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David Parler, Residential Lending Specialist
David Parler, Residential Lending Specialist

David Parler has joined First Reliance Bank as Residential Lending Specialist and will be in the Columbia, SC, Main Street Branch. He will assist customers with their mortgage financing needs and identify the best bank products to meet their needs. 

President of Mortgage Services Chuck Stuart shared, “We value David’s dedication to helping customers achieve the dream of homeownership. His professionalism aligns with First Reliance Bank’s purpose of improving our customers’ lives.”

First Reliance Bank’s wide variety of mortgage choices offers flexibility for customers’ mortgage loan and financial needs. The bank offers competitive rates and flexible terms and conditions, providing the best solutions. 

David is a University of South Carolina graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering. In January 2021, after spending 16 years in engineering, manufacturing, and construction, he became a Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator in South Carolina. Additionally, David is licensed in North Carolina and Georgia. ...

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Kevin Jones, Vice President, and Residential Lending Specialist
Kevin Jones, Vice President, and Residential Lending Specialist

Kevin Jones has joined First Reliance Bank as Vice President and Residential Lending Specialist and will be in the Greenville, SC, East Washington Street Branch. He will assist customers with their mortgage financing needs and identify the best bank products to meet their needs.

Rick Saunders, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Kevin is a top loan producer, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our residential lending team. His extensive career in the mortgage lending industry will be invaluable to our clients and homebuyers across the state.”

Kevin commented, “I’m very excited to join the First Reliance Bank team and bring the strength of a regional bank to the residential mortgage market in Greenville. Greenville is an emerging market. Although I’ve lived in many places, Greenville has been home for the longest.  It is such a fun and dynamic community to live and work in. It is consistently growing, ...

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Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann addresses community leaders attending the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies outside First Reliance Bank’s new retail and corporate offices in downtown Columbia. Rick Saunders, First Reliance Bank CEO (left), and Justin Strickland, First Reliance Bank President (right), look on.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann addresses community leaders attending the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies outside First Reliance Bank’s new retail and corporate offices in downtown Columbia. Rick Saunders, First Reliance Bank CEO (left), and Justin Strickland, First Reliance Bank President (right), look on.

 

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Thursday, January 12, 2023 – First Reliance Bank celebrated the grand opening of its regional headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at its retail and corporate offices in downtown Columbia. Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, community leaders, and the First Reliance Bank executive and banking team from Columbia were in attendance. 

“We are very appreciative of the investment First Reliance Bank has made in downtown Columbia. The bank’s investment is important as it supports the continued growth of business and retail along the Main Street corridor,” stated Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. 

The morning event celebrated the completion of construction and official opening of the bank’s new retail banking center and corporate offices. “We’ve wanted to be in downtown Columbia for many years but waited until we had the right team in place in order to grow the market. Our team is now in place, and we ...

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F. Justin Strickland Named Top 50 Most Influential People

First Reliance Bank is pleased to announce that President F. Justin Strickland has been named one of Columbia’s Top 50 Most Influential People by Columbia Business Monthly. The honorees are selected through a process of staff research and community nominations.

Rick Saunders, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Justin’s efforts to make the Midlands one of the best places to live in South Carolina is mirrored by his commitment and dedication to First Reliance’s customers and staff.”

Justin serves on many regional and statewide boards in South Carolina, including as committee chairman of the Board of Financial Institutions and on the executive committee of the Lexington Medical Foundation. A Walterboro native, Strickland graduated from the University of South Carolina and the Banking School of the South at Louisiana State University.

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Left to right: Reuben Hewitt, Karen Carron, Johnny Nexsen, Gena White, Cindy Ellis, Randy Griswell, Taft Osborne, Lindley Hamilton, Catherine Smith, Kody Stevens, Shanell Cook, Gabrielle Caselnova, and Matthew Lafevor
Left to right: Reuben Hewitt, Karen Carron, Johnny Nexsen, Gena White, Cindy Ellis, Randy Griswell, Taft Osborne, Lindley Hamilton, Catherine Smith, Kody Stevens, Shanell Cook, Gabrielle Caselnova, and Matthew Lafevor

First Reliance Bank is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2021 CEO Award of Excellence. The following employees were recognized and honored during the Associates Meeting in Columbia, SC, on October 10, 2022.

Please join us in celebrating their commitment to excellence.

Denise Lee – Universal Banker
Matthew Lafevor – Sr System Engineer
Danielle Smith – Sr. Wholesale Specialist
Karen Carron – Mortgage Shipper
Catherine Smith – Doc Prep Team Lead
Randy Griswell – Deposit Operations Specialist
Johnny Nexsen – Residential Lending Specialist
Shanell Cook – Treasury Services Specialist
Christopher Taft Osborne – Branch Manager
Lindley Hamilton – Branch Manager and Treasury Services
Kody Stevens – Portfolio Analyst
Gabrielle Caselnova – Marketing Coordinator
Reuben Hewitt – Relationship Banker
Cindy Ellis – Customer Care Specialist
Gena White – Sr. Collections Specialist

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First Reliance Bank Recognized as a Top 100 Workplace by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

 

First Reliance Bank has been recognized in the Top 100 Workplaces by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national, nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding forever families for children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States and Canada.  

The Foundation works closely with child welfare advocates and policymakers, provides free resources about foster care adoption, and raises awareness through social media campaigns, public service announcements, and events.  

Rick Saunders, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Reliance, said, “Adoption is personal to me as my wife and daughters were adopted. We are most grateful for the love that has been brought to our family. As a company, supporting our associates who seek to adopt children will remain highly important to our institution.” 

 

 

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Chris Laughridge, Market President, Greenville
Chris Laughridge, Market President, Greenville

First Reliance Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Chris Laughridge to Market President, Greenville. He will be responsible for leading the Greenville team and building the bank’s footprint in the upstate of South Carolina. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2002, earning a B.S. in Business Management with a concentration in Finance, and the South Carolina Bankers School in 2007.

“We are pleased to announce Chris Laughridge as Market President for the Greenville market.  This strategic decision is based on Chris’s proven ability to deliver high customer satisfaction as a trusted banking advisor. He knows how to lead teams and what it takes to build a strong community bank.  His extensive industry experience will expand our commercial and local business and customer opportunities”, stated Justin Strickland, President, First Reliance Bank.

Laughridge has over 19 years of industry experience in the banking industry, where he has developed ...

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David Boulware, Mortgage Loan Officer at First Reliance Ban
David Boulware, Mortgage Loan Officer at First Reliance Ban

David Boulware, Mortgage Loan Officer at First Reliance Bank, has been named the “Best of the Pee Dee’s 2022 Best Mortgage Lender" Winner.  

Boulware began his finance career in 1998 before moving into mortgage-related finance in 2000. He operated his own brokerage and was a mortgage lender with two of the nation's largest commercial banking institutions before beginning his career with First Reliance Bank in 2014.  

“David is an experienced lender focused on new construction, government lending, and purchase loan transactions,” shared Chuck Stuart, President of First Reliance Mortgage. “David provides exceptional customer service, and his knowledge of the Pee Dee and Carolina markets is invaluable to our clients. He’s one of the best.” 

“David Boulware excels in leading our mortgage lending efforts as a top producer in the Greater Florence area,” said Rick Saunders, Founder/CEO of First Reliance Bank. “He rightfully earned the recognition of “Best of ...

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South Carolina Bankers School students from First Reliance Bank (left to right ) Thomas Floyd, David Mullins and Weston Peters, and graduate Nathan Ruth with Robert Dozier, First Reliance Bank Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
South Carolina Bankers School students from First Reliance Bank (left to right ) Thomas Floyd, David Mullins and Weston Peters, and graduate Nathan Ruth with Robert Dozier, First Reliance Bank Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Four associates from First Reliance Bank recently completed courses at the South Carolina Bankers School on the campus of Lander University in Greenwood, SC. Nathan Ruth, Sunset Branch Manager, West Columbia, SC, completed the progressive three-year BankExec program and was awarded his diploma during graduation exercises.

The South Carolina Banking Association (SCBA) annually sponsors the South Carolina Bankers School. The SCBA is a professional trade association organized to effectively represent the common interest and welfare of the banking industry in South Carolina and to promote the professional development of its members and their employees.

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William Jack McElveen, Jr.
William Jack McElveen, Jr.

William Jack McElveen, Jr. has been named to the First Reliance Bank Board of Directors. Before his retirement, McElveen served as the bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. He was responsible for overseeing all credit administration functions, and providing direct supervision and accountability, for Credit Administration and overall asset quality. 

McElveen replaces former board member Dale Porter, who was instrumental in helping launch First Reliance Bank in 1999. Porter retired earlier this month. 

“Dale Porter was instrumental in helping us start the bank. He was a trusted and reliable leader who served in many facets of our financial institution. We will miss Dale and wish him well in his retirement”, shared Rick Saunders, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Reliance Bank. 

McElveen has over 38 years of experience in credit administration in the banking industry. He began his career in the financial services industry with Bankers Trust ...