Bank of the Plains in Plains, Kan., will enter 2026 with a new CEO. The $440 million-asset bank said in a press release that Tina Call will succeed Gene Dikeman when he retires on Jan. 1. Dikeman will remain on the board. Call has been the bank's president. “Under Gene’s leadership, Bank of the Plains has grown to serve many more customers and communities in Kansas,” Dan Clawson, the bank's

Dream First Bank in Syracuse, Kan, has agreed to buy a branch from Bank of the Plains in Plains, Kan. The $921 million-asset Dream First said in a press release that it will buy a Lakin, Kan., location, from the $442 million-asset Bank of the Plains. The branch had $15.3 million of deposits on June 30, based on data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The deal is expected to

Pinnacle Financial in Elberton, Ga., has agreed to buy Morris State Bancshares in Dublin, Ga. The $2.2 billion-asset Pinnacle said in a press release that it will exchange 0.1095 shares of its stock for each share of the $1.5 million-asset Morris. The deal is expected to close by early in the second quarter. Morris' shareholders will also receive a special dividend of 54 cents a share before closing. "As we

SR Bancorp in Bound Brook, N.J., will have a new CEO in 2026. The $1.1 billion-asset company said in a press release that Christopher Pribula will succeed William Taylor on Jan. 1. Pribula is SR Bancorp's president and chief operating officer. Taylor, who is retiring, will remain on the board. Neil Viotto, the company's senior mortgage lending officer, will become COO. “Bill has been extensively involved in many of the

Bank of Marin Bancorp in Novato, Calif., decided to rip off the Band-Aid when it comes to its securities portfolio. The company, which restructured its securities book at least twice in the past two years, said in a press release that it reclassified its entire held-to-maturity portfolio as available-for-sale. The plan is to book a fourth-quarter balance sheet adjustment for the difference between the market value and the book value

Kaaj, an AI-focused fintech that builds credit intelligence platforms for lenders, has more cash on hand. Shivi Sharma, the company's co-founder and president, announced in a LinkedIn post that it completed a $3.8 million seed round led by Kindred Ventures with participation from Better Tomorrow Ventures, Karman Ventures, Pythia Ventures, Coughdrop Capital, and angel investors. "The real validation is our customer trust and love," Sharma wrote. "The momentum is undeniable.

CBS Banc-Corp. in Russellville, Ala., has agreed to buy TAG Bancshares in Trenton, Ga. CBS, the parent of the $2.8 billion-asset CB&S Bank, will pay a cash consideration for the holding company of the $129 million-asset Citizens Bank & Trust, according to an announcement by Olsen Palmer, which advised the seller. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter. The price wasn't disclosed.

A group of U.S. Bancorp veterans is seeking approval to form a fully digital de novo bank. Organizers applied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Nov. 17 to form VALT Bank in Eagle, Idaho. The goal is to create a digital business banking platform that includes loans, deposits, cash management and advisory services. Founders said in their application that the proposed VALT will be dedicated to “digitally demanding small