Pinnacle Financial Partners : Announces Addition of Three New Associates in Maryland

June 06, 2024

Pinnacle Financial Partners has boosted its presence in Maryland with the addition of three new associates to its Columbia office on Merriweather Drive. Banking veterans Craig Blinke, Darryl Becker, and Seth Blum bring decades of financial experience to the Pinnacle team.

"We are seeing remarkable growth in the region, which is a true testament to Pinnacle's culture as a hub for top banking talent," said Scott Springmann, Area Manager. "Each of these professionals bring key skills and experience that help our team deliver distinctive service and effective advice to the people and businesses of this community."

Blinke will serve as a financial advisor for Maryland, DC, and Virginia, as well as facilitate the bank's growth in ports, logistics, and transportation across the Southeast. He brings 20 years of financial experience to the team and comes from Truist, where he served as a middle market relationship manager. Throughout his career, Blinke has held numerous sales and client support roles for companies including GE Capital Syndications Group, Deutsche Bank, and T. Rowe Price. He holds a master's degree in financial management from the University of Baltimore and a bachelor's degree from Towson University.

Becker, who has 34 years of financial services experience, also joins Pinnacle as a financial advisor. He comes to Pinnacle from Capital Bank, where he served as senior vice president. He previously held positions at American Bank, The Columbia Bank and Norwest Financial (now Wells Fargo). He received his MBA from Loyola College of Maryland and a bachelor's degree from Towson University.

Blum will serve as the office leader for the new Merriweather branch in downtown Columbia. He comes to Pinnacle from Truist, where he served as a successful branch leader. Prior to Truist, he held several positions at Wells Fargo. Blum has 11 years of financial and leadership experience and is a graduate from Catonsville Community 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 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2022 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 Bankeras 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 the National Capital Region in 2021 by recruiting six local financial services professionals to open an office in Northern Virginia. The firm was recognized as the No. 6 Best Place to Work in Virginia by Virginia Business magazine in 2020.

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, Pinnacle 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.