bank is fiercely
committed to bringing financial peace of mind to the communities it
serves. A subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB), Ameris Bank
offers a full range of financial services, including traditional
banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, wealth
management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and
refinancing solutions. Learn more about Ameris Bank and its full
range of financial services at www.amerisbank.com.
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SOURCE Ameris Bank