First Keystone in Berwick, Pa., has hired a veteran banker as its next CEO. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Jack Jones had become its chief operating officer. He will become president and CEO on Jan. 31 when Elaine Woodland retires. Jones was chief banking officer and a regional president at Penns Woods Bancorp.

Community Bank Holdings of Texas in Corsicana has agreed to buy CapTex Bancshares in Fort Worth, Texas. Community Bank Holdings, the parent of the $1.3 billion-asset Community National Bank & Trust of Texas, expects to complete its purchase of the holding company for the $344.5 million-asset CapTex Bank in the second quarter. The price wasn't disclosed. Performance Trust Capital Partners advised CapTex.

Anchor State Bank in Anchor, Ill., has a new CEO. The $56.4 million-asset bank announced on LinkedIn that its board had named Chris Crider to succeed Jim Eckert. Crider has been the bank's president since January 2024. Eckert, who had been CEO since 1979, will serve as a part-time executive vice president until his retirement. He will remain on the bank's board.

Bankers Helping Bankers, a fintech-focused group affiliated with the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, has a new CEO. Matthew Smith was named to lead the group, which provides a variety of resources for community banks. “Matthew Smith has been an instrumental leader in building Bankers Helping Bankers into what it is today,” Dave Mayo, the group's founder, said in a press release. “His vision, passion, and ability to unite people

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed a lawsuit against Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance in Maryville, Tenn., alleging risky lending practices tied to manufactured home sales. The bureau claimed in a press release that Vanderbilt, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary Clayton Homes, had a business model that "ignored clear and obvious red flags that the borrowers could not afford the loans." The CFPB's litigation aims to stop Vanderbilt’s illegal

Reading Co-operative Bank in Reading, Mass., and Wakefield Co-operative Bank in Wakefield, Mass., are planning to merge. The surviving bank will operate as Reading Co-operative and will be led by Julieann Thurlow, the $922 million-asset Reading Co-operative's president and CEO. Jeffrey Worth, the $313 million-asset Wakefield Co-operative's president and CEO, will serve as president. “We want to assure customers that no branches will be closed as part of this transaction,"

Finastra has a new leader. The U.K. company, which provides financial services software applications, said in a press release that Chris Walters had become its CEO. Walters, who was CEO of Pluralsight and Avantax, succeeded Simon Paris. "I'm excited to join Finastra at this pivotal moment in its journey and am impressed by the significant progress that has been made during Simon's leadership," I look forward to working with the

UKG, a company that focuses on human resources, payroll and workforce management, has hired a veteran banker to lead its proposed national trust bank. Nancy Graves shared on her LinkedIn profile that she had been hired as the proposed bank's president. UKG had actively sought to fill the role by posting on several job search websites. Graves, who led Pascack Bancorp from 2013 to 2016 and Bancorp of New Jersey