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Synovus Trust team members help clients maneuver life-changing events

Three Synovus Trust team members show unparalleled commitment as they support clients during challenging situations, such as a natural disaster, car accident and life-threatening emergency, focusing on their well-being.

In the eye of the storm

Frank Tommey

Cultivating client relationships is integral to Frank Tommey’s role as vice president and real estate manager. For years he’s worked with clients to advise them on determining the value of homes and property, and he’s always within reach during a property or home emergency. In March of 2023, a client called Tommey in the early morning hours, informing him of the destruction left behind by a tornado that hit West Point, Georgia.

The couple, who were soundly asleep as an EF3 tornado knocked down trees and spread debris across their property, knew Tommey could help. So, he promptly drove 45 minutes to the couple’s home, where he saw the remnants of the storm. He immediately jumped into action by reaching out to those who could help in the beginning stages of a long recovery.

“The repair and cleanup teams and I connected their generator and brought lights, water and anything they needed,” he recalls. “And that was the beginning of a very massive cleanup.” Tommey immediately noticed scattered debris and trees in the driveway, but the home was left unscathed.

He told the homeowners, “I don’t know if you believe in miracles, but you just lived and witnessed one.” Today, the couple still live on their property, which was restored to a safe, cozy home in the woods.

This photo was taken one day after the tornado to assess the extent of property damage. This aerial view shows the tornado’s path and proximity to the client’s residence (green rooftop at bottom right).
A view of the property during the final days of the cleanup.

No accidental encounter

Brian Wieczorek

Just before the summer months of 2024, Brian Wieczorek, relationship manager, received a call from a client who’d just been in a car accident the day before. Without knowing the ins and outs of car insurance, she called Wieczorek for guidance on what she should do next. This was her first major event since becoming a widow a few years earlier.

“I could tell by her voice – the nervousness and confusion – that she needed help,” he recalls. He later learned that the accident was a hit-and-run situation, and she went home without calling the police. After her call, she visited the office for Wieczorek to review the damage. He advised her to call the police, file a report describing the car that hit her and then call her insurance provider. He became her insurance’s primary point of contact to relieve her of the stress of handling it alone.

Throughout the process, he kept his mother in mind and how he would help her if she were ever in the same predicament. Through the years, Wieczorek has performed other acts of kindness for clients, including changing a tire and giving a firefighter a ride in the rain.

The last time he spoke to her, she was on her way to pick up her repaired vehicle. In his role in getting her back on the road, he says, “I know it was the right thing to do.”

Teamwork that saves a life

Jeremy Jutzeler

Establishing trusting relationships with clients gives advisors insight and continuity into their clients’ financial and often personal routines. Jeremy Jutzeler, trust real estate manager, was familiar with the habits of a longtime client he hadn’t seen for a while. In recent years, he knew she lost her parents and was adjusting to life without them.

Jutzeler understood that the normally quiet client may have been dealing with difficult emotions, so he grew concerned about her well-being when she wasn’t responding to his messages regarding her taxes. “It was unusual not to hear back from her in a day or so, and it had been more than a week. With tax deadlines looming, I made multiple calls and left messages,” he said.

Jutzeler called the police department, and officers went to her residence for a wellness check. Her neighbors and her father’s former caregiver convinced police to enter the home. Once inside, they discovered she was alive but had suffered a medical event.

“It’s what I’d want anybody to do for me or a member of my family should they have similar concerns,” Jutzeler shares. “Knowing her well was the primary motivator honestly.” He later learned that she was alone and sick for days and his efforts, along with others, saved her life.

Jutzeler acknowledges the community saved her that day. “I was only a part of a chain of other good people looking out for her well-being,” he said.

Learn more about how the Synovus Trust Company enables people to reach their full potential.