First Carolina Bank announced Steven Deaton has joined its team as Chief Credit Officer to be based in the bank’s new Atlanta, GA, office.

Deaton joins the bank with 36 years of experience in the banking industry and will bring a wealth of knowledge in the areas of commercial, small business and consumer banking, credit administration, enterprise risk management, and regulatory relations. He has spent the majority of his banking career with regional and community banks operating in the metro Atlanta area.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Commenting on the hire, Ron Day, President and CEO of the bank, said, “We are extremely fortunate to have someone with the experience and market knowledge that Steven possesses join our team at this critical juncture of our growth progression. We have long planned to enter the Atlanta market given our connections and existing business relationships in the metro area, and we now have the executive leadership team in place there to confidently extend all facets of our platform. In addition, Steven will help us consider new opportunities for growth given his program expertise in SBA lending and corporate finance. Steven will initially be responsible for credit adjudication, portfolio servicing and oversight of the Bank’s loan business in Georgia, South Carolina, and western North Carolina. He will partner with our current Chief Risk Officer, Stokes Suiter, our Managing Director of market development for South Carolina and Georgia, David Torris, and our new Market President for Atlanta, Thomas Forsberg, in delivering the exceptional First Carolina Bank customer experience to businesses and consumers across Georgia, South Carolina and western North Carolina.”