American Pride Bank Taps Sharpton as Growth Architect for Major SE Push

ATLANTA, GA – June 16, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant strategic acceleration, American Pride Bank announced today the appointment of Michael D. Sharpton as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Growth & Revenue Officer. Sharpton, a banking veteran with over three decades of experience, is not coming alone. He is joined by a formidable team of 18 banking professionals, a clear indication that the bank is mounting an aggressive expansion into key Southeastern markets.

This newly formed unit is tasked with spearheading the bank's sales and lending functions and establishing a robust presence in high-growth cities, including Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina. The move follows the bank's recent merger with New Republic Bank and underscores a calculated effort to solidify its footprint across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida.

"Michael exemplifies the type of bank we want to be — highly responsive, customer-centric, and focused on building lasting relationships with clients, communities, and teammates," said Dominik Mjartan, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Pride Bank. "Michael and our new colleagues have our full confidence, and we are eager to see this expansion help us fuel the success of more entrepreneurs and small businesses across our footprint."

The Architect of a New Southern Strategy

Michael Sharpton is not merely a new executive; he is an architect of growth. Described by industry peers as a "builder by design," his career has been defined by scaling organizations and creating high-performance teams from the ground up. His most recent role as Executive Vice President & Carolinas Regional President for Encore Bank saw him successfully expand that institution's presence by championing a "concierge-style banking approach"—a philosophy that aligns seamlessly with American Pride Bank's stated mission of providing "high-touch, relationship-driven banking solutions."

Bringing on an entire 18-person team alongside a new executive is a powerful and deliberate strategy known as a "team lift-out." This approach allows a bank to parachute a fully-formed, cohesive unit with established chemistry and deep market knowledge directly into new territory. Instead of spending months or years building a team from scratch, American Pride Bank acquires instant operational capability and a network of relationships, dramatically accelerating its market entry plan. Sharpton’s team is expected to consist of seasoned commercial lenders, relationship managers, and treasury service experts poised to hit the ground running.

Sharpton's extensive background, which includes leadership roles at both privately held and publicly traded financial institutions, has equipped him with a multifaceted perspective on navigating market dynamics. His experience teaching advanced sales and leadership models further cements his reputation as a developer of talent, a critical skill for building a sustainable presence in competitive regions.

Planting a Flag in Competitive Soil

The choice of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Greenville is no accident. These cities represent a blend of established financial hubs and burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystems. Charlotte is a major battleground, home to banking giants like Truist, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. To compete here, a smaller institution must offer a compelling alternative. Winston-Salem and Greenville, meanwhile, have seen significant economic revitalization and are becoming hotbeds for the very entrepreneurs American Pride Bank aims to serve.

Sharpton’s own residency in Greenville, South Carolina, provides an immediate tactical advantage, offering on-the-ground intelligence and an established local network. This expansion builds directly upon the foundation laid by the bank's recent merger with New Republic Bank. That strategic acquisition helped push the holding company, American Bancorp, Inc., to its current $1.2 billion asset size and set the stage for this next phase of growth. A critical operational milestone looms with the full systems conversion scheduled for completion by July 1, 2026, a complex undertaking that will unify the two institutions and is essential for a seamless customer experience.

More Than a Bank: Growth with a Dual Mandate

What truly differentiates American Pride Bank's expansion strategy is its dual identity as a certified Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and a Benefit Corporation. These are not just labels; they are legal and ethical commitments that shape its entire business model. As an MDI, the bank is dedicated to serving the financial needs of minority communities, providing crucial access to capital for individuals and businesses that have been historically underserved. This mission provides a powerful purpose that can attract a loyal customer base in diverse urban markets.

Simultaneously, its status as a Benefit Corporation legally obligates the bank to consider its impact on all stakeholders—employees, customers, society, and the environment—alongside its financial profit. This commitment to a "double bottom line" of financial and social returns resonates with a growing segment of consumers, investors, and business owners who want their financial partners to reflect their values. This dual mandate provides a powerful narrative and a competitive edge against larger, more traditional institutions.

This purpose-driven approach is a cornerstone of the bank's identity, a point Sharpton himself underscored. "Community banking plays a vital role in creating opportunity at the local level," he said. "I'm excited to join American Pride Bank at such a pivotal time and to build on its strong foundation of relationship banking together with this talented team."

Orchestrating the Expansion Engine

The success of this ambitious push will depend on a masterful orchestration of people, strategy, and systems. Sharpton and his 18-member team represent the human engine, tasked with forging relationships and building a loan portfolio from the ground up. Their immediate objectives will be to establish a visible market presence, cultivate a pipeline of entrepreneurial clients, and embed the bank's unique, relationship-first culture in the new regions.

Behind the scenes, the impending systems conversion from the New Republic Bank merger represents a critical logistical challenge. A smooth integration is paramount to maintaining operational stability and customer trust. Successfully navigating this technical hurdle will be a key test of the bank's execution capabilities and will provide the stable platform from which the new team can launch its growth initiatives. For American Pride Bank, this moment is a confluence of strategic acquisition, key talent recruitment, and deep-seated purpose, all aimed at redefining what a community bank can be in the fastest-growing markets in the Southeastern United States.