GCSU Leadership Programs to host Sonny Deriso, noted civic leader

GCSU Leadership Programs to host Sonny Deriso, noted civic leader

The Usery Forum on Leadership at Georgia College & State University will host Walter M. "Sonny" Deriso, Jr., founding chairman and director of Atlantic Capital Bank and Atlantic Capital Bancshares, Inc., on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Ballroom on campus.

"Sonny Deriso's career exemplifies the kind of principled, community-centered leadership the Usery Forum aims to highlight," said Dr. Harold Mock. "His experience in both business and civic life offers important lessons for our students and the broader community about leadership, stewardship and service."

Deriso began his professional career as an attorney in Albany, Georgia, where he practiced law from 1972 to 1991. He later served as president and CEO of Security Bank & Trust Company of Albany (a Synovus Bank) and as vice chairman of Synovus Financial Corp. from 1997 to 2005. In 2006 he became the founding chairman of Atlantic Capital Bank and Atlantic Capital Bancshares, Inc., leading the company until its merger with SouthState Corporation in 2022.

Deriso has also provided leadership to many organizations across Georgia. He has chaired the Georgia Bankers Association, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the Georgia Historical Society and served as a trustee of Emory University, where he led the university's $1.697 billion capital campaign - the largest in Georgia's history at that time. He and his wife, Judy, are currently co-chairing a capital campaign for Phoebe Putney Healthcare's Phoebe Foundation.

In 2024 Deriso was named a Georgia Trustee in recognition of his lifetime of leadership and service. His many honors include the Marion Luther Brittain Service Award from Emory University, listings among Atlanta Business Chronicle's 100 Most Influential Atlantans and Georgia Trend's 100 Most Influential Georgians and recognition as one of Atlanta Business Chronicle's Most-Admired CEOs.

The Usery Forum on Leadership honors the legacy of U.S. Secretary of Labor W. J. Usery, Jr., exploring leadership that brings people together in service to the public good. The series is supported by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Melvin and Eleyce Usery.

About Georgia College Leadership Programs

Georgia College's Office of Leadership Programs provides teaching, research and public service related to leadership, citizenship, democracy and public affairs. With the support of a distinguished faculty and practitioners, we educate the next generation of Georgia's leaders for the public good. Our programs bring together scholars and students, as well as business leaders, non-profit executives, journalists and public officials and offer a trusted forum on citizen-leadership and pressing issues of the day.

For more information, visit https://www.gcsu.edu/leadership or contact [email protected] or 478-445-1227.