Paula Harper Bethea joined First Financial’s and First Federal's Boards of Directors in 1996 and has served as chairman since 2009. She was one of nine South Carolinians chosen in 2001 to establish the South Carolina Education Lottery, and is now its Executive Director. Prior to this position, Ms. Bethea was with the McNair Law Firm from 2006 to 2009 where she served as Director of External Relations.

A native of Hampton County, Ms. Bethea is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where she is President-elect of the Alumni Association. In 1998, she was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award by the University of South Carolina, and in 2003, she was awarded the Columbia College Medallion, the most distinguished commendation bestowed by the college where she is a former Board Chair. Ms. Bethea was Vice Chairman of the Board at Presbyterian College, a member Emeritus of the Board of the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, and past chairman of the Board of the Heart and Vascular Center at MUSC.

Currently, she is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Governors of United Way of America. She is a past member of the Board of United Way International, former Chairman of United Way of South Carolina, and of Beaufort County. In addition, Ms. Bethea is a former Board Chair of the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Centers of Economic Excellence Board and the Wilkins Forum at Furman University. She is a founding Board member of the Palmetto Institute, and is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of the South Carolina Research Foundation.

She served in 1991 on the State Chamber's Task Force for Restructuring State Government and was a member and a Subcommittee Chairman of the Governor's Commission on Restructuring. Governor Campbell presented the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest award for volunteer service, to Ms. Bethea in 1992. In 2006, she and her husband Bill were South Carolina’s Business Leaders of the Year. Ms. Bethea received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the University of South Carolina and Presbyterian College.

Thomas J. Johnson is currently Vice Chairman and has served as a director of First Financial since 1998 and as a director of First Federal since 2002. He is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Owner of F & J Associates, a company that owns and operates automobile dealerships in the southeastern United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He serves on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, the Board of Visitors of the Coastal Carolina University School of Business and the South Carolina Business Resources Board. He is a member of the National Automobile Dealers Association, the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, and the Ford Lincoln Mercury Dealers Association.

He is active in community service as a member of the South Carolina Minority Business Network, a former member of the Board of Trustees of Shaw University and the Conway, South Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Chambers of Commerce. Mr. Johnson received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Shaw University School of Divinity.

Paul G. Campbell, Jr. was elected to First Financial’s and First Federal's Boards of Directors in 1991. Mr. Campbell is the retired President of the Southeast Region for Alcoa Primary Metals, the world's leading aluminum reduction company. He continues to work for Alcoa as a consultant. He is a graduate of Clemson University and received a master's degree from Jacksonville University. In addition to membership in several professional organizations, Mr. Campbell is past President of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, a global professional society. He is past President of the Coastal Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Charleston Trident United Way, Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce, the Minerals, Metals and Material Society (TMS) and the TMS Foundation. He is past Chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Campbell is on the Board of Governors of the School of Business and Economics of the College of Charleston and was on the Board of Visitors of Clemson University and the Clemson Engineering Advisory Board. He also serves on the Trident Technical College Foundation. He was on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) and is past Chairman of the Board for the South Carolina Manufacturer's Alliance. Mr. Campbell was recognized by Governor Campbell as an Economic Development Ambassador for South Carolina, and in 1999, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest award for volunteer service. In 2007 he was elected to the South Carolina Senate, and re-elected in November 2012 to represent District 44 in Berkeley County.

Ronnie M. Givens has served as a Director of First Financial since December 2004. Mr. Givens is a Certified Public Accountant with over 40 years of professional experience. He is a member of Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, a certified public accounting and business advisory firm which has 24 offices in 8 states and is the only regional firm in the Charleston area. Prior to his firm merging with Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP on November 1, 2006, Mr. Givens was a founding member of Gamble Givens & Moody LLC.

His professional affiliations include memberships in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (SCACPA). He serves on a number of boards within the community including The Charleston Regional Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Dorchester County Economic Development, Executive Leadership Council of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, and a member of the CEO Council.

is President and Chief Executive Officer of First Financial Holdings, Inc. (“First Financial” or the “Company”) and First Federal Bank (“First Federal”). Mr. Hall was employed by First Federal and its parent company, First Financial Holdings, Inc., effective December 1, 2006, as Executive Vice President, Financial Management. He previously served as the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and as First Federal’s Chief Operating Officer. He is a certified public accountant.

Mr. Hall has over 35 years of audit and financial institution experience, having served in several senior financial positions, including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Provident Bank, Baltimore, Maryland. He also has seven years of experience auditing financial institutions in the field of public accounting. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and a Masters of Accountancy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mr. Hall also graduated with honors from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. His professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District’s Community Depository Institution Advisory Council (“CDIAC”).

Mr. Hall served as the 2009 Chairman of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life committee for Charleston County and on the American Cancer Society’s Lowcountry Leadership Council. In 2011, he served as Co-Chair of the Clara Barton Society Campaign Steering Committee of the American Red Cross. His current community activities include serving on the Audit Committee of Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Marriottsville, Maryland and on the board of Mt. Pleasant Hospital. Mr. Hall is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) and serves on the CRDA Economic Leadership Council. He is also on the board of the Trident CEO Council (serving as Treasurer), on the board of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, and on the board of Trident United Way.

Susan R. Leadem became a member of the Boards of First Financial and First Federal in February, 2013. Mrs. Leadem's business career has been devoted to the analysis of financial institutions. She began her career in Atlanta with the Robinson-Humphrey company. In 1994, she joined Goldman Sachs. Using her knowledge of US financial institutions and capital markets, she built a European financial institutions equity research product and team for Goldman Sachs International. In 1996, she became a Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, the first female to gain that title outside of the United States. Currently Mrs. Leadem is co-founding Partner of Charleston-based Peninsula Capital Partners, LLC.

Mrs. Leadem’s career, and decade based in London, made her a frequent traveler around the globe. She has been recognized by Institutional Investor magazine and other investor surveys as one of the top industry analysts in her field. Her views have been cited in periodicals, annual reports and broadcasts around the globe. Mrs. Leadem is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute for over 20 years.

With an undergraduate business degree from Wake Forest University and a Masters in Finance from Georgia State University, Mrs. Leadem is active in the Southeastern community. She is a past board member of the Charleston Day School, the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, the Charleston Concert Association, and the Calloway Board of Visitors at Wake Forest University. In addition to serving on the board of First Federal, Mrs. Leadem is currently a Director of the Charleston Educational Excellence Financing Corporation.

James L. Rowe, formerly President of First Southeast Insurance Services Inc., and Kinghorn Insurance Services Inc. (subsidiaries of First Financial Holdings) is President of Rowe Farm, LLC. Mr. Rowe currently serves as a director for First Financial Holdings and First Federal Bank. He is also a director for Palmetto Electric Cooperative, director for Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., a Commissioner for Broad Creek Public Service District, serves on the board of the South Carolina Win and Hail Association, and a member and Past President of the VanLandingham Rotary Club.

Mr. Rowe has served as a director for the Hilton Head/Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Lutheran Homes of South Carolina. He has served on various insurance company/agency councils and was the recipient of the Young Agent of the Year Award in 1984 and Hayne P. Glover Agent of the Year Award in 2001 presented by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina. He previously served two three-year terms as a director for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina. He is a charter member of Christ Lutheran Church on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Richard W. Salmons, Jr. has served as a director of First Federal since 2001, and First Financial since January 2012. Mr. Salmons is President and CEO of Salmons Dredging Corporation, a marine construction company which also provides commercial diving and marine services in the southeastern United States.

A native of Charleston, Mr. Salmons is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. Mr. Salmons is active in community affairs, and he previously served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Historic Charleston Foundation, Chairman of the Board of the Charleston Orphan House, Inc., Commissioner of Pilotage Port of Charleston, Trustee of St. James School, and Senior Warden of St. Michael’s Church. In addition to serving on the board of First Federal, Mr. Salmons currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Past President of the Maritime Association of South Carolina, and Board of Trustees of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust.

D. Kent Sharples has served as a director of First Financial since 1992 and served as a director of Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association (an institution acquired by First Financial and later merged into First Federal) from 1984 through 1999. Dr. Sharples was President of Daytona Beach Community College (now known as Daytona State College), Daytona Beach, Florida from July 1999 until December 2010. From July 1980 to July 1999, he was President of Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Conway, South Carolina.

He has been active in numerous civic associations, serving as President of the United Way of Horry County, President of the Myrtle Beach Rotary Club, Chairman of the Horry County Economic Development Board, Chairman of the Subcommittee of the Area Transportation Council, a member of the Board of Directors of Grand Strand YMCA, a member of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Georgetown Propeller Club. He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto for his contributions to South Carolina. In 1990, Dr. Sharples was also appointed by then Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole to serve as a member of the Secretary’s Advisory Commission on work-based learning.

B. Ed Shelley Jr. has served as a director of First Federal since 2002 and First Financial since 2011. He has been involved with the private practice of radiology for 29 years and has served as past President for Carolina Radiology Associates, LLC for 18 years. He was previous Chief of Staff of Grand Strand Regional Medical Center and previous President of the South Carolina Radiological Society.

Dr. Shelley has served as a Counselor of the American College of Radiology (ACR) and is a Fellow of the ACR. He was a previous Board member of the United Way and is an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Shelley has participated in multiple medical mission trips to third world countries and is Chairman of the Board of 836 Ministries. He was on the Parent Advisory Board of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Dr. Shelley is involved in several businesses outside of radiology including real estate development, and pharmaceutical and software sales.

Henry M. Swink is President of McCall Farms, Inc. a food processing company that manufactures and markets canned fruits and vegetables throughout the Southeast. From 1996 until 2002, he served as Director of Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association, a federally insured subsidiary of First Financial, until its merger with First Federal on August 30, 2002.

Mr. Swink is active in various civic activities having been a member of the Florence Kiwanis Club for 35 years. He is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Carolina Hospital Systems, serves on the Doctors Bruce-Lee Foundation, and chairs the Finance Committee of this Foundation. He is an active member of the Effingham Presbyterian Church and has served on the Session for over 25 years. He currently serves on the Board of the Legislative Audit Council and the Clemson University Board of Visitors.

Hugh L. Willcox Jr. has served as a director of First Federal since 2002, and First Financial since January 2010. Mr. Willcox is a Senior Partner in the law firm of Willcox, Buyck, and Williams, PA, of Florence, South Carolina, and Surfside Beach, South Carolina. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Willcox is active in community affairs where he has served on the Board of Directors for the Florence Museum, Florence Kiwanis Club, Pawleys Island Civic Association, the Hospice Foundation, the University of South Carolina Alumni Association and as Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Pawleys Island, South Carolina. He is currently a member of the Kiwanis Agricultural Society.

is President and Chief Executive Officer of First Financial Holdings, Inc. (“First Financial” or the “Company”) and First Federal Bank (“First Federal”). Mr. Hall was employed by First Federal and its parent company, First Financial Holdings, Inc., effective December 1, 2006, as Executive Vice President, Financial Management. He previously served as the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and as First Federal’s Chief Operating Officer. He is a certified public accountant.

Mr. Hall has over 35 years of audit and financial institution experience, having served in several senior financial positions, including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Provident Bank, Baltimore, Maryland. He also has seven years of experience auditing financial institutions in the field of public accounting. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and a Masters of Accountancy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mr. Hall also graduated with honors from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. His professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District’s Community Depository Institution Advisory Council (“CDIAC”).

Mr. Hall served as the 2009 Chairman of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life committee for Charleston County and on the American Cancer Society’s Lowcountry Leadership Council. In 2011, he served as Co-Chair of the Clara Barton Society Campaign Steering Committee of the American Red Cross. His current community activities include serving on the Audit Committee of Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Marriottsville, Maryland and on the board of Mt. Pleasant Hospital. Mr. Hall is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) and serves on the CRDA Economic Leadership Council. He is also on the board of the Trident CEO Council (serving as Treasurer), on the board of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, and on the board of Trident United Way.

is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Financial and First Federal. Ms. Bettendorf began her employment with First Federal and the company in January 2010 and served as Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer until her promotion to CFO in May 2010. Ms. Bettendorf has over 25 years of business experience primarily in Greenville, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina, in the public accounting field and banking industry.

Ms. Bettendorf was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Summit Financial Corporation and its subsidiary Summit National Bank from the time of the company’s inception in 1990 until its sale in 2005. Following that sale, she began providing interim-CFO and consulting services to banking and other industries. Immediately prior to joining First Federal, Ms. Bettendorf was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Carolina Commerce Bank in Gastonia, North Carolina until its sale in October 2009. She is licensed as a CPA in both South and North Carolina.

became the Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of First Federal on September 1, 2009. Mr. Amy is responsible for managing the credit risk management functions of the company including credit policy, underwriting guidelines, credit administrations, problem loan resolution, and credit approval standards. Prior to joining First Federal, Mr. Amy had thirty-five years of financial institution experience having started his career in 1974 at Mellon Bank, n.a. and going on to serve in senior positions in a number of regional and community banks.

became the Executive Vice President of Retail Banking in January 2010. His responsibilities include leadership of all retail operations, including 66 Financial Centers, mortgage banking, consumer lending, manufactured housing, marine lending, credit cards, online banking and the Customer Contact Center.Mr. Arthur has extensive leadership experience, most recently as a Senior Vice President with Bank of America. At that company, he oversaw sales, service, and operations for 11 consumer markets and 335 branches in the Southeast. Throughout his career, he has also led call center teams, wealth management teams, product development units, and merger integration teams. In each of his roles, he has built, coached and developed successful sales and operations teams.

He graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is also a graduate of the South Carolina Bankers’ School. In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Arthur has been actively involved in community organizations. Examples include five years as a member of the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Team Captain of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Membership Campaign for Bank of America, Chairman of the United Way campaign, and a coach for the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department.

became Executive Vice President of First Financial and First Federal in May 2011. She began employment with First Federal in 1985 as a Human Resources Associate. Having 26 years of human resources experience with the Company, she has a background in employment, employee relations, training, and benefits. During her tenure with First Federal, she has progressed within the human resources department, and in 1996, she was promoted to Director, Human Resources for First Federal. In 2004, she was named Vice President, Employment, with primary responsibilities in employment, staffing, and compensation.

Ms. Bagwell is a graduate of the College of Charleston where she obtained a BS in Business Administration and she is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She has been active in professional organizations including serving as former Chairman and Board member of the South Carolina Bankers School. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resources Management.

is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of First Financial and First Federal. Mr. Davis began his employment with the Company and First Federal on July 6, 2010. He is responsible for leadership of the Legal Group which, in addition to providing and managing legal services, includes Corporate Secretary, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management and Anti-Money Laundering/Fraud compliance.

Mr. Davis has practiced law for 34 years and, during that time, been a member of a private law firm in Annapolis, Maryland, served as an attorney with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington, DC, and worked in private industry. He has extensive experience in litigation, regulatory, compliance, legislative, securities, risk management and corporate governance issues. Prior to joining the Company and First Federal, Mr. Davis was Managing Director and General Counsel of Provident Bankshares Corporation/Provident Bank in Baltimore, Maryland from 1991 until its sale in 2009. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at McDaniel College and Juris Doctor from the University Of Baltimore School Of Law. Mr. Davis also earned a Certificate, with Honors, from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, University of Delaware.

became Executive Vice President of the Commercial Banking Group for First Federal on March 10, 2010. His responsibilities include leadership of all Commercial Banking activities for First Federal Bank, including responsibility for Business Banking, Corporate Banking, Cash Management, Credit Products and Commercial Client Support.

Mr. Golding joined the First Federal Executive Team having extensive leadership experience as a Senior Vice President with Wachovia/Wells Fargo with responsibilities as a Regional Commercial Banking Relationship Manager, Regional Loan Administrator and Portfolio Manager. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Mr. Golding is active in the Charleston community serving on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association, Advance Chairman for Accelerate Greater Charleston, Member of The Executive Association of Greater Charleston, and as Treasurer for Boy Scout Troop 20. Mr. Golding is a former Board of Trustee for the Charleston Stage Company/Dock Street Theatre, former Advisory Board member for the Medical University of South Carolina School of Nursing, former Logistics Chair for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and a former youth soccer coach.

is the Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer of the Company and First Federal. Mr. Hall’s responsibilities include Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, Marketing, Insurance Operations and Wealth Management. He joined First Financial on June 1, 2009 after 38 years with Bank of America where he led specialized sales teams in Commercial Middle Market, Government and Non Profit Healthcare. He previously served the company as Executive Vice President/North Carolina Region.

Mr. Hall graduated from East Carolina University, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has held leadership roles in civic and economic development organizations throughout his career, including Chairman of two United Way Campaigns and Rotary Club President. Mr. Hall currently serves on the Membership Committee of the American Bankers Association and is serving a two-year term as a Board Member of the South Carolina Bankers Association.

is Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of First Financial Holdings, Inc. (“First Financial” or the “Company”) and First Federal Bank(“First Federal”). Mr. Helmus was employed by First Federal and its parent company, First Financial Holdings, Inc. effective July 11, 2011 as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. Mr. Helmus has over 17 years of audit and financial institution experience, having served in several senior financial positions, including Audit Manager at U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Provident Bank, Baltimore, Maryland. He also has ten years of experience auditing financial institutions in the field of public accounting. He received his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His professional affiliations include the Risk Management Association. He is a licensed CPA.

is Executive Vice President of Marketing. She began her employment with First Federal in September 2010. She has 12 years of multi-dimensional marketing experience, specifically Brand Development, Advertising, Public Relations, Event Organization and Interactive Media. At First Federal, Ms. McGahey manages a consistent brand experience throughout the First Federal footprint. In addition, her team is responsible for executing an integrated marketing strategy to support the retail, commercial and wealth management lines of business.

Ms. McGahey is involved in community organizations, currently serving on the The First Tee of Greater Charleston Board of Directors and the South Carolina Bankers Association Marketing Committee. She is a graduate of the Leadership Charleston and is a recipient of the Charleston Business Journal 40 under 40 award and Influential Women in Business Rising Star award. In addition, she has been active on other boards, committee initiatives and professional organizations, including Charleston Young Professionals, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Charleston Chapter of American Marketing Association and Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

Ms. McGahey received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s Degree in Communication from the College of Charleston. Ms. McGahey has been a speaker on topics related to intergenerational communication in the workplace and young professional leadership initiatives.

is Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of First Federal. Eartha began her employment with First Federal in March 2010. Her responsibilities include leadership of the Bank's Operations Division and Information Technology. Ms. Morris joined the First Federal Executive Team having 25 years of extensive leadership and operations experience as an Executive Vice President and Head of Bank Operations at PNC Bank (formerly Riggs Bank) in Washington, DC, a Senior Vice President and Risk Manager at Provident Bank in Baltimore, Maryland, and most recently as an Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Congressional Bank in Bethesda, Maryland.

She obtained both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Business Continuity Planner and Risk Manager. Ms. Morris currently serves on the board of ITNCharlestonTrident and has been very active in professional organizations including serving as former President, Board Member and Instructor for the American Institute of Banking (AIB). She also served as Board Member for Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area.

is Executive Vice President, Wealth Management and President of First Southeast Investor Services, Inc., beginning his employment with First Financial and the firm in 1995. Mr. Sease leads the company’s Trust Division and Investment Brokerage (First Southeast Investor Services). Prior to joining First Financial and First Southeast, Mr. Sease served as President of Home Financial Services, Inc. and in several roles at Home Federal Savings Bank of SC, including Director of Retail Banking, Vice President of Deposit Services and Asset Liability Analyst. He has over 25 years of Financial Services experience.

Mr. Sease is a graduate of Winthrop University, where he earned a degree in Communications and a minor in Business Administration. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 Securities Licenses, as well as the State of South Carolina Life, Accident, and Health Insurance License. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®) and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC). He has been featured in several Bank Investment Services periodicals and a conference speaker at national conventions, including BISA and FIIA. He also served on the UVEST Investment Services Bank Executive Advisory Council. He was the recipient of the 2007 Winthrop University Distinguished Service Award and was previously named in the Charleston Business Journal’s 40 under 40.

Mr. Sease has been involved in many charities and organizations including a board member for the SC Make-A-Wish Foundation and past President of the Winthrop Alumni Executive Board. He currently serves on the Winthrop University Board of Trustees and is a member of the Trident United Way Finance Committee. He is an I-Beam mentor reader in the Charleston County School District, Member of the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church Endowment Committee, and an area representative for the Winthrop Eagle Club Board.

is Executive Vice President, Wealth Management, and President, First Southeast 401(k) Fiduciaries, Inc. beginning his employment with First Federal in April, 2009. Mr. Vroon has over twenty years of leadership, management, and sales experience across several industries (primarily Financial Services related), and is currently responsible for the Bank’s delivery of financial solutions for high net worth clients.

Mr. Vroon leads the company’s Private Bank (The Premier Relationship Group), 401k Corporate plan administrator (American Pensions), and registered investment advisory, First Southeast 401(k) Fiduciaries, Inc. Along with his enterprise wide executive leadership, his divisional responsibilities include the integration of these diverse businesses into a seamless Wealth Management delivery system, leading, coaching, and developing a team of financial professionals responsible for providing the complete breadth and depth of advice, products, and services to individuals and households in the affluent demographic. Prior roles include Senior Vice President – Market Executive (SC) – Premier Banking and Investments - Bank of America; Senior Vice President – Market Executive – Business Banking (NC, SC, GA) – Bank of America; Senior Vice President – Senior Client Manager - Commercial Banking – Bank of America; Vice President – Client Manager – Commercial Real Estate - Wachovia.

Mr. Vroon earned his MBA at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business and his Bachelor of Arts from Calvin College. He is a graduate of the Leadership SC and Leadership Charleston programs, and is a current board member of the American Red Cross, Regional Chapter. Past Board service includes the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Charleston Young Professionals (Founding Chair), and Crimestoppers. In appreciation of his extensive community work, Mr. Vroon is a three-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, as recognized by the United States Freedom Corp.