News

(RICHMOND HILL, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank received the 2022 Large Business of the Year Award at the Richmond Hill Bryan County Chamber’s annual awards reception held on Thursday, February 23, 2023. “We are beyond thrilled to be named the Large Business of the Year,” said Jon Seagraves, Chief Banking Officer. “Just over four years ago we opened our doors with the vision to provide authentic community banking to the greater Richmond Hill area. Through our team’s hard work and...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 28, 2022 (RICHMOND HILL, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank announced that April Jackson has joined the bank as a Mortgage Loan Originator. April is based at the bank’s Richmond Hill office but will help customers with home financing throughout the coastal area. April brings 19 years of mortgage experience to her new role. She and her family have lived in the Richmond Hill area since 1994. She is a proud mother of Devin (19) and Ashlyn...

(EASTMAN, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank announced that Leighton “Lee” Lister has joined the bank as Senior Vice President and Middle Georgia Market Executive. Lee is responsible for customer relationships, business development, and growth in middle Georgia, including the Eastman, Cochran, and Rhine offices. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, with a major in Food Science, and his Master of Agribusiness degrees from the University of Georgia. Lee previously worked in...

(EASTMAN, GEORGIA)— The Board of Directors of Great Oaks Bank announced that the bank’s Eastman office conference room has been designated "The James H. (Jim) Green Conference Room” in honor of its longtime chairman. A resolution honoring Green was presented at the Eastman Dodge Area Chamber Business After Hours event hosted by the bank at its Eastman office yesterday. Green has served as a director of Great Oaks Bank, formerly known as Citizens Bank and Trust Company, since 1986...

(SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— The Board of Directors of Great Oaks Bank has elected Jessica Murrell to the position of Banking Officer. Since joining the bank in September 2020, Jessica has been instrumental in developing the credit team and helping streamline the credit process for the bank. Jessica is a University of South Carolina graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and works at the bank’s Richmond Hill office. She lives in Springfield with her husband, Jonathan,...

(SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— The Board of Directors of Great Oaks Bank has elected Luke Bearden as Banking Officer and Portfolio Manager. Luke joined the bank earlier this year after working in the accounting field for several years. He has provided credit analysis support and has also assisted the production team at the Eastman office. A native of Dalton, Ga., Luke received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Dalton State College. He and his wife Kara have two young...

(SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank announced that Matthew Ambrosy has joined the bank as Banking Officer, Portfolio Manager. Matt will support business development and new loan origination at the newly opened Savannah office. He brings extensive banking experience and is looking forward to developing a commercial portfolio. Originally from upstate New York, Matt holds a Bachelor of Business Science with a major in Business Economics from SUNY Oneonta. He and his wife, Hannah, have a...

(SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank opened its newest office in Savannah on May 2, 2022. The Savannah office is located at 7426 Hodgson Memorial Drive. The bank also has coastal Georgia offices in Richmond Hill and Pooler. “We are pleased to open our doors to the Savannah community with our newest location at the corner of Hodgson Memorial Drive and Montgomery Crossroads,” states Chief Banking Officer, Jon Seagraves. “We see a need in the greater Savannah area for a local,...

Bank volunteers teach financial lessons to children across the state of Georgia (SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank celebrated Teach Children to Save Week April 25-29 through local outreach to area schools located near the bank’s six offices. Great Oaks bankers taught savings education to 10 schools across Georgia, reaching 658 first and second graders. Students in Dodge, Bleckley, Effingham, Bryan, and Chatham counties learned the importance of savings and responsible places to keep...

(Richmond Hill, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank is hosting a Free Community Shred Day on Friday, May 6, 2022, from 9-11 am at its Richmond Hill office located at 42 Town Center Drive. As the number of identity theft victims continues to rise, document security and information protection become a higher priority. One of the best ways to protect identity is to securely destroy sensitive documents like old tax returns, bank statements, and canceled checks. “We are happy to help our customers...

(SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)— Great Oaks Bank announced that Haley Burke has joined the bank as Vice President and Senior Credit Underwriter. She will provide leadership to the credit administration team and risk evaluation support for relationship managers. Originally from Statesboro, Haley holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Finance from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Business Administration from Clemson University. “We are thrilled to welcome Haley to...

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE Why is Great Oaks Bank completing a technology upgrade? Our goal is to offer best-in-class technology to serve our customers. This upgrade will improve our technology to provide new services, easier access to and enhanced security of your banking information, improve our internal operational efficiencies and add value to our relationships for years to come. When will this technology upgrade be complete? The upgrade will...