FORT MYERS, Fla. – Feb. 27, 2020 – Regions Bank on Thursday announced Earnest Wilks, Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking for Regions, has been appointed to serve as Market Executive for the bank in Fort Myers and surrounding communities in Lee and Charlotte Counties.
Additionally, Jeff Hunt has joined Regions as Senior Vice President and Consumer Banking Manager. Hunt will lead branch-banking operations for Regions in both Fort Myers and Naples.
Wilks and Hunt are part of a team of Regions leaders leveraging their experience and insights to expand Regions’ client base while also taking a strategic, proactive role in addressing needs affecting the broader area.
As Fort Myers Market Executive, Wilks will work with colleagues and community members in support of Regions’ community engagement initiatives, including volunteer service, nonprofit assistance, delivering financial education and more. Wilks will also continue serving in his Commercial Banking leadership role, guiding teams that deliver financial solutions for local businesses and major employers. In addition, he will work with Regions leaders to focus their teams on implementing Regions360, the bank’s comprehensive approach to service. Through Regions360, the company’s bankers learn the unique goals of clients and collaborate with colleagues from Regions’ various departments – including Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and Private Wealth Management – to develop holistic solutions.
“Regions Bank has a strong legacy of service in Southwest Florida, and our teams across Fort Myers, Naples and beyond are committed to working with clients and helping them reach their financial goals while also taking leadership roles in community support,” said John Turner, Regions President and CEO. “We are proud to welcome Earnest and Jeff to these leadership positions, and we are confident their expertise – along with the insights of our entire Southwest Florida leadership team – will help Regions further strengthen its focus on this thriving area.”
Wilks joined Regions 17 years ago and has served in a number of positions within the company’s Commercial Banking group across the Southeast. He is a graduate of the University of Montevallo, where he earned a degree in Finance. He received a Master of Business Administration from Troy University.
… I am honored to lead the collaboration of Regions professionals who are driven to help our clients succeed individually, while also contributing to our entire region’s success.
Earnest Wilks, Market Executive for Regions in Fort Myers and surrounding communities
“Fort Myers is an important contributor to the growth of our state’s economy,” Wilks said. “As Market Executive, I am honored to lead the collaboration of Regions professionals who are driven to help our clients succeed individually, while also contributing to our entire region’s success. In addition, I look forward to working with nonprofits and other community organizations to further build on Regions’ proud history of community engagement in the area.”
Hunt is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and has a 27-year career in banking that spans areas along the East Coast, Oklahoma and Texas. He has worked for a number of financial instutions during his career including BBVA, BB&T, Carolina First Bank, Chevy Chase Bank, JP Morgan Chase and Union Planters Bank.
“Regions is uniquely positioned to offer the comprehensive services of a larger bank while also providing local bankers who are constantly in touch with the needs of individual customers in our communities,” Hunt said. “That’s what attracted me to Regions. This is a company that encourages and empowers financial professionals to have meaningful conversations with customers and then develop custom-tailored solutions to help them succeed financially.”
In addition to Wilks and Hunt, Regions’ Southwest Florida leadership team includes Mark Schlehr of Regions Private Wealth Management, who guides a team of investment professionals serving clients from Marco Island and Naples all the way to the Tampa Bay area. Schlehr also serves as the bank’s Market Executive for Naples and Collier County. Further, Dorothy Blasingim serves as Consumer Banking Manager responsible for leading Regions’ branch-banking teams in portions of Lee County, as well as in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
Jeff Hunt (left) has joined Regions as Senior Vice President and Consumer Banking Manager, and he will lead branch-banking operations in both Fort Myers and Naples. Regions’ Southwest Florida leadership team includes Mark Schlehr (center) of Regions Private Wealth Management, and Consumer Banking Manager Dorothy Blasingim.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $126 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,400 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.