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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NewDominion Bank, which opened in January, has nearly completed assembling its team of commercial bankers. Over the past few weeks, the bank has hired five experienced commercial lenders, giving the bank a total of six. The bank plans to hire two more in this initial phase of operations.

The five bankers hired are:

--Michael Carle, Senior Vice President, Residential Construction Lending.

--Michael Foster, Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending, Lake Norman Region.

--Greg Greer, Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending.

--Ellen Stahlsmith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending.

--David Willingham, Vice President, Commercial Lending.

The sixth commercial banker, Jeff Covington, Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending, has been with NewDominion for several months.

"We're delighted to have attracted the kind of dedicated, seasoned managers who immediately give us one of the most experienced groups of loan officers in the area," said Bradley Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewDominion. "These hires are what we mean when we say this bank will invest in people instead of expensive branches."

Together, NewDominion's six commercial lenders average 21 years of banking experience, including 17 in the Carolinas. "When we first developed the idea for NewDominion, we knew a critical piece would be to hire a senior management team with local experience," said Benjie Guion, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of NewDominion. "This loan-officer team gives us the ability to provide the special service that small to mid-sized businesses are looking for in a bank."

Following is a background summary on each of the newly hired senior lenders:

Michael Carle most recently was a Charlotte-based vice president and senior commercial lender/team leader for BB&T, where he had worked since 1987. He managed an extensive real estate portfolio that included residential and commercial loans. He also managed other officers and support personnel. He also served as a vice president and business services manager in several other North Carolina cities for BB&T. Carle started his banking career at First American National Bank in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1982. He is a graduate of Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the National Commercial Lending School.

Michael Foster introduced Park Meridian Bank to the North Mecklenburg/South Iredell region, then served as the Cornelius area executive for Regions Bank of North Carolina after Regions acquired Park Meridian in 2001. He managed and developed personal and commercial banking relationships. Foster also served as senior vice president and market executive in Cornelius for First Citizens Bank of North Carolina and worked in several Carolinas locations for First Union, now Wachovia. He is immediate past chairman of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Greg Greer most recently was a Charlotte-based Senior Vice President and Regional Corporate Banker for BB&T, where he had worked since 2000. He managed an extensive corporate and commercial real estate loan portfolio. Greer started his banking career in 1980 at NCNB, a predecessor to Bank of America, in Greensboro. He held various commercial lending positions in western North Carolina, as well as serving as a private banker for the Charlotte medical market. Greer moved to start-up First Charlotte Bank in 1988 as commercial lender and area administrator. He later was Credit Risk Manager and Corporate Banker when First Charlotte became part of Centura Bank. He is a 1995 graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

Ellen Stahlsmith managed a diverse portfolio of middle market commercial accounts for BB&T in Charlotte, where she had been vice president/team leader/senior relationship manager. She began working for BB&T in 1996, after 16 years with Bank of America and its predecessors, working her way up to senior vice president, private banking loan administration. At Bank of America, she also served as coordinator of product specialists and new business and risk management issues.

David Willingham had been vice president, Private Banking group for SouthTrust Bank in Charlotte. In that position, he developed, managed and grew a portfolio of affluent clients. Before joining SouthTrust in 2002, Willingham worked as a relationship sales manager for First Union, now Wachovia. He managed a portfolio of commercial clients there and worked with other groups in the bank to attain new clients and expand existing relationships with current clients.

NewDominion Bank, located at 1100 Kenilworth Ave. in Charlotte, was the largest bank start-up in North Carolina history when it opened in January, with $40 million in capital. NewDominion serves the commercial banking needs of small and medium-sized businesses in the Charlotte area - including manufacturers, professional service firms and real estate developers. NewDominion (www.newdominionbank.com) is investing in experienced people while avoiding an expensive branch network, using the savings to attract depositors with above-market rates on savings products.

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