About

Steve Whatley
Chairman & CEO
Shelia Wells
Executive Assistant
At Southern States Bank, The Common Sense Bank, it is our mission to provide our customers with an excellent banking experience by engaging customers in a rewarding relationship, delivering products and services tailored to meet their needs while enhancing and maintaining shareholder value.
A banking veteran of 40 years, Mr. Stephen W. Whatley recognized and embraced the need for a community bank that understands and values the needs of customers today. With that, he embarked on his mission to assemble a group of organizers that shared the same vision and in turn opened Southern States Bank.
The optimism greatly spread as Mr. Whatley and organizers raised in excess of $31 million in capital and in August 2007 Southern States Bank, The Common Sense Bank, opened offices in Anniston and Opelika simultaneously. Less than a year later, in February 2008, a third location was opened in Birmingham, followed by the acquisition of the Sylacauga office in May 2012. In January 2015, two new offices were opened, one in Huntsville, AL and the first Georgia location in Columbus. A second office was opened in Columbus shortly thereafter, followed by a new location and office in Carrollton, GA. In early 2016, a sixth Alabama location was opened in Auburn. 2018 marked our expansion in Georgia with another full service office in Newnan. In 2019, we acquired five new full service locations, four in East Alabama in Wedowee, Roanoke, Ranburne and Heflin and one in West Georgia in Dallas.
At Southern States Bank, we believe the most important thing is our relationships with our customers. We are a true community bank that understands the importance and value of providing our customers with the products and services that best meet their banking needs. Staffed with seasoned bankers you know and trust, we are committed to carrying out our mission of providing our customers with the best service they should expect from their bank.
Headquartered in Anniston Alabama, Southern States Bank has 15 additional banking facilities in Alabama and Georgia and an LPO office in Atlanta. With a strong executive management team, in addition to a diverse and involved Board in place, we have also engaged Advisory Board representation in each market to help facilitate local decisions and community involvement.

"I’m very enthusiastic, I’m very optimistic about our future, because I think there is a strong demand, maybe as strong as there has ever been, for independent banks that are locally owned by the communities that they are in and have input and representation from local boards that actually have authority."
Steve Whatley - 2007
Management

Stephen W. Whatley

Mark Chambers

Lynn Joyce

Greg Smith

Jack Swift

Jason Alderman

Brad Arnold

John McDaniel

Dennis E. Elliott II

Scott Jenkins

Brett Johnston

Dan Rajczyk

David Ridgeway

David Sears

Jason Smith

Mark Thomsen
Board Members

Lewis Beavers

Mark Chambers

Robert Davie

Alfred J. Hayes Jr.

Brent David Hitson

Brian Stacy Holmes

Cynthia S. McCarty

Jay Florey Pumroy

J. Henry Smith, IV

Henry Turner

Stephen Woods Whatley
ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS?
If you are interested in a career with Southern States Bank, we are interested in you. Southern States Bank is a true community bank that employs bankers who work and live in the communities we serve. We currently have ten locations in Alabama; Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Heflin, Huntsville, Opelika, Ranburne, Roanoke, Sylacauga, Wedowee, and five in Georgia; Carrollton, Columbus (2), Metro Atlanta (LPO), Dallas, and Newnan. Southern States Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer.