BB&T reorganizes metro Atlanta

ATLANTA, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing a commitment to its community banking philosophy, BB&T announced today it is reorganizing its Atlanta metro operations into two regions - North Atlanta and South Atlanta - to accommodate accelerating growth in Georgia's most vibrant city.

The North Atlanta Region, headquartered in Buckhead, will be headed by Tasia Katapodis, former Atlanta area executive and a graduate of Vanderbilt University. The South Atlanta Region, based in Peachtree City, will be led by 18-year BB&T veteran Bobby Blakley, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"BB&T has seen tremendous growth in the past few years," said Lars Anderson, Georgia state president and president of the former Atlanta Region. "There seems to be no sign of that growth halting anytime in the near future.

"By dividing Atlanta into two separate regions, we are able to optimize our community banking philosophy - bringing our personnel closer to our clients and recommitting ourselves to providing the superior counsel and service they deserve."

BB&T announced in mid-December its acquisition of Main Street Banks Inc. of Atlanta, which will improve BB&T's market share to fifth from sixth in both metro Atlanta and Georgia.

As Georgia's president, Anderson will continue overseeing the entire region and focus on BB&T's specialized commercial real estate and residential construction lending services, while his new reports will focus on building relationships in their respective regions.

"Both Tasia and Bobby bring a wealth of leadership and professional success to their roles in Atlanta," Anderson said. "Because of their personal experience in the region, they have a keen understanding of what our clients require and will be able to deliver the BB&T brand of highly personal and competent client service."

Katapodis, a 24-year banking veteran, is focused on increasing interaction with current clients and developing new relationships with business owners in Atlanta.

"This reorganization is critical to helping our clients achieve economic success and financial security," said Katapodis. "We understand that business owners cannot afford to have any gaps in service where their self-interests are involved. And, by giving our clients full access to both senior management and account officers, we are ensuring that our knowledge of their business is uninterrupted and continues to remain intact.

"Atlanta is a city of dreams and BB&T plans on fulfilling its obligations to the Atlanta business community. The future prospects here have never looked brighter."

Blakley is also looking forward to closer contact with clients and his employees.

"Our new structure truly is reflective of our community banking model," he said. "With this reorganization, we have expanded resources dedicated to South Atlanta that will provide our local personnel more flexibility in meeting our clients' financial needs. Additionally, I personally will have closer contact with branch staff, allowing me to ensure we're delivering the client service expected of BB&T."

Katapodis is a native of Memphis, Tenn. As BB&T's first employee in Atlanta, she headed the loan production offices prior to BB&T's full entry into the market via several mergers. Actively involved in the Atlanta business community, she has served as an executive board member of the League of Women Voters, is a member of the Metro Chamber of Commerce and formerly served on the board of directors for the Foundation of Medically Fragile Children. Katapodis and her husband, Harry, are both involved with the local non-profit community and reside with their children, Nicole and Harrison, in Atlanta.

A Kernersville, N.C., native, Blakley has worked in various capacities at BB&T, serving as corporate banker in Greensboro, N.C., and an area executive for the Atlanta region. While in Greensboro, Blakley was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the local Rotary Club. He and his wife, Marsha, are active members of Peachtree City United Methodist Church and reside in Peachtree City with their two children, Cameron and Connor.

BB&T expects to complete its acquisition of Main Street in the second quarter. Main Street, with $2.5 billion in assets, operates 24 full-service banking centers and five insurance offices in Atlanta and Athens.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corporation and its subsidiaries offer full-service commercial and retail banking and additional financial services such as insurance, investments, retail brokerage, corporate finance, international banking, leasing and trust. More information is available at http://www.bbandt.com/.

BB&T operates more than 1,400 financial centers in Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, the Carolinas and Washington, D.C.

With more than $107.1 billion in assets, BB&T Corp. is the nation's ninth largest financial holding company. It is the top financial services company in the nation based on "customer advocacy," according to national consulting firm Forrester Research Inc.