Western Alliance Bancorp. in Phoenix has entered Utah after hiring a team of business bankers. The $60 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that the bankers will be based in Salt Lake City. The bankers have expertise in real estate, construction and equipment loans, SBA financing, lines of credit and working capital. Seth Brinkerhoff will serve as senior director of commercial banking. He previously served as a senior vice president

NorthEast Community Bancorp in White Plains, N.Y., has brought back a familiar face to its board. The $1.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Wednesday that Linda Swan had become a director on June 23. She also joined the board of unit NorthEast Community Bank. Swan was a director of NorthEast Community Bancorp, a predecessor to the company, from 1991 to 2014. Swan once was the director of the corporate activities

New York Community Bancorp in Westbury has formed a partnership with Circle Internet Financial in Boston where the bank will become a custodian for USD Coin reserves. The $61 billion-asset New York Community and Circle will collaborate on strategies for using Circle blockchain and stablecoin solutions to promote access to low-cost financial solutions for underserved and unbanked communities.  Circle said in a press release that the move is part of its commitment

PCSB Financial in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., fielded acquisition offers from three banks before deciding to deal exclusively with Brookline Bancorp in Boston. The $8.6 billion-asset Brookline agreed to buy the $2 billion-asset PCSB in May for $313 million in cash and stock. PCSB decided to seriously consider selling in November when its board assessed challenges generating organic growth, the need to “invest significantly” in IT and other infrastructure, and the bank’s scarcity

Landmark Bancorp in Manhattan, Kan., has agreed to buy Freedom Bancshares in Overland Park, Kan.The $1.3 billion-asset Landmark said in a press release Tuesday that it will pay $33.4 million in cash for the $223 million-asset Freedom. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Freedom “has been a strong commercial bank in Overland Park since its formation and the transaction allows an excellent opportunity to expand our presence

The former co-CEO of First Republic Bank in San Francisco has been named CEO of a growth-minded real estate finance company. Greystone said in a press release that Hafize Gaye Erkan will succeed Steve Rosenberg, who will remain chairman. Her executive responsibilities will begin in September. Erkan stepped down as co-CEO of First Republic earlier this year. “I am thrilled to welcome Gaye to our firm to drive the next generation of investment

Northmark Bank in North Andover, Mass., had in-depth discussions to sell to another bank months before agreeing to be sold to Cambridge Bancorp in Massachusetts. The $5 billion-asset Cambridge agreed in May to buy the $442 million-asset Northmark for $63 million in stock. Northmark, however, had exclusive negotiations with another bank between December 2021 and late January, according to a regulatory filing tied to its pending sale to Cambridge. Though the unnamed bank

Jim Cooper was named president and CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Cooper has been serving as acting president and CEO since the unexpected death of John Ryan on May 16. Cooper has been the director of policy and supervision at the CSBS for nine years. Before that, he was deputy director at the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions from 1994 to 2013.  “Jim is singularly qualified to serve