8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 20, 2016

UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Georgia	No. 001-35095	No. 58-180-7304
(State or other jurisdiction of	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
incorporation)		Identification No.)

125 Highway 515 East
Blairsville, Georgia 30512
(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(706) 781-2265

Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02	Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
	On December 20, 2016, United Community Banks, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that Rex Schuette, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, will retire in 2017 following the selection of Mr. Schuette’s successor and an appropriate transition period. The Company has commenced its process to identify a successor to Mr. Schuette.
	A copy of the press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit
No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated December 20, 2016

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.
By:	/s/ Rex S. Schuette
	Rex S. Schuette
	Executive Vice President and
	Chief Financial Officer

Date: December 20, 2016

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

For Immediate Release

For more information:

Rex S. Schuette

Chief Financial Officer

(706) 781-2266

Rex_Schuette@ucbi.com

UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.

ANNOUNCES CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S RETIREMENT IN 2017

BLAIRSVILLE, GA – December 19, 2016 – United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) (“United”) announced today that its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Rex Schuette, will retire in 2017 after 16 years of service. United has commenced its process to identify a successor to Mr. Schuette. Mr. Schuette’s retirement date will follow his successor’s selection and an appropriate transition period.

“I cannot overstate the value of Rex’s years of service and dedication to United,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Tallent. “His deep financial expertise and sound business judgment have served our company extremely well during both challenging and prosperous times. He has built a strong finance team and will be greatly missed. With Rex’s commitment to a smooth and effective transition to his successor, I am confident that it will be seamless.”

Said Mr. Schuette, “I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve not only as Chief Financial Officer, but also as a member of this extraordinary United team under Jimmy’s leadership. Servant leaders throughout the organization make United uniquely valuable and appreciated. Working with them and the rest of the United family has been a distinct honor.”

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Mr. Schuette said his retirement will be scheduled to allow ample time for a search for his successor, and for an orderly transition.

About United Community Banks, Inc.

United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) is a registered bank holding company based in Blairsville, Georgia, with $10.3 billion in assets. The company’s banking subsidiary, United Community Bank, is one of the Southeast region’s largest full-service banks, operating 140 offices in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The bank specializes in providing personalized community banking services to individuals, small businesses and corporations. Services include a full range of consumer and commercial banking products, including mortgage, advisory, and treasury management. United Community Bank is consistently recognized for its outstanding customer service by respected national research firms. In 2014 and 2015, United Community Bank was ranked first in customer satisfaction in the southeast by J.D. Power and again in 2016 was ranked among the top 100 on the Forbes list of America’s Best Banks. Additional information about the company and the bank’s full range of products and services can be found at www.ucbi.com.

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