Tommy Hester, The Coastal Bank’s Division President, Named Chairman of SEDA Board of Directors

Jan. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Coastal Bank’s division president, Tommy Hester, has been officially named Chairman of the Savannah Economic Development Authority’s Board of Directors. Hester, who has been a member of the SEDA Board of Directors since 1996, will serve as a Chairman for a two-year term.  

“SEDA is so important in attracting new business to our area, which in return will boost and sustain our economy by increasing our workforce,” said Hester. “I am honored to lead this organization’s board in continuing to grow and prosper our world-class community.”  

In addition to the development efforts Hester will lead, he will also oversee the hiring of a new president for the organization as current president, Rick Winger, will retire in July after eight years as head the organization. A search committee has been appointed to begin the process of filling Winger’s position.  

A seasoned Savannah banking professional with 38 years of experience, Hester has served as the division president for The Coastal Bank since its merger with BankSouth nearly two years ago. Over the years, he also served as the longtime president of the Savannah division of BankSouth, BB&T and First Liberty Bank.

Hester earned a B.B.A. from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga. and graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University in Rutgers, N.J.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Historic Savannah Foundation and the Marketing Committee of the Circle of Champions with the Legends of Golf. Formerly, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Savannah Technical College Foundation, the Georgia Southern University Foundation, the Armstrong Atlantic University Foundation and chaired the Board of Provident Health Services, Inc. at Memorial Hospital. He has also served on the Boards of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Small Business Assistance Corporation and is a past chair of the Community Housing Services Association.  

ABOUT THE COASTAL BANK:

Locally owned and operated, The Coastal Bank provides a full range of financial services, specializing in small business, consumer banking and real estate lending. Headquartered on

Johnson Square in Savannah, this successful community bank has been serving the greater Savannah area since 1954. The Coastal Bank has an operations center in Pooler and branches throughout coastal Georgia. For more information about The Coastal Bank, please call (912) 201-4934 or visit http://www.thecoastalbank.com/ online.

ABOUT THE SAVANNAH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:

The Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) provides professional site services and eases access to state and local resources. The organization, twice ranked as one of the best development groups in the country, has a clear record of success. Among SEDA’s major accomplishments is the nationally acclaimed Crossroads Business Park, home to more than five million sq. ft. of industrial space, headquarters operations, and educational institutions. An independently funded organization, SEDA can act in the best interests of both the client and the community without the hindrances often associated with publicly-funded operations. And, Savannah/Chatham County itself, residents and government alike, has helped SEDA’s mission with its strong commitment to remaining a vibrant, world-class community.  For more information about SEDA, please visit www.seda.org online.

# # #

At Abshire Public Relations, we are quietly building a successful PR and marketing firm by meeting our clients’ dynamic media needs, integrating strategic business development activities and providing amazingly efficient in-house support.