Matthew Huling, market president of Citizens Bank of the South, announced the promotion of Lora Akins to account relationship manager.

Akins joined the Citizens Bank team just over a year ago as a customer service representative. An accomplished banking professional, she brings more than 30 years of supervisory and retail banking experience to her new role. Throughout her career in the Statesboro market, she has served as a risk manager, licensed lead relationship banker and call center supervisor/customer service manager.

According to a release announcing Akins’ promotion, “Her extensive expertise in risk management, compliance, remediation, and relationship building makes her an outstanding fit for this position.”

"Lora has been an important part of our team from day one," Huling said. "Her exceptional work ethic and extensive banking experience were evident immediately, and she quickly became part of the CBOTS family. As she learned our processes and embraced our community banking culture, our team welcomed her with open arms. She has already made valuable contributions, and I know she will continue to have a tremendous impact on our customers and our organization."

In her new role as account relationship manager, Akins will oversee established customer relationships while cultivating new commercial banking partnerships. She will manage a portfolio of customers using the bank's remote deposit services, providing support and account management, while helping businesses, industries and organizations throughout Bulloch County access banking solutions.

Akins is a graduate of the Georgia Department of Insurance and the Basic Banking School at Georgia Southern University. She is licensed in health and accident insurance and holds a General Banking Diploma from the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance.

Akins and her husband, Brian, reside in the Portal area, where they enjoy spending time with their adult children and grandchildren.