Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has a new bank CEO.   The $5.2 billion-asset company said in a press release that Rick Sems had taken on the role at Equity Bank. Sems, who is the bank’s president, succeeded Brad Elliott, who remains the company’s chairman and CEO.   Julie Huber was named chief operating officer. She has worked in several leadership roles, including overseeing credit administration, strategic initiatives and risk

United Bankshares in Charleston, W.Va., has agreed to buy Piedmont Bancorp in Peachtree Corners, Ga. The $30 billion-asset United said in a press release that it will pay $267 million in stock for the $2.1 billion-asset Piedmont. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, priced Piedmont at 145% of its tangible book value. Piedmont has 16 branches, $1.8 billion of deposits and $1.7 billion of loans.

LINKBANCORP in Harrisburg, Pa., is selling its New Jersey operations to American Heritage Credit Union. The $2.8 billion-asset company said in a presentation that the sale includes three branches, $105 million of deposits and $125 million of loans. The company gained the locations when it bought Partners Bancorp last year. The $4.9 billion-asset American Heritage will pay a 7% deposit premium, or roughly $7.4 million. The sale is expected to

The Independent Community Bankers of America has selected six fintechs to participate in its latest ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator program. The ICBA said in a press release that the new cohort will begin on May 19 and will focus on fintechs tied to artificial intelligence, financial health and wellness, subscription management, digital onboarding, and compliance. The participants are: Prelim Technologies is a no-code platform for client onboarding processes. Rego Payment Architectures

Quaint Oak Bancorp in Southampton, Pa., cut ties with two businesses in the first quarter. The $776 million-asset Quaint Oak said in a press release that it sold its 51% interest in Oakmont Capital Holdings, an equipment finance company. Quaint Oak bought the stake in January 2022 for an undisclosed price. Oakmont, which does business in all 50 states, has offices in West Chester, Pa., and Albany, Minn.  JA Mitsui

Aspiration Partners spun off its consumer financial services business into a separate company run by its former chief operating officer. The Fintech said in a press release that Tim Newell reached an agreement to spin out the neobank, which still operates under the Aspiration brand. The price wasn’t disclosed. Before joining Aspiration, Newell was a former head of the consumer financial products teams at SolarCity and Tesla. "There's a large

First Community Bankshares in Bluefield, Va., will settle a lawsuit tied to its overdraft practices. The $3.2 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its bank plans to create a $4.8 million settlement fund and forgive up to $500,000 in assessed but unpaid fees. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in June 2022, alleges that the bank breached deposit account

Pacific West Bancorp in Portland, Ore., will soon have a new leader. The $320 million-asset company said in a press release that Jason Wessling will become its CEO on June 1. Wessling, who will remain president, will succeed Terry Peterson, who is retiring. Peterson will remain on the board. "We knew … Wessling was a special leader when he joined the bank," Peterson said in the release. "His promotion to president