Darron Burnette and Chad Wiggins were recently named executive vice presidents of Sea Island Bank, a division of Synovus Bank, and elected to the bank's local board. Burnette will continue leading the operations and retail banking divisions, while Wiggins' responsibilities have been expanded to include leading both credit and commercial banking for the Statesboro market.
      "What a tremendous asset to have these two experienced, energetic and capable professionals guiding our retail and commercial banking teams," said Bruce Yawn, chairman of Sea Island Bank's local board of directors. "We are exiting this difficult credit cycle in an extremely strong position and are poised for meaningful growth in our region."

      Burnette, who joined Sea Island Bank in 2002, has more than 28 years of banking experience. A graduate of Georgia Southern University, he is actively involved in the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) and serves as an instructor for the organization's Georgia Banking School.
      Burnette is a past president of Leadership GBA, the Statesboro Kiwanis Club, Leadership Bulloch and the Statesboro alumni chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity.
      He currently holds leadership positions with the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce, Keep Bulloch Beautiful, the Advisory Council of the Georgia Small Business Development Center, Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation, Georgia Southern Performing Arts Council and the Coastal Georgia Alzheimer's Association.
       In 2008, Burnette was honored with a Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award. He and his wife, Kim, who is a teacher at Bulloch Academy, have two daughters, Courtney and Caroline. The Burnette's are members of First Baptist Church of Statesboro.
       A native of Statesboro, Wiggins joined Sea Island Bank in 1997. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a BBA degree in finance. Wiggins is an alumnus of Leadership Bulloch and has been actively involved in numerous civic activities, his church and local schools. A member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Statesboro, Wiggins currently serves on the board of the Bulloch County Foundation for Public Schools and the Connections Ministries of Statesboro.
      Wiggins volunteers as a coach for the Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department and he is a past chairman of the Bulloch County Chapter of the American Red Cross. He and his wife, Nancy, a media specialist at Julia P. Bryant Elementary School, have three children: Davis, Avery and Mollie.
       "Darron and Chad have shown outstanding leadership during this challenging banking period," said D. Wayne Akins, Jr., president and CEO of Sea Island Bank, a division of Synovus Bank. "It is a tremendous privilege to acknowledge their hard work and dedication with these promotions. The operations, retail and commercial teams they lead are primed with knowledgeable, skilled team members."
      Akins continued, "Throughout 109 years of service to the area, we have seen both prosperous and trying economic conditions. With our history and experience, we are in an excellent position to help our customers and community recover from today's challenges as quickly as possible."