Caroline K. Nelson has been named president of Bulloch First bank, following the announcement that William E. (Wes) Simmons, Jr. will resign to accept an executive position with Horizon Home Builders of Savannah.

Nelson has served as vice president of Commercial Lending for Bulloch First since joining the bank in January 2020.

“We are fortunate to have Caroline assume the leadership role at Bulloch First and have tremendous confidence in her,” said Milton Gray, president and CEO of The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro. “She has demonstrated the ability to be an effective loan producer and leader because of her professionalism, expertise, and commitment to customers. We are excited about the future of Bulloch First under her leadership.”

Simmons has been with the bank since the office opened in 2015, serving as president since January 2020, and making significant contributions to the growth with assets exceeding $87 million.

He will continue to be actively involved with the bank as a member of the Bulloch First Advisory Board of Directors and a shareholder.

“We truly appreciate the incredible efforts that Wes has made to ensure the success of Bulloch First,” Gray said. “We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for all that he has done for our company. Although he will no longer be president of the bank, he will continue to be an advocate and supporter of our efforts in Bulloch County as an Advisory Board member and shareholder.”

Nelson is a 2005 graduate of University of Georgia and is currently attending Georgia Banking School. Nelson is a Board member for the Homebuilders Association of Statesboro, a Board member for the Coastal Area District Development Authority and is a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church. She is married to Davidson Nelson; they have two children, Scout Nelson age 5, and Thomas Nelson age 3.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Wes and I cannot thank him enough for his leadership,” Nelson said. “He played an integral part in establishing Bulloch First and making it a successful community bank. It is my mission to build on our success and further build the Bulloch First brand with our incredible team.”

Bulloch First is a division of The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro. The bank has offices located in Swainsboro, Dublin and Statesboro.