SouthWest Bank in Odessa, Texas, has created an oil and gas division after hiring two bankers. The $645 million-asset bank said in a press release that it hired commercial lenders Richard Davis Browning II and Wes Webb. Webb previously served as an account officer at First Oklahoma Bank. Browning was a portfolio manager at Texas Capital Bank.  “We are so excited to announce the creation of our new oil and gas department

CapStar Financial Holdings in Nashville, Tenn., is entering Asheville, N.C., after hiring a banker from First Horizon. The $3.2 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that Martin Nesbitt will serve as its Asheville market president. Nesbitt will build a team of bankers to focus on small and midsize business, professionals, real estate investors and retail customers. Nesbitt previously served as a senior commercial relationship manager at First Horizon, which is

Vernon Hill is resigning as CEO of Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia. The announcement that Hill will step down on Aug. 8 comes two days after an appeals court ruled that a rival faction of directors could remove him as chairman and appoint a director to replace Ted Flacco, who died in May. Those developments have “given me no choice but to resign,” Hill said in a statement. “I made this decision

Encore Bank in Little Rock, Ark., has entered Boulder, Colo., after hiring a banker. The $1.8 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Gary Geis will serve as its market president. Geis previously served as Boulder market president for Great Western Bancorp, which was recently sold to First Interstate BancSystem. “Boulder is an attractive high-growth market with a diverse mix of leading industry clusters and a business climate known for entrepreneurship

New Peoples Bankshares in Honaker, Va., has added a former banker to its board. The $813 million-asset company said in a regulatory filing Thursday that E. Stephen Lilly was selected to become a director on June 30. He is expected to be join the technology, audit and risk and compensation committees. Lilly will stand for reelection to a full three-year term at the company’s 2023 annual meeting. Lilly is a former chief operating

Live Oak Bancshares in Wilmington, N.C., has expanded the roles of several executives. The $8.6 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday that B.J. Losch, its chief financial officer, had added the title of chief banking officer. He is now in charge of lending, deposits and related operations. Stephanie Mann, who leads corporate strategy, development, Live Oak Ventures and Live Oak Private Wealth, was named chief strategy officer.   Courtney Spencer was

I thought I'd talk about de novo activity since I noticed that there are currently four active applications with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for deposit insurance, including one for Zenith Bank & Trust. A few months ago, I saw a headline announcing a 'surge' in de novo activity. While there are more applications, approvals and openings compared to years past, I am hesitant to say we're seeing a renaissance of

An appeals court has overturned a judge’s ruling that has kept Vernon Hill in power at Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia. Judge Paul Diamond had previously blocked a group of directors from ousting Hill as chairman and CEO of the $5.7 billion-asset company. The judge appointed a custodian to schedule an election to fill a board vacancy to resolve a longstanding dispute between Hill and certain investors. The three-judge Third Circuit federal