John David Varner brings his wide lending experience to work for SouthStar, with expertise in both traditional and portfolio mortgages. In his 18-year career, he has handled every aspect of lending, giving him an intimate understanding of the process at every level, from start to finish. The end result for his customers is most often a predictable, easy process. After 18 years, the fun for him, he says, is the unpredictable ones. “I love putting the puzzle together on tough deals,” he says. “It’s extremely satisfying to sit across the funding table on projects like that.”