UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS INC

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549​

SCHEDULE 14A

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the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

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United Community Banks, Inc.

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Message from our Chairman,

Chief Executive Officer, and President

“Together, we will continue building what we call a Legendary Bank —a place where great people want to work, customers love

to bank, owners are rewarded, and communities are better by our presence.”​

Dear Shareholders,

2025 marked United Community’s 75th anniversary — a milestone made possible by generations of customers, employees, and shareholders who have shaped United into one of the Southeast’s best regional banks. Our history includes challenging periods, including the Great Financial Crisis and the rapid Fed tightening cycle beginning in 2022, but throughout, our focus on serving our communities has remained constant. This culture of resilience has earned us eleven J.D. Power awards for Retail Client Satisfaction in the Southeast and consistent recognition as one of American Banker’s Best Banks to Work For and has positioned us well for long-term growth.

In 2025, we made significant progress toward regaining top-tier performance. Operating earnings rose 18% to $336 million, and operating earnings per share also increased 18% to $2.71. Revenue exceeded $1 billion for the first time, with strong production across retail lending, small business lending, and equipment finance. Our net interest margin improved, our credit quality remained solid, and we continued returning capital to shareholders through dividend increases and the repurchase of more than $40 million of stock. Our culture remains a differentiator, supported by industry-leading rankings in Trust and People and national recognition for our community involvement.

We also continued to invest in the future — expanding into key growth markets, enhancing treasury management services, adding new bankers across the footprint, and implementing new deposit and lending platforms that improve customer experience and efficiency. We strengthened our risk management capabilities and positioned the balance sheet for greater earnings stability. Looking ahead, we remain mindful of competitive pressures, including the growth of private credit and emerging regulatory questions around stablecoins, and we will continue to focus on cost discipline and operational effectiveness.

Artificial intelligence offers meaningful opportunities to improve productivity, strengthen fraud prevention, and accelerate product and process innovation. As our teams use these tools to work more efficiently, we will be able to execute more of the improvements that directly benefit our customers.

As we look to 2026, our goals are clear: deliver exceptional service, win our 12th J.D. Power award, double our Greenwich Awards, attract top banking talent, and continue improving returns for our shareholders. With a strong economy in our markets and a constructive regulatory environment, we have a tremendous opportunity ahead. Together, we will continue building what we call a Legendary Bank — a place where great people want to work, customers love to bank, owners are rewarded, and communities are better by our presence.

We will hold the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders at 3:00 pm Eastern Time on May 13, 2026. The 2026 Annual Meeting will again this year be held in a virtual meeting format. It is important that your shares be represented at the 2026 Annual Meeting. You can gain access to the 2026 Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ UCBI2026. We hope you will participate in the 2026 Annual Meeting. Even if you anticipate participating in the virtual meeting, we ask that you please vote your proxy either by mail, telephone, or over the Internet in advance of the 2026 Annual Meeting to ensure that your shares will be represented.​

I look forward to updating you on developments in our business at the 2026 Annual Meeting.

Sincerely,

H. Lynn Harton

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President

April 1, 2026

Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders