Synovus Executives Katherine Dunlevie and Crystal Shahid Among Georgia Trend’s ‘40 Under 40’

Staff Report From Columbus CEO

Friday, October 2nd, 2015

Synovus executives Katherine Dunlevie and Crystal Shahid have been named to Georgia Trend’s annual “40 Under 40” list.

Also appearing on the list of outstanding Georgians is Columbus native and Athens, Ga., businesswoman Diana Harbour.

This is the 19th year for the honors, with those chosen for the list coming from nominations made by readers, the magazine said, with final selections made by its editorial staff. The list appears in the October issue.

The honorees come from the fields of business, government, politics, nonprofits, science, health care and education.

Dunlevie, 39, is senior vice president and managing director of Synovus Family Asset Management. Shahid, 36, is a senior learning specialist at Synovus Retail Lending Center. Both are based in Columbus, where Synovus Financal Corp. is headquartered.

Dunlevie leads a staff of more than 30 financial professionals providing financial services to ultra-high net worth families and managing more than $5 billion in assets. She joined Synovus in 2002 as a management associate.

She was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and has previously volunteered with Columbus Regional Health, Columbus United Way and Columbus Young Life.

Dunlevie is also a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council Board of Directors and was recently elected to the Board of Visitors at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“I had people in my life who were encouragers, and so I am passionate about mentoring young people,” Dunlevie told Georgia Trend. “Adolescents are at such a defining point in their lives, and they can go in so many directions.”

Shahid leads training initiatives for the 80-member Retail Lending Center team in Synovus’ five-state footprint. She joined Columbus Bank and Trust as a management associate in 2006.

Her community service includes serving has treasurer for the Muscogee County School District’s 2015 SPLOST campaign treasurer, immediate past chair of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s Partners in Education Board, the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Junior League of Columbus, and the Midtown Columbus Board.

She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Georgia and has previously served as a United Way cabinet member and as a trustee for the Columbus Museum.

“I believe in public education and its ability to prepare students for global opportunities,” Shaid told Georgia Trend.

Harbour, 34, founded the clothing business, “The Red Dress Boutique,” with her husband, Josh, several years ago, with it taking huge leaps in sales after the launch of an online store. The process has included appearances on the ABC program, “Shark Tank,” with the couple receiving assistance from billionaire Mark Cuban.

“Having a job that deals with the creative aspects of fashion allows for me to have an outlet for that creativity,” Diana Harbour told Georgia Trend.

The business has grown to 90 staffers and sales of about $14 million last year, according to the magazine, which pointed out she works with and sponsors Hope Haven of Northeast Georgia’s yearly fundraiser called “Threads of Hope.”