FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2026
Media Contact:
Matt Smith
Southern Bank
919-259-9313
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Southern BancShares (N.C.), Inc. and Southern Bank and Trust Company (“Southern Bank”) today announced the appointment of L. Taylor Harrell, III, to the Board of Directors of both companies, effective January 1, 2027. Harrell currently serves as President of Southern Bank. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Regional Executive and brings more than two decades of leadership experience to the organization.
“We are very pleased that Taylor has accepted this expanded role with our company, and our Board will benefit greatly from his perspective,” said Drew M. Covert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Bank. “Taylor has a proven record of leading regional teams and building new, profitable markets for Southern.”
A native of Gates County, N.C., Harrell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
Harrell has long been active in civic life, with a commitment to making a positive impact in the communities Southern serves. He has held board and executive leadership roles with the Jaycees, Rotary, Ridgecroft School, First Baptist Church of Ahoskie, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, and the Downtown Norfolk Council, among many other organizations.
Harrell resides in Suffolk, VA., with his wife, Stephanie Wiggins Harrell. He has two children, Logan and Mason, both of whom reside in Atlanta GA. He is a member of Liberty Live Church of Suffolk.
About Southern Bank and Trust Company
Founded in 1901, Southern Bank and Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern BancShares (N.C.), Inc. Headquartered in Mount Olive, N.C., the bank has total assets of approximately $5 billion and more than 55 locations serving eastern North Carolina and Virginia. Southern Bank was recently ranked No. 2 on American Banker’s list of top community banks in the nation. Member FDIC.
