Sheila Ray, chief financial officer of State Bank Financial Corporation and its subsidiary State Bank and Trust Company, has been named CFO of the Year in the midsize public company category by Atlanta Business Chronicle.

“We are very proud of Sheila and her accomplishments not only in 2014, but throughout her distinguished banking career,” said State Bank President and CEO Tom Wiley. “In the past year, Sheila accomplished more than many CFO’s accomplish in a lifetime, helping manage a community bank through tough times, negotiating the successful sale of the bank, and assuming the title of CFO of the acquiring bank, all in one calendar year.”

Ray was the founding CFO of Atlanta Bancorporation and its subsidiary, Bank of Atlanta, a $180-million community bank in Midtown founded in 2006. She joined Atlanta Bancorporation after a successful career in various audit, accounting and operations roles with Wachovia, First National Bank of Gainesville, Tucker Federal, and RBC Centura.

In 2014, Ray was a critical part of Bank of Atlanta management that attracted the attention of State Bank, which was seeking to expand its presence in Midtown.  Ray served as the lead negotiator for the eventual successful sale of the bank to State Bank that was consummated last fall.

“We were so impressed with Sheila’s leadership and financial acumen that we named her CFO upon the announced retirement of prior CFO Tom Callicutt. Since assuming the CFO duties, Ray has done an outstanding job leading our finance team as State Bank continues to grow as one of the healthiest super-community banks in the United States,” Wiley said.