SmartFinancial in Knoxville, Tenn., has entered three new markets in Alabama after hiring several former BBVA bankers. The $3.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that has expended into Montgomery, Dothan and Birmingham.SmartFinancial hired Donna Cooper, a former BBVA government relationship manager, will serve as its market president for Montgomery. She will lead a team of seven associates, consisting of commercial and private bankers along with their support

CBTX in Houston has been freed from a 15-month-old regulatory order.The $4.1 billion-asset parent of CommunityBank of Texas disclosed in a regulatory filing Wednesday that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency lifted the June 2020 formal agreement earlier this week.The order instructed the bank to improve compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering laws. It also required the bank to establish a committee to oversee compliance with

Central Valley Community Bancorp in Fresno, Calif., has lined up its next CEO.The $2.3 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that James Kim will also become its president on Nov. 1. He will succeed James Ford, who announced plans to retire earlier this year.Kim, who joined Central Valley in 2018, is the company’s chief operating officer.“An experienced leader with proven success in the financial services sector, [Kim] is

Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., has agreed to buy JMP Group in San Francisco. The $185 billion-asset Citizens said in a press release Wednesday that it will pay $149 million in cash for JMP, a capital markets firms that focuses on the health care, technology, financial services and real estate sectors. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. JMP, which was founded in 1999, will operate

BayCom in Walnut Creek, Calif., has agreed to buy Pacific Enterprise Bancorp in Irvine, Calif.The $2.1 billion-asset BayCom said in a press release Tuesday that it will pay $53.1 million in stock for the $647 million-asset Pacific Enterprise. The deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter, priced Pacific Enterprise at 87.1% of its tangible book value. The transaction will expand BayCom’s presence in Southern California. Pacific Enterprise

Nicolet Bankshares in Green Bay, Wis., plans to close 15 branches in Wisconsin and Michigan in December. The $4.6 billion-asset company, which recently completed its purchase of Mackinac Financial, also said in a press release Tuesday that it will sell a branch in Birmingham, Mich., to Bank of Ann Arbor. The branch has $176 million of loans and $57 million of deposits. “Customers continue to tell and show us that

Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., has been freed from a nearly three-year-old formal agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The $963 million-asset company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it was released from the November 2018 order after the OCC “concluded that the safety and soundness of the bank and its compliance with laws and regulations does not require the continued existence of the agreement.”The

MVB Financial in Fairmont, W.Va., has entered into a partnership to allow its fintech clients to offer Bitcoin-related products. The $2.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that the collaboration with Victor Technologies and NYDIG, will integrate Bitcoin into MVB’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings. MVB has more than 50 fintech, payments and gaming clients. “NYDIG has a vision to make Bitcoin more accessible,” Larry Mazza, MVB’s president and CEO, said in