Southern First Bancshares SFST

R. Arthur Art Seaver, Jr., has served as a director and our Chief Executive Officer since 1999. He has over 37 years of banking experience. From 1986 until 1992, Mr. Seaver held various positions with The Citizens & Southern National Bank of South Carolina. From 1992 until February 1999, he was with Greenville National Bank, which was acquired by Regions Bank in 1998. He was the senior vice president in lending and was also responsible for managing Greenville National Bank's deposit strategies prior to leaving to form the Bank. Mr. Seaver is a 1986 graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in financial management and a 1999 graduate of the BAI Graduate School of Community Bank Management. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Phillis Wheatley Community Center in Greenville, South Carolina. He previously served as a member of the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He is a past member of the board of the St. Francis Foundation, past chairman of the Board for the South Carolina Bankers Association and past chair of the United Way of Greenville County Board of Trustees. In addition, he has worked with organizations including the United Way of Greenville County, Leadership Greenville, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Network of Business and Education Partnership, Junior League, Junior Achievement, the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the United Way, and the First Presbyterian Church in Greenville.

Calvin C. Hurst, has served as the president of our Company and our Bank since August 2022 and previously served as our chief banking officer since March 2019. Mr. Hurst has over 20 years of banking experience. From 2006 to 2019, Mr. Hurst worked for several large financial institutions serving as a commercial underwriter, commercial relationship manager, and finally as a regional vice president for TD Bank beginning in 2016. Mr. Hurst is a 2005 graduate of Furman University, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics.

Christian J. Zych, , has served as chief financial officer of our Company and our Bank since May 2024. Mr. Zych has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry. Prior to joining us, Mr. Zych spent approximately 15 years at United Community Bank, most recently serving as Director of Corporate Development and Investor Relations from 2014 until April 2024. In this role, he was responsible for developing and executing corporate strategy, identifying and negotiating M&A transactions, managing investor relations, and overseeing capital planning and strategy. From 2014 to 2018, he also served as Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and Management Reporting, where he led financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and internal reporting functions. Mr. Zych is a highly accomplished leader with a proven track record of financial management and analysis, formulation and execution of corporate and financial strategy, and investor relations management. Mr. Zych holds a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University School of Business and a Bachelor's Degree in finance from Bentley University.

Wesley C. Wilbanks, has served as Chief Credit Officer of the Bank since April 2025. Mr. Wilbanks joined us in September 2021 as a Senior Credit Risk Officer before serving as Executive Director of Market Support. Mr. Wilbanks has over 25 years of banking experience, and prior to joining Southern First, served in various senior credit roles at SouthState Bank for 11 years. Mr. Wilbanks is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University with a Bachelor's degree in Finance and a Graduate of the School of Banking at LSU.

Julie A. Fairchild, has served as chief accounting officer and principal accounting officer of our Company and our Bank since October 2024. Ms. Fairchild joined the bank in 2005, serving in various roles, most recently as Executive Vice President of Accounting and Finance. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Fairchild served as audit manager for Elliott Davis LLC, a regional public accounting and consulting firm. Ms. Fairchild holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Bob Jones University and is a certified public accountant in the State of South Carolina.

Andrew B. Cajka, Jr. has served as a director of the Company since 1999. Mr. Cajka is the founder and president of Southern Hospitality Group, LLC, a private hotel management and development company in Greenville, South Carolina. Prior to starting his own business, Mr. Cajka was a managing member of Hyatt Hotels Corporation from 1986 until 1998. He is a 1982 graduate of Bowling Green State University. In 2022 he received the designation of Honorary Alumnus of Clemson University and was awarded the 2020 South Carolina Hotelier of the Year. He is a past chairman of the Clemson University Research Foundation and an executive member of the One Spartanburg Chamber Board of Directors and Chairman of the Spartanburg Tourism Council. He is a past chairman of the Greenville County Research and Technology Development board, past chairman of Visit Greenville SC and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, past chairman of the Greenville Tech Hospitality Board, and past vice chairman of the board for St. Joseph's High School. Mr. Cajka is an active board member of the BMW Charity Golf Tournament. He has served as a board member of the Urban League, Upstate Red Cross, the Metropolitan Arts Council and the Thornblade Board of Governors. Additionally, Mr. Cajka previously served on the board of directors for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and is past president of the downtown area council, as well as past chairman of the Greenville Hospital Foundation Board and past chairman of the Children's Hospital.

James B. Orders, III, , has served as a director of the Company and chairman of our board of directors since 1999. From 1986 to 2014, Mr. Orders was the president of Park Place Corporation, a private company engaged in the manufacture and sale of mattresses to the wholesale market. He attended Clemson University from 1970 until 1974. Mr. Orders is a past president of the International Sleep Products Association, a past president of the Downtown Rotary Club, a past member of the advisory board of Greenville National Bank and a past member of the advisory board of Carolina First Bank. He is a past board member and board chairman of Cox Industries, Inc., a private company that specialized in the manufacture and distribution of treated wood products. Mr. Orders has executive management experience in national sales markets in addition to experience in the southeast real estate market.

Anne S. Ellefson, has served as a director of the Company since 2001. Mrs. Ellefson is an attorney and in 2020 retired from her position as Vice President-Deputy General Counsel at Prisma Health, a not-for-profit health organization, having been with Prisma Health, and its predecessor, Greenville Health System, since 2014. She was formerly a shareholder with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., where she practiced law from 1979 through 2013. Mrs. Ellefson is a 1976 graduate of the University of South Carolina where she received a bachelor's degree and a 1979 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mrs. Ellefson previously served on advisory boards at both United Carolina Bank and BB&T Bank. She is a past chairman of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greenville County and formerly served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. She served as a member of the Board of Governors of the South Carolina Bar (where she also served as President), was President of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Educational Television Endowment, and served as chair of South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center (SCTAC). She formerly served as chair of the Hollingsworth Fund and chair of Verdae Development, Inc. and is the past President of the South Carolina Bar Foundation and the South Carolina Bar. In addition, she serves on the board of the Greenville Local Development Corporation.

Terry Grayson-Caprio, has served as a director of the Company since 2021. In 2020, Ms. Grayson-Caprio retired from KPMG after 35 years, where she was most recently the Managing Partner of the firm's South Carolina practice. As Managing Partner, she was responsible for the state's business operations including key accounts, business development, talent management, market development, facilities, and financial management. She currently serves on the board of directors for The Caldwell Partners International, Inc. (TSX: CWL) where she chairs the compensation committee, and on the board of directors of Dauch Corporation (NYSE: DCH) (formerly American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.) where she serves as a member of the audit and technology committees. Her leadership commitments also span current and former directorships in organizations supporting the arts, education, and the environment, including the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Winthrop University Foundation and the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Carolinas Chapter.

Anna T. Locke, has served as a director of the Company since 2018. Ms. Locke is the president and owner of A.T. LOCKE, PC, an outsourced accounting management company. Prior to starting her own business in 2004, Ms. Locke was with Elliott Davis, a regional accounting firm headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Ms. Locke is a 1998 magna cum laude graduate of Clemson University and a certified public accountant. Ms. Locke is a past member of Vistage International and the Accounting Advisory Committees for both Greenville Technical College and Clemson University and former Treasurer of InnoVision Awards Organization. Ms. Locke currently serves on the Board of the Arts Center of Kershaw County and has previously served on the board for the Center for Developmental Services, NEXT School, Certified Development Corporation of South Carolina, the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce and Friends of the Guardian ad Litem.

William A. Maner, IV, has served as a director of the Company since 2021. From 2006 to 2018, Mr. Maner served as a founding partner of Edge Capital, an investment firm based in Atlanta, Georgia and served as an Advisory Director for the firm from 2018 until 2024. He also serves as an Advisory Director of Lazear Capital Partners, an ESOP M&A firm, based in Columbus, Ohio since 2020. Mr. Maner previously worked for Arthur Andersen, as a certified public accountant, and for Morgan Stanley as an investment banker. He was also the Chief Financial Officer for ExGov, an early-stage Internet company. Mr. Maner graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1985 with a degree in commerce, and he received a master's in business administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1990.

Rudolph G. Trip Johnstone, III, M.D., , has served as a director of the Company since 1999. Dr. Johnstone is a physician who has practiced with Allergy Partners of the Upstate since 1992. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1982 with a degree in biology and from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1986. Dr. Johnstone served on the advisory board to Greenville National Bank from 1995 until 1998. He serves on the board of directors of Allergy Partners, PA and is a past president of the Southeastern Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology Society.

Tecumseh Tee Hooper, Jr., has served as a director of the Company since 1999. Mr. Hooper is a private investor and chairman of the board of FGP International Inc., a private executive search and temporary placement service company, and he has been with FGP International Inc. since 2003. He was the president of Modern Office Machines/IKON Office Solutions in Greenville, South Carolina, from 1982 through 2001, chief executive officer of Profit Lab from 2001 through 2006, chief executive officer of General Wholesale Distributor from 2007 through 2016, and chief executive officer of Sign Crafters, USA, LLC, from 2016 through 2018. Mr. Hooper graduated from The Citadel in 1969 with a degree in business administration, and he received a master's in business administration from the University of South Carolina in 1971. Mr. Hooper has served the community as a board member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Camp Greenville, YMCA Metropolitan, Prisma Health Upstate, Greenville Urban League, and the Greenville United Way. Mr. Hooper has also served on the board of directors for Leadership Greenville, Leadership South Carolina, and also served as chairman of the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and the Patriots Point Development Authority in Charleston. He is a former member of The Citadel Board of Visitors and serves on the boards of Verdae Development and Upstate Warrior Solution and Prisma Upstate.

David G. Ellison has served as a director of the Company since 2001. Mr. Ellison is currently a Wealth Management Advisor with Northwestern Mutual, where he retired as managing director in 2010, after 28 years of service in that role. Mr. Ellison is a 1972 graduate of Furman University where he received a bachelor's degree and is a 1976 graduate of the Clemson-Furman University Program where he received a master's in business administration. Mr. Ellison serves as an Emeritus Trustee of Furman University, where he is also a former board chair. He is a past president of both the Furman Alumni Association and Furman Paladin Club and has also served on the board of trustees for United Way of Greenville County and as a prior commissioner of the Greenville Housing Authority.

Leighton M. Cubbage, has served as a director of the Company since 1999. Mr. Cubbage is the co-founder and chairman of Allie Capital, a private real estate investment company, and was previously a co-founder of Serrus Capital Partners. Previously, he was the co-founder, president, and chief operating officer of Corporate Telemanagement Group in Greenville, South Carolina from 1989 until 1995. Since 1995, Mr. Cubbage has been a private investor maintaining investment interests in a weekly newspaper and car dealerships. He is a 1977 graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in political science. Mr. Cubbage previously served as chairman of the Greenville Hospital System board of trustees, was a former member of the Greenville Technical College Foundation Board and has served on the board of directors of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Clemson Spiro College of Entrepreneurship and Homes of Hope. Mr. Cubbage was chosen by the South Carolina Governor as Chairman of the South Carolina Venture Capital Authority and was inducted into the Clemson University Spiro Entrepreneurial Institute Hall of Fame in 2011. In 1993, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Advanced Management Program.

Mark A. Cothran, has served as a director of the Company since 1999. Mr. Cothran is the president and owner of Cothran Properties, LLC, a private real estate development company, and Cothran Homes, LLC, a residential home building company, which are both located in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. Cothran has been actively involved in real estate in the Greenville, South Carolina market since 1986. Mr. Cothran received his bachelor's degree in finance and banking from the University of South Carolina in 1980 and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of South Carolina. He has served on the Tax and Legislative Committee and the National Business Park Forum of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) for which he is also a past chairman. He is also the past president of the state chapter of NAIOP. He has served on the board of directors of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Board, the Advisory Board of Greenville National Bank, and the board of directors of General Wholesale Distributors, Inc. and Long Focus Capital Management, LLC.

Ray A. Lattimore, has served as a director of the Company since 2021. Since 1996, Mr. Lattimore has served as founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Marketplace Professional Staffing, a staffing firm which provides high quality, value-added recruiting and staffing solutions to leading regional, national, and international companies. He also founded Marketplace Real Estate Holdings, a real estate firm located in Greenville, South Carolina that invests in residential and commercial real estate. Mr. Lattimore currently serves as Chairman of the Greenville Technical College Area Commission Board of Directors, director of the Phillis Wheatley Community Center Board of Directors, where he was a former chairman, and is on the Strategic Planning Committee of the Bon Secours Saint Francis Health System Board.

Darrin Goss, Sr., has served as a director of the Company since 2025. Mr. Goss has served as President and CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation in Charleston, SC since 2016. His previous roles include President and CEO of Capital Area United Way in Baton Rouge, VP of Community Impact at United Way of Greenville County, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Career Services at Wofford College, and Training and Development Consultant at Sunoco. He is a U.S. Army veteran and earned a bachelor's degree from Wofford College and a master's degree from North Greenville University.

Jennifer S. Cluverius, has served as a director of the Company since 2025. Ms. Cluverius has been an attorney with Nexsen Pruet and its successor, Maynard Nexsen, since December 2007. She is an experienced complex civil litigation trial lawyer who also provides daily advice and counsel to employers on employment, labor, and other business-related matters. Ms. Cluverius is a Shareholder of Maynard Nexsen PC, serves on the firm's Board of Directors, and chairs its Labor & Employment Practice Group. Ms. Cluverius is a South Carolina Supreme Court Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law. She is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina, and holds a bachelor's degree from Clemson University and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

William M. McClatchey, Jr., has served as a director of the Company since 2025. Mr. McClatchey has served as Chief Executive Officer of Chaucer Creek Capital in Raleigh, North Carolina since January 2009 and has focused on the Southeastern multifamily market during his real estate career. He previously founded, grew, and successfully exited McClatchey Broadcasting Company, which owned and operated radio stations across the Carolinas. He also worked in mergers and acquisitions groups for Bowles Hollowell Conner & Company and Trident Financial Corporation, where he helped financial institutions seeking an initial public offering raise capital. He completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University and earned an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina.

Effective June 1, 2026, the Boards of Directors of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. and Southern First Bank approved the appointment of Mr. Bryan Kennedy as a director. Mr. Kennedy recently retired from a 43-year career in commercial banking, most recently serving SouthState Bank as Northern Banking Group President over North Carolina and Virginia. His experience includes leadership positions at various financial institutions such as First Charlotte Bank, Park Meridian Bank and Regions Bank. In 2006, Mr. Kennedy founded Park Sterling Bank, the largest capitalized start-up in North Carolina history, which was sold to SouthState Bank in 2017. Mr. Kennedy also serves as the Lead Independent Director of the Cato Corporation, an NYSE-traded women's specialty apparel retailer, where he has served as director since 2009. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his MBA from the University of North Carolina. The Boards believe Mr. Kennedy's ties to the Charlotte community, a key market for the Bank, and his extensive commercial banking and public company board experience will enhance his ability to serve as a director of the Company and the Bank.

Silvia T. King has served as Chief Human Resources Officer of our Company and our Bank since March 2018. Ms. King has over 20 years of Human Resources leadership experience. From 2003 to 2009, Ms. King served in various human resource and senior management roles with Monsanto Company and Select Comfort Corporation. From 2009 to 2016, Ms. King served as senior human resources consultant for FGP International, a professional staffing firm in Greenville, South Carolina, and most recently as a human resources instructor with e-Cornell University. Ms. King holds degrees in Psychology and International Marketing from Clemson University and a Master of Human Resources degree from the University of South Carolina.