The Oakworth Central Carolinas market board is comprised of successful leaders with varying industry and community backgrounds. They exemplify Oakworth’s core purpose of helping people succeed while demonstrating exceptional leadership through its core values (golden rule; character; innovative/creative spirit; professionalism; and work ethic) in Charlotte and the surrounding communities.
“These individuals are highly respected leaders in our community,” said Tim Beck, managing director and market leader for Oakworth in Central Carolinas. “We are honored to welcome Morrison Creech, Blake Evans, Kimberly Mize and Steve Smith to the Central Carolinas market board and we look forward to the valuable insight and guidance they will provide.”
Morrison Creech, Retired Wells Fargo Private Banking Executive
“Charlotte is full of banks,” says Creech. “Many are good, none are great and none have the client-centered focus of Oakworth. Oakworth has all of the services and capabilities of larger institutions – commercial, private, investment management and advisory services – but has the capacity to meet the vast majority, if not all, of the needs of their clients. This is unparalleled among most banks. The Oakworth model and approach will be well received in the Central Carolinas and I look forward to helping them grow.”
Being a Trusted Advisor, Not a Product Seller
Oakworth can solve for any need. That’s what excites me about banking in general — helping individuals, families and businesses. Similar to big banks, Oakworth offers commercial, retail and personal banking capabilities as well as investment management capabilities. Such versatility is unparalleled among community and smaller banks. It’s very similar to what a large bank would offer.
Charlotte is full of banks. Many are good, none are great and none have the client-centered focus of Oakworth. The Oakworth model and approach will be well received in the Central Carolinas and I look forward to helping them grow.
I’ve known (Managing Director and Market Lead) Tim Beck for 25 or 30 years, so I know the leadership that Oakworth will have in this area. Oakworth and its advisors make it their mission to build trust and to understand the clients’ needs in order to help them achieve their goals for success. There is no “one size fits all” or a push to buy products. The focus is on the clients, their families, and their businesses. I have been client-facing throughout my entire career and I can assure you – this is exactly what the Central Carolinas market needs.
About Morrison Creech
Morrison Creech appreciates his retirement after 42 years in the financial services industry, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo & Company/Wachovia Wealth Management. During his time with Wells Fargo, he held the positions of Head of Private Banking; Wealth Management Private Banking Managing Executive; and Wealth Management Managing Director of Credit and Depository Services. Before joining Wells Fargo, Morrison spent 25 years with Bank of America (NationsBank, NCNB) in leadership roles including Credit Products Executive for the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic and Mid-South, Commercial Banking, and Risk Management Executive across multiple business units. In addition, he has led significant system development projects in both commercial and consumer lending and deposit areas as Head of Business Systems Development as well as leadership roles in Finance and Credit Policy. Throughout his career, his greatest joy has been working with advisors and their clients to deliver solutions that help them achieve success.
He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Business Administration and serves on numerous educational committees and boards. He is currently on the board of trustees at Wingate University. He was also a deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Monroe, North Carolina. In his spare time, Morrison enjoys spending time on his farm and at the beach with his family.
Oakworth’s Central Carolinas Market Leader Tim Beck explains, “In the banking and financial community, Morrison Creech is widely known and highly respected for his broad experience in leading banking across the country. We are thrilled to have Morrison on our board to lend us his leadership, insight and knowledge as we seek to serve the Charlotte community and redefine financial services for our area.”
Blake Evans, President & CEO of Salem Capital LLC
“The quality of the team Oakworth has assembled speaks volumes,” said Evans. “Oakworth truly gets behind its associates. Sometimes in the quest to be ‘client first,’ associate wellness and benefits, development and recognition get lost. Not at Oakworth. Their 96% associate retention rate speaks to the team-based culture.”
Growth that’s sound for clients and employees
A lot of banks are in the trenches right now — they are in contraction mode. Oakworth, on the other hand, is expanding. Not only does Oakworth have impressive organic growth, but it has done that in a sound and risk-focused manner through strong asset quality and capitalization. It hasn’t absorbed or acquired a lot of other banks in order to expand. That’s how most of the big banks, which we have a lot of in Charlotte, have reached their size. The problem with that? As banks consolidate, people get lost in translation. The personal, high-touch relationship structure is removed.
Oakworth has size and scale – the capacity of a larger institution but without the segregation. Everything is approached with a customized, team-based approach.
I think Oakworth is core values focused and holistic, able to engage in more targeted conversations around customized solutions. This reduces the duplicative conversations that clients have to have with more siloed banks. It’s painful to have a relationship with five or six banks just to get the best service.
Morrison Creech, another Central Carolinas Market Board Member, and my father were long-time friends from Wells Fargo. Morrison introduced us to some of the leadership team at Oakworth — Forest Whatley, Scott Reed, and Tim Beck – and told us about Oakworth’s plans for growth. I was thrilled when asked to join the Oakworth Central Carolinas Market Advisory Board. I manage the front office of a family LLC (Salem Capital), so I see the banking business through a different lens. I also have 16 years of experience in banking, prior to joining the family office. Having a demographically diverse board that reflects the target market is important and that something not every board has.
This organic growth is also a result of the bank’s internal culture. The quality of the team Oakworth has assembled speaks volumes. Oakworth gets behind its employees, and that isn’t lost on me. Sometimes in the quest to be “client first,” employee wellness and benefits, development and recognition get lost. Not at Oakworth. The retention rate speaks to the team-based culture.
About Blake Evans
Blake worked in the banking industry for almost 16 years before transitioning to his current role as comanager, president & CEO of Salem Capital LLC, a fully integrated family office. He specializes in commercial real estate, private equity, investment management, credit analysis, business banking/commercial/SBA underwriting, securities-based lending, high net worth/private wealth lending and risk reporting and review. Prior to joining Salem Capital, his roles included working in the Charlotte area for Truist and SunTrust in commercial lending, as well as Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Private Bank.
Kimberly Mize, Owner, Kimberly Mize Consulting
“Our city is booming with growing businesses and successful professionals who are looking for a more curated experience, with deeply personalized services, so I am thrilled Oakworth is finally here to deliver just that.”
Unparalleled service in a big bank city
Charlotte has always been a big bank town, and most big banks don’t serve the needs of all businesses and families. I am excited about the true boutique service that Oakworth will be able to provide in Charlotte and the greater Carolinas. Our city is booming with growing businesses and successful professionals who are looking for a more curated experience, with deeply personalized services, so I am thrilled Oakworth is finally here to deliver just that.
Charlotte is an awesome place to live. It’s one of the fastest growing markets for emerging professionals. We have thousands of young professionals and growing families moving to the Charlotte region each year; many of whom are finding professional success far greater than in metropolitan cities much larger than the Queen City. This population is looking for personalized services in all realms of business, especially financial services. They want bankers who know their name when they walk into the lobby. Oakworth is poised to fill an immediate need.
I’ve known Jenifer Kimbrough, CFO, for over 20 years and have been keeping my eye on Oakworth Capital Bank since its inception in Birmingham. When I found out they were expanding to Charlotte, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, as this is exactly the type of bank the Carolinas needed. And I know that Oakworth will be a great community citizen, which excites me the most. Oakworth will excel because of their track record as not only a boutique bank but also a standup community partner.
About Kimberly Mize
Kimberly Mize, owner of Kimberly Mize Consulting, has worked in the nonprofit space for over 30 years. Having started her career in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian Institution and NPR, Kimberly has worked for Christ Episcopal Church and Opera Carolina during her 15 years in Charlotte. With her husband Geoffrey and son Oliver, the Mizes have called Charlotte home for 15 years.
Mize has served on many boards in the greater Charlotte area, and remains an active volunteer for the Mint Museum Auxiliary, Charlotte Family Housing, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, Safe Alliance and Foster Village. “Oakworth is incredibly philanthropic and I look forward to helping this small bank become a big part of our community.”
Steve Smith, President of The McAulay Smith Firm
“It is very clear that Oakworth wants to do things the right way. They’ve done an exceptional job of hiring great people and providing a culture in which the associates are motivated to go above and beyond.”
Good people empowered to do the right things.
Oakworth Capital Bank will be a huge success in the Central Carolinas – people crave the personal attention and professionalism that Oakworth Capital’s team provides. This bank consists of very good people who are empowered to do the right things. There will be a lot of word-of-mouth endorsement from one client to another. Business is all about people, and Oakworth Capital completely understands and embraces that. Unfortunately, not everybody is getting that in the banking world these days, and that is one of the many things that sets Oakworth Capital apart from the rest.
I’ve had the privilege of being involved with Oakworth Capital for several years now. I was fortunate to have received a call from Forest Whatley back in 2018, when he was looking to hire an executive search firm to help fill a position in Birmingham. As Forest was sharing Oakworth Capital’s story, it really resonated with me, and we connected immediately. We began working together on multiple new hires as the bank continued to grow.
Everyone is so personable, energetic, focused and genuine. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the leadership team during that first search and that enjoyment has continued with each search since. I helped bring in Middle Tennessee’s Market Leader (Greer Redden), Central Carolina’s Market Leader (Tim Beck) and the Managing Director & Head of Wealth Advisory Services (Jason Pokrzywinski). I am excited to watch how they make a positive difference.
Oakworth Capital’s continued growth is unique and organic and can be attributed to the people and culture who make up the very heart of the bank. They want their clients to be treated well, and they start by treating their associates well.
Oakworth Capital has done an exceptional job of hiring great people and providing a culture in which the associates are motivated to go above and beyond. In today’s banking industry, technology and scale are great for some, but there is a part of the population that doesn’t want to be serviced by a computer or AI or someone they have never met. They need to develop confidence and rapport with their bankers and advisors for that trust to be established. Oakworth Capital does exactly that. It is difficult to preserve that type of culture as you grow and move across state lines, but Oakworth Capital is bringing its proven success as it now enters into the Carolinas.
About Steve Smith
Steve worked in the banking industry for 12 years, with his final role being a Senior Vice President of Bank of America (formerly NationsBank), responsible for the Private Client Group and National Affinity Groups through the Charlotte Headquarters office. He left banking to begin a career in the executive search field and is currently President/Owner of The McAulay Smith Firm in Charlotte, which has clients in 32 states and 10 countries. Steve has successfully led hundreds of executive search engagements for Fortune 500 and middle-market companies in a wide variety of geographies and industries. Steve earned his BA degree from Furman University and his MBA from Queens University in Charlotte. Throughout his career, he has volunteered his time to serve on numerous boards as well as community and business organizations.