Kentucky First Federal Bancorp in Frankfort has added a former CEO of its bank to its board. The $337 million-asset parent of First Federal Savings and Loan of Hazard said in a press release Wednesday that Lou Ella Farler is its newest director. Farler was president and CEO of First Federal from 2012 to 2018, when she retired. She has been on the bank’s board since 2011. Farler’s “wise counsel and guidance, the

BAWAG Group in Vienna, Austria, has agreed to buy Peak Bancorp in McCall, Idaho. The $555 million-asset parent of Idaho First Bank said in a press release Wednesday that BAWAG is paying $65 million.  BAWAG, which offer financial services in Europe through various brands and delivery channels, will work with the bank’s existing leadership team continue expanding in Idaho and adjacent markets. “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to join BAWAG

Silvergate Capital in La Jolla, Calif., has acquired intellectual property and other technology assets tied to running a blockchain-based payment network from the Diem Group. Silvergate said in a press release Monday that it paid $182 million in cash and stock. The assets Silvergate bought included development, deployment and operations infrastructure, along with the tools for running a blockchain-based payment network.The deal includes proprietary software elements critical to running a

A group with ties to Vernon Hill has suggested replacing him as CEO of Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia. George Norcross III, Gregory Braca and Phillip Norcross suggested in a Jan. 31 letter to the $5.4 billion-asset company’s board that it should consider hiring Braca to replace Hill.  Braca once served as president and CEO of TD Bank, which bought Commerce Bank in 2007 after Hill was removed as that bank’s

Western Alliance Bancorp in Phoenix has acquired a fintech that offers a digital payments platform for the class-action legal industry. The $50 billion-asset Western Alliance said in a press release that it had bought Digital Settlement Technologies in Los Angeles, which operates as Digital Disbursements. Western Alliance did not disclose the price it paid. Digital Disbursements, formed in 2019, allows claimants to choose how they would like to receive payments. The deal “furthers

ACNB Corp. in Gettysburg, Pa., has agreed to buy an insurance agency in Gettysburg. The $2.8 billion-asset ACNB said in a press release Tuesday that it will buy Hockley & O’Donnell Insurance Agency. The deal is expected to close in the “near future,” the company said. ACNB did not disclose the price it will pay. “We are very pleased to have entered into this agreement and look forward to promptly closing this transaction,” James

BayFirst Financial in St. Petersburg, Fla., has a new bank president. The $917 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Tom Zernick would be responsible for coordinating First Home Bank’s various business lines and for overseeing its delivery and support functions. Zernick has been president of CreditBench, the bank’s Small Business Administration lending division, since 2016. Anthony Leo remains the bank’s CEO. BayFirst also said that Robin Oliver has been promoted to

Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., has agreed to buy FCB Financial Services in Jonesboro, Ark. The $2.1 billion-asset Southern said in a press release Monday that it expects to buy the parent of the $200 million-asset Premier Bank of Arkansas in the second quarter. It did not disclose the price it will pay. The agreement comes less than two months after Southern received an infusion of capital from the Treasury Department's Emergency