Anthony Edwards – Alumni Spotlight

Now a successful banker, Anthony Edwards began his college education at Surry Community College.

After graduating from North Surry High School in 2004, Edwards received an associate's degree in Business Administration in 2006 from SCC.

“I recommend Surry Community College to other students based heavily on the experience and level of academic instruction that the instructors provide in their courses and study,” Edwards said. “All of my instructors in the business and accounting area had not only strong academic knowledge of the subject, but also shared examples from their public or private sector work experience in the classroom. I am thankful for the great education I received from Surry Community College. Instructors Mr. Tom Parker and Dr. Donna Harbour were great influences on me.”

While at SCC, Edwards was active with Phi Beta Lambda in the business department. He and Maggie Jenkins won first place in an Emerging Business Issues state competition in Raleigh with Phi Beta Lambda in April 2006. They placed sixth in the national contest in Nashville, Tenn., in June 2006.

“Shortly before receiving my Associate's Degree, I learned about the 2+2 program at Surry Community College in conjunction with UNC Greensboro. I was also accepted through the GOAL program with Gardner-Webb University,” he said.

Edwards graduated in December 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Finance from the Bryan School of Business and Economics at UNC Greensboro.

“Afterwards I started my career as a community banker. My recent career path with Skyline National Bank started in January 2012. Since then, I have served as a Commercial Lender, Retail Lender, Credit Analyst, Intern Program Coordinator, and Project Manager. Today, I work in Credit Administration on operations efficiency for our loan operations and production departments. I have completed a large share of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans in North Carolina and Virginia utilizing the 7(a) and Express programs to help small businesses in our region.”

Skyline National Bank is a community bank with $695 million in in assets with locations that stretch from Roanoke, Va., to Boone, N.C. Local branches are in Wilkesboro, Sparta, and Yadkinville.

In August 2019, Edwards placed first in a 62-person class at the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia. By placing at the top of his class, he earned a one-year scholarship to the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, which is a three-year program where students fly to Baton Rouge for two weeks per year for classes, and complete assignments and papers throughout the year.

“Community and service are important to me. Today, I am serving my sixth term as Chair of Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. We teach old-time and bluegrass music in schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee,” Edwards said. “We have outreach to 2,000 plus kids in our 53 affiliates. I manage our 11-person board that encompasses the area from Pennsylvania to Raleigh, Boone, and Wilkesboro. JAM has three employees, a full-time, a part-time and an intern.”

Currently, Edwards is the President of the Twin County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inc., based in Galax, Va., which serves and represents businesses in Grayson County, Carroll County, and the City of Galax, where he manages the 21-person board and the executive director.

Edwards resides in Galax, with wife Lindsay and two sons, Aiden and Ezra.

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