Southern First Bancshares names Bryan Kennedy to board of directors

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST) appointed Bryan Kennedy to its board of directors effective June 1, 2026, according to a company statement.

Kennedy retired following a 43-year career in commercial banking. He founded Park Sterling Bank, which the company described as the largest capitalized bank startup in North Carolina history. Kennedy began his career at NCNB, now Bank of America, and later joined First Charlotte Bank before helping launch Park Meridian Bank, which Regions Bank acquired in 2001.

Following the acquisition, Kennedy served as North Carolina Market President for Regions Bank and led the bank's expansion into three additional North Carolina markets. In 2006, he founded Park Sterling Bank, which SouthState Bank purchased in 2017. After that sale, Kennedy became Northern Banking Group President for SouthState, overseeing operations across North Carolina and Virginia.

Kennedy holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the University of North Carolina. He graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and has served as Lead Independent Director of The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) since 2009.

"Bryan's track record of building and leading successful banks makes him an outstanding addition to our Board," said Art Seaver, Chief Executive Officer of Southern First.

Southern First Bancshares operates as a bank holding company incorporated under South Carolina laws. Its subsidiary, Southern First Bank, operates 13 locations across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia markets. The company reports consolidated assets of approximately $4.6 billion.

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