COLUMBIA CHAMBER HONORS SHARON BRYANT AT ANNUAL GALA

Sharon Bryant, First Citizens Bank, named Columbia Chamber’s 2025 Ambassador of the Year. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Columbia Chamber will honor Sharon Bryant at Uncorked, the Chamber’s 122nd Annual Gala, Thursday, October 2, 2025. 

The Ambassador of the Year Award, sponsored by Colonial Life, is presented to a member of the community who exemplifies outstanding business ethics and has influenced positive promotion and preservation of the greater Midlands. 

“The Annual Gala is our chance to celebrate the people and businesses who make the Midlands such a vibrant place to live and work,” said Carl Blackstone, Columbia Chamber President and CEO. “The Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes someone whose integrity, leadership, and commitment to our community shine through in everything they do. Sharon Bryant truly embodies that spirit and her passion for ethical leadership and dedication to building lasting growth at First Citizens have left a meaningful mark on our region.”

Sharon W. Bryant is the South Carolina Regional Executive Vice President for First Citizens Bank, overseeing retail, business, and commercial banking across South Carolina, Northeast Georgia, Augusta, and Savannah. A Columbia native, she began her career with First Citizens in 1999 and has held a variety of senior leadership roles, including Division Executive, Director of the Wealth Advisory Group, and President of First Citizens Securities, before assuming her current role in 2014. 

With more than 35 years of experience in banking, fiduciary, and investment services, Bryant is a licensed securities representative and principal and has been widely recognized for her leadership, earning honors such as the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award, the Athena Award, the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award, the Order of the Palmetto, and the Junior League of the Midlands Lifetime Achievement Award. 

She is deeply engaged in the community, serving on numerous boards including the Palmetto Business Forum, SC State Museum Commission, and MUSC Health CMC, and is a founding member of Women in Philanthropy. 

“Sharon’s extraordinary dedication to community service and philanthropic leadership over the past three decades has made a profound and lasting impact on the Midlands,” said Tim Arnold, President and CEO of Colonial Life. “Her tireless work with United Way of the Midlands, Women in Philanthropy, and numerous civic organizations reflects the values we champion at Colonial Life — strengthening our communities, expanding opportunity, and investing in long-term solutions. We are proud to recognize Sharon’s legacy of service and celebrate her as a true ambassador for positive change.”

Past Ambassador of the Year winners include Keller Kissam, Dominion Energy; Kim Wilkerson, Bank of America; David Pankau, BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina; Mike Brenan, Truist; Pamela Lackey, AT&T; Dawn Staley, University of South Carolina; John W. Folsom, Colliers; former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley; and Dr. Harris Pastides, University of South Carolina. 

Additional 2025 awards include the Young Professional of the Year, Partner of the Year, Joe Taylor Public Servant of the Year, Military Advocate of the Year, and Diplomat of the Year.

For more information about Uncorked, the 122nd Annual Gala, please contact Hilary Bell, 803.733.1115. To become a Partner or learn more about the Chamber visit www.ColumbiaChamber.com. 

About Columbia Chamber
The Columbia Chamber is a private, nonprofit, Partner-driven organization comprised of 1,200 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals in Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties. The Columbia Chamber serves as the voice of its Partners and the business community at large on matters of economic, educational, social, cultural and political concern, as well as supports and promotes the success of its Partners through networking, professional development, advocacy, and leadership. The organization has represented the interests of the local business community since 1902. 

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