Meet the Board

Eric Carnell
President

Eric Carnell is a Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager at United Community Bank and the Upper SC RMA’s Financial Oversight Chair. In his role, Eric is focused on underwriting large construction loans for multifamily, industrial-warehouse, self-storage, and office/mixed-use assets. He works with relationship managers across UCB’s footprint on deals over $5mm, and their CRE group manages a total of $1.6Bn in loans and participations across the Southeast. Eric has been in banking for 20 years, half as a commercial lender and half in underwriting. His favorite part is breaking down a complex deal and communicating it to credit partners in a way that is understandable and transparent, and hopefully with parameters that everyone can agree on. When he’s not calculating proforma debt yields, you’ll find Eric doing fun things with his kids or hiking up the backside of a big mountain somewhere. 

Matt McClure
Vice President

Bio coming soon

Robbie Faucett
Membership Chair

Robbie Faucett is the President of the RMA Upper SC Chapter and the Southeast Regional Manager of Flexent, the asset-based lending subsidiary of Chesapeake Bank. In this position, he maintains relationships with peer and client banks, accountants, and financial intermediaries. Robbie started his corporate finance career in 1996 and was involved in a commercial finance startup in 1999, where he was Executive Vice President. Robbie joined Chesapeake Bank in 2012. With his 27 years of asset-based lending experience, Robbie enjoys creating accessible working-capital solutions with his partner banks to help their C&I customers fund operations and growth without cash constraints.

Diana Garrett
Treasurer

Diana Garrett serves as our RMA Upstate SC Treasurer. Outside of the RMA, she is a Director of Risk Governance and Control within TD's Enterprise Risk Management function. Diana joined the banking industry as an internal auditor in 2006 and has held various risk and control positions across the three lines of defense. Most recently her focus is in Environmental and Social Risk Management at TD Bank. Diana holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from USC Upstate and an MBA from Webster University. Currently, she is working to complete her MA in Legal Studies. Diana has been in the Greenville, SC area for ~22 years after relocating from South Africa. In her free time, she serves as a Committee member for her local Scouting Pack and Troop and loves the outdoors (including the SC heat).

Doug Appleby
Programming Chair

Doug Appleby is our Programming Chair and a financial advisor with Pinnacle Financial Partners’ Small Business Administration lending team in Greenville, SC. He has worked in the banking industry since 2010 and has served in a variety of roles. In working with clients, he takes time to understand their business, the people involved, their history, and future plans so he can create a first-class experience. He values strong communication and dedication to each client. Doug is a graduate of Clemson University. He and his wife and two daughters live in Greenville, SC. When not engaged with family or a client you can find him on the golf course.

Marisa Stephens
Communications Chair

Marisa Stephens is the Director of Marketing at Southern First Bank and serves as our Communications Chair. Before joining Southern First in 2021, Marisa gained over a decade of digital know-how and marketing expertise from experience working at a large real estate brokerage, a top automotive advertising agency, and a local e-commerce company. She is passionately curious about new technology and social media trends and enjoys telling the Southern First story and promoting the Upper SC RMA online. Marisa also serves as Campaign Coordinator for Southern First's annual United Way campaign. In her spare time, she loves to travel with her husband, bake, read, and walk her two dogs.