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 W. Kevin Stewart, CPA, AEP, Managing Partner of Stewart & Company in Virginia Beach, Va., to the Board of Directors of both companies, effective January 1, 2027. Stewart has served on Southern Bank’s Advisory Board.
A Virginia Beach native, Stewart leads Stewart & Company, a Virginia Beach-based CPA firm of approximately 50 professionals that delivers assurance, tax, advisory, payroll and financial planning services. In addition to managing the firm, he works primarily with clients on advanced tax matters, business succession planning and M&A transactions. Stewart & Company is a member of the AICPA, the Virginia Society of CPAs (VSCPA) and the BDO Alliance.
“Kevin has been a trusted voice on our Advisory Board and in the community, and his deep financial expertise and long record of service in Hampton Roads make him a natural fit for our Board of Directors,” said Drew M. Covert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Bank. “We are delighted to welcome him.”
Stewart earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from James Madison University in 1994. He is a past president of both the Tidewater Chapter of the Virginia Society of CPAs and the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council, where he earned the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation. He serves as Elder Board Chair of Spring Branch Community Church, on the Board of the Virginia Beach Art Center and on the Advisory Board of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. He is also a founding member of Guys Doing Good, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to serving the disenfranchised and underprivileged in Hampton Roads, and has been active with numerous civic groups throughout his career.
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.
