In this episode of Coffee with Cool People, Chip Munn chats with Wayne Wicker, Citadel grad, Desert Storm veteran, and longtime community banker, about his path from Columbia to Myrtle Beach and from signing the back of a paycheck to the front.
After serving in the South Carolina Air National Guard and cutting his teeth at legacy institutions like CNS and Anchor/Carolina First (later TD), Wayne leaned on mentors, a young family, and a knack for local relationships to shape a career rooted in service and stewardship.Spotting a gap after waves of consolidation, Wayne and partner Scott Plyler rallied a next-generation local board and raised ~$28M in just 90 days to start a true community bank. The tougher part wasn’t the capital, it was the regulatory gauntlet (Fed, State, FDIC) and the sleepless nights that come with responsibility to employees, customers, and shareholders. They opened late 2007, avoided the worst of the pre-crisis loan bubble, and grew methodically through the downturn.
Their playbook is simple and disciplined: hire proven local teams (“lift-outs”), let them build $15–$20M in loans from a small storefront, then invest in a branch; repeat along the coast. That local know-how matters in seasonal markets, think “Beach Plan” cash-flow lending for businesses that earn in summer and coast in winter. Today the bank approaches $2B in assets with 12 locations from the Grand Strand to Charleston and the Hilton Head/Beaufort corridor, focused on “blocking and tackling,” scaling while preserving small-bank culture.
Wayne sees more M&A ahead as the regulatory climate loosens, and he believes community banks remain essential, making local decisions and tailoring solutions big banks won’t touch. His biggest civic concern: attainable housing for middle-income families close to where they work on the east side of the waterway. Solve that, he says, and the region’s growth becomes more sustainable for workers, schools, and businesses alike.
Off the clock, Wayne’s a family man, married to his college sweetheart Mary for 37 years, proud of son Wilson (a Citadel grad turned banker), daughter-in-law Cameron (headed to the Myrtle Beach Athletic Hall of Fame), and grandkids Wyatt and Evie. Asked for the fictional character that fits him best, the patriotic banker didn’t hesitate: Captain America (though his granddaughter might lobby for Winnie-the-Pooh).
