Print
Banking & Finance

First Carolina Bank Hires Cameron, Preps For Branch

By Jenny Callison, posted Dec 6, 2019
At the future Bradley Creek Station, shown above, First Carolina will occupy the first and second floors at the left side of the development. (Rendering courtesy of First Carolina Bank)
The next six months will be busy ones for First Carolina Bank, as the Rocky Mount-based financial institution prepares to open a full-service branch in the new Bradley Creek Station development on Oleander Drive this June.
 
“We have lofty goals for Wilmington,” said David Rizzo, the Wilmington market executive. “Wilmington is a very important market for us.”

First Carolina’s board of directors includes two Wilmington residents: former banker and insurance executive John Gussenhoven and investor and Bald Head Island Limited CEO Chad Paul. And now the bank has hired community banking veteran Donna Cameron (right) as senior banking officer to work with Rizzo in developing a retail customer base in Wilmington and expanding the bank’s commercial lending.
 
Cameron, who held management roles with SunTrust and Park Sterling banks in Wilmington, was most recently with South State Bank and Pinnacle Financial Advisors in Charlotte.
 
“Her role is to help grow our presence here in the market. She will also be responsible for setting up our new branch and hiring the team,” Rizzo said.
 
Cameron said that Wilmington is “home” to her and her husband, Dan, and that she is an advocate for community banks like First Carolina.
 
“This is not a job,” she said of her new position. “We’re building something here with our clients.”
 
Sixty to 90 days in advance of the anticipated June opening of First Carolina’s Wilmington branch, Cameron will be scouting for staff. She’s seeking referrals for individuals to consider for branch supervisor and customer service representatives, who will be “universal bankers” – trained to wear a variety of hats.
 
When she was hired in late October, Cameron was First Carolina’s 47th employee. The bank, which has a burgeoning retail presence in Raleigh as well as in its hometown of Rocky Mount, has since added five more people to its team.
 
“We’ve been the fastest-growing bank in the state over the last three years,” Rizzo said, citing the financial institution’s growth from $504 million in assets at the end of 2018 to $645 million at the end of October.
 
“Having been [established] in 2012, we are built for a mobile- friendly environment with [services such as] person-to-person pay and remote deposit capture. We also offer cash management and treasury services,” said Kristen Brabble, the bank’s chief operating officer. “We are also built for the current regulatory environment, and we are absolutely fine about it.”
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Cfss headshots parker robert webversion 21422121214

North Carolina's 2023 Hurricane Season Predictions: Harnessing the Power of Solar Energy and Storage for Optimal Resilience

Robert Parker - Cape Fear Solar Systems
Untitleddesign2 9202334730

Clinical Trials at Novant Health Benefit Patients, Empower Physicians

Novant Health - New Hanover Regional Medical Center Novant Health
Cd

Don't Forget the "B"

Hoop Morgan - The Forté Institute, LLC

Trending News

For 348-townhome Project, Carroll Companies Reschedules Community Meeting

Staff Reports - Sep 25, 2023

Crossing That Bridge (and Road, Track, Sky And Water)

Cece Nunn - Sep 25, 2023

Culinary Blends At New Olivero Restaurant

Katie Schmidt - Sep 25, 2023

SeaTox, Partners Awarded $1.5M Grant For Contamination Testing In Alaska

Audrey Elsberry - Sep 26, 2023

Bowling, Murphy Join EmergeOrtho Coastal Region

Staff Reports - Sep 26, 2023

In The Current Issue

At WilmingtonBiz Expo, Speakers To Share Viewpoints On Economy

On Oct. 5, WilmingtonBiz Expo participants in the keynote lunch can hear UNCW’s regional economist Mouhcine Guettabi, and Tom Barkin, presid...


MADE Winners: Food & Beverage Category

The butcher, the brewer and the candy maker...


Study: Tourists Spend Billions In Area

In New Hanover County alone, domestic and international visitors to and within the county spent nearly $1.06 billion last year....

Book On Business

The 2023 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments