Pinnacle Expands Jacksonville Presence with Five New Financial Experts

Pinnacle Financial Partners has strengthened its Jacksonville office with the addition of five new banking professionals. The firm has welcomed Rick Sargeant, Treasa Smith, Monica Barnes and Brian Amell, all serving as financial advisors, and Steve Grant, treasury management advisor.

“The growth of Pinnacle in North Florida is largely due to the incredible talent that is attracted to our culture and the firm’s distinctive style of service,” said Scott Keith, regional president. “This group of banking veterans have quickly become a vital part of our Florida team. They are committed to Pinnacle’s values and deliver nothing but excellence to our clients and the community as a whole.”

Sargeant joins the firm from Synovus, where he most recently served as commercial banking manager and senior vice president in the Jacksonville community. He has spent 32 years in the finance industry, also serving at SunTrust and SouthTrust. Sargeant earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his MBA from the University of North Florida.

Smith joins the firm from Truist, most recently serving as a wealth advisor and vice president. She comes to Pinnacle with 14 years of banking experience, previously working for BBVA Compass, Atlantic Coast Bank and Fifth Third Bank. She received her bachelor’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Barnes joins the firm with 24 years of experience under her belt, most recently serving as a branch leader for Truist, having moved through the ranks since 2004. Barnes is a graduate of BB&T University.

Amell comes to Pinnacle with 29 years of financial services experience and most recently served as senior commercial banking relationship manager at Valley National Bank. Prior to that, he served in similar roles at various financial institutions throughout Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and MBA from Barry University.

Grant joins the firm as treasury management advisor. He has 33 years of banking experience and comes from BankUnited, where he served as senior treasury management sales officer. His prior experience includes roles at JP Morgan Chase, SunTrust, PFM Asset Management, Bank of America and PaineWebber. Grant served as a captain for the United States Army Field Artillery and earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College.

Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 and fastest-growing bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2023 deposit data from the FDIC, and is listed by Forbes as No. 27 among America’s Best Banks, higher than any other bank headquartered in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia. Pinnacle also earned a spot on the 2023 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For^® in the U.S., its seventh consecutive appearance, and was recognized by American Banker as one of America’s Best Banks to Work For 11 years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets in 2023.

Pinnacle entered North Florida in late 2023 by recruiting local financial services leaders to build a team and open an office in Jacksonville.

The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN, in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $48.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024. As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, the firm operates in 17 primarily urban markets across the Southeast.
Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.