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No. 1: Michael C. "Mike" Crapps

First Community Bank

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urrently CEO and director of First Community Bank, which he helped found in 1995, Mike Crapps has led the company through four banks and two lines of business acquisitions. First Community Bank is now the fourth-largest bank in South Carolina and the largest headquartered in Columbia, with 21 offices, more than $1.5 billion in assets and three major lines of business.

The bank’s focus has always been on serving local businesses, organizations and professional practices. First Community Bank serves three primary markets in the Midlands and Upstate of South Carolina and the Augusta region, handling three lines of business, commercial and retail banking, residential mortgage loans and financial planning/investment advisory.

Crapps has served in a variety of leadership roles, including on the boards of the S.C. Bankers Association, Business Develpment Corp. and Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Past community leadership roles include serving on the boards of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Saluda Shoals Park Foundation, American Cancer Society, Second Century Society and Columbia Clemson Club. 

Crapps currently serves on the Clemson University Foundation board of directors, Clemson University IPTAY board of directors, Midlands Business Leadership Group and Business Development Corp.

He has been recognized for his achievements throughout his career, from being named 1997’s Young Banker of the Year and one of the 50 Most Influential in the Midlands multiple years. He has also received the American Cancer Society’s St. George National Award in 2003. In addition, First Community Bank has been recognized multiple times as Best Bank, Best Mortgage Lender, a Best Place to Work in South Carolina and a best SBA lender.

Crapps earned a bachelor’s in economics from Clemson University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Banking School of the South.

No. 2: David E. Anderson

Anderson Brothers Bank

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avid E. Anderson, president and CEO of Anderson Brothers Bank in Mullins since 1993, leads by example — in his bank, in the Pee Dee, and in the state’s banking industry. Having been in banking since 1981, his career illustrates the advantages of, and need for, the local hometown bank. This was especially exemplified by his innovative leadership with the federal Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic. By encouraging staff and loan officers to actively seek local area businesses that were unable to get answers or assistance in applying for these loans with their own financial institutions, Anderson’s approach resulted in many business being able to operate successfully during a time when many others were shutting down.

“We originated more than $92 million in Phase I and more than $45 million in Phase II loans,” Anderson said. “This obviously kept local retailers from having to lay off any staff and helped sustain the economy until they could begin operating fully.”

Midyear 2021 S.C. Bank Performance Report showed Anderson Brothers Bank as No. 1 for Return On Equity and No. 1 in Net Interest Income.

Anderson says his philosophy is to hire the best in a field and then empower them to use their talents without interference. Or, to quote his grandfather, bank founder E.L. Anderson, “The secret to success is to hire proper management and keep them.” 

Anderson is a 1979 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned his  Bachelor of Finance and Economics. He attended the S.C. Bankers School in1983; Graduate School of Banking of the South in 1986 and College for Financial Planning in 1986.

He served as vice president of Anderson Brothers Bank from 1981 to 1993 and has served as president and CEO from 1993 to present. He has been director of Anderson Brothers Bank since 1981 and served as director of Anderson State Bank from 1986 to 2000, when it merged with Anderson Brothers Bank.

No. 3: Sharon W. Bryant

First Citizens Bank

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ith more than 30 years of banking, fiduciary and investment services experience, Sharon W. Bryant is First Citizens Bank’s S.C. regional executive vice president, responsible for retail, business and commercial banking in South Carolina, Northeast Georgia, Augusta and Savannah. 

Bryant first joined the company in 1999 as executive vice president and director of human resources. She served as executive vice president and division executive from 2001-2010. In 2010, she assumed the dual roles of regional executive vice president for Central South Carolina and director of the Bank’s Wealth Advisory Group — a division with more than $2.7 billion in assets under management — while continuing to serve as president of First Citizens Securities. In 2012, she was named South Carolina banking executive prior to being named South Carolina regional executive vice president in 2014. 

Bryant also has served in many leadership roles outside of banking. Currently, she chairs the Central Carolina Community Foundation, is vice chair of City Center Partnership and serves on the boards of the Palmetto Business Forum, Business Development Corp., Riverbanks Society, S.C. State Museum Commission and the Palmetto Club. Past service includes the boards of Home Works, Midlands Business Leadership Group, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and S.C. State Chamber of Commerce, S.C. Bankers Association, S.C. Arts Foundation, Midlands Technical College Foundation and S.C. Student Loan Corp., to name a few.

Bryant earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of the South at Sewanee and is a licensed securities representative and principal. She is a recipient of the Girl Scouts of America’s Women of Distinction award, the YWCA’s Tribute to Women in Industry award, a winner of the Chamber of Commerce’s Athena award, a 1995 graduate of Leadership Columbia, a founding member of Women in Philanthropy.

Bryant is also a Junior League sustainer, a recipient of First Citizens Chairman’s Circle Award and the Junior League of the Midlands Lifetime Achievement Award and, most recently, a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto.

No. 4: Eric Wall

Bank of Travelers Rest

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ric Wall’s approach to marketing is a blend of creative thinking backed by strong analytical data. He keeps a finger on the pulse of the community and works to match the right ideas to help further connect the bank to the customer, the customer to the community and the community to the bank. 

Wall is a banker known for his ability to connect organizations within the community and for his focus on ensuring those in the financial services industry operate as good neighbors within their communities. Whether it’s connecting nonprofits with mutually beneficial relationships or helping fellow bankers invest their passion and skill in civic groups, Wall is constantly working to forge partnerships.

Nowhere can his work be better seen than in his career-long commitment to Mental Health America. Through meager years, he solicited financial support to ensure the agency could continue to meet the needs of its clients, many of whom have chronic mental health issues.

The senior vice president and marketing director at Bank of Travelers Rest is a champion for the organization, specifically for its work to provide housing, financial assistance and representation for some of the community’s most vulnerable populations. Wall describes his efforts as, “Whether you find yourself needing situational mental support or living with a debilitating mental illness, you deserve an ear to listen and an agency that meets you where you need us.”

Wall has earned a variety of certifications, including Certified Credit Union Executive, an intensive three-year program. He also has completed ABA’s Bank Marketing School and is preparing to test to become a Certified Financial Marketing Professional.

Wall strives to increase financial literacy within the community, including in schools, community groups and at local events. His efforts put a face on the Bank of Travelers Rest brand, and he has a can-do attitude that is summarized by one of his favorite sayings: “I may not have the answer, but I’ll stick with you until we both get what you need.”

No. 5: K. Wayne Wicker

South Atlantic Bank

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. Wayne Wicker serves as chairman of the board and CEO of South Atlantic Bancshares Inc., and South Atlantic Bank. He is a veteran banker with more than 30 years of experience in Myrtle Beach and other South Carolina markets. 

He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from The Citadel and has completed the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the S.C. Bankers School at the University of South Carolina.

Wicker serves on a variety of state and local boards, including his recent election as vice chairman of the S.C. Bankers Association. In 2018, he was appointed by the governor to serve as a board member of the S.C. Board of Financial Institutions. He currently serves on the membership committee of the American Bankers Association.

In addition to his professional service, Wicker devotes his time and expertise to a number of state and local civic organizations. He serves on the boards of the S.C. Young Bankers Association, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the City of Myrtle Beach Recreation Advisory Committee.

Wicker is a Gulf War veteran and member of the S.C. Air National Guard.