Koh Named President of New Louisiana Region for Bancorpsouth
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JANUARY 14, 2019 | VOLUME 154, NUMBER 2 | BANKERSDIGEST.COM ARKANSAS Hicks Hired as Chief Credit Officer TEXAS for Chambers Bank in Northwest Arkansas American Bank Names MATT HICKS has joined Danville-based Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Raffaele CEO; Scanio Tapped Chambers Bank as chief credit officer. Arkansas and was recognized as the Ar- as President of American He has more than 14 years of experi- kansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund ence in the financial Volunteer of the Month in March 2018. Bank Holding Corp. services industry, He is a former board member of the Corpus Christi-based American Bank NA most recently Children’s Safety Center and Students in announced that STEPHEN C. RAFFAELE is serving as commer- Free Enterprise (now Enactus) at North- chief executive officer effective January cial lender and west Arkansas Community College, as 1, as outlined in the Fayetteville market well as Northwest Arkansas Emerging bank’s CEO transi- leader for First Leaders. tion plan issued last National Bank NWA. “Northwest Arkansas continues to June. He will also Hicks began his be an important part of our growth HICKS continue as presi- banking career in strategy for Chambers Bank,” says MIKE dent of the bank. In 2004 in retail operations at Liberty Bank, DONNELL, president. addition, RICHARD eventually leading the loan administra- Hicks is a graduate of Arkansas SCANIO has been tion department there. He also served State University and also holds an MBA tapped as president RAFFAELE as Benton County market president for degree from Harding University. In of the bank’s holding Centennial Bank and as the Northwest addition, he is a graduate of Leadership company, American Arkansas commercial loan market man- Fayetteville. Bank Holding Corp., ager for Great Southern Bank. Founded in 1930, Chambers also effective Active in his community, Hicks cur- Bank currently operates 18 branches January 1. rently serves on the board for the Single throughout Arkansas. • Last January, the bank announced a five-year strategic LOUISIANA Koh Named President of New plan to leverage its strength as a SCANIO Louisiana Region for BancorpSouth Bank community bank. Key Tupelo-based BancorpSouth Bank Koh is a veteran banker with 33 elements of the bank’s vision include announced the promotion of KEVIN KOH years of experience, beginning his growth and investment in existing mar- to president of its Louisiana region, with career in the management training pro- kets, coupled with the bank’s previously responsibility for all gram of a Monroe-based bank. During announced entrance into the Houston 29 banking loca- his 15 years with Ouachita Independent and San Antonio markets. In addition, tions in Louisiana. Bank, he was promoted from chief cred- American Bank executed on its strategic He most recently it officer to president, then to CEO. plan in 2018 with significant investments served as the bank’s Koh received a bachelor’s degree in in technology. Northeast Louisiana finance and commercial banking from Raffaele succeeds Scanio, who contin- division president, the University of Louisiana–Monroe. ues his involvement with the bank as vice having joined BancorpSouth operates approx- chairman of the board and remains active- BancorpSouth in imately 285 locations—as well as ly engaged with client relations, communi- KOH January 2018 after additional mortgage, insurance and ty relations and business development. its merger with Ouachita Independent loan production offices—in Alabama, “Steve has been the architect of our Bank, where he served as president and Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississip- vision to become a leading Texas regional chief executive officer. pi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. • Continued on page 10 PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY EXCEPT THE FIFTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH TEXAS Austin Bank Announces Wiggs’ Retirement and Jones’ Promotion to Senior Executive Vice President JEFF AUSTIN JR., chairman of the board cil. In addition, he has served as a mem- at Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, has ber of the Texas Bankers Association announced the retirement of STEVE C. board of directors and as vice chairman WIGGS, executive of its community bankers council. ESTABLISHED 1942 vice president. Austin Bank also announced that (USPS 041180) Wiggs joined the NATHAN JONES has been named bank in 2013 as president of the bank’s Southwest Southwest banking news regional president region. Jones joined published every Monday except of the bank’s Tyler Austin Bank in 1990 the fifth Monday of the month at and Whitehouse as a commercial 1700 Rio Grande St., Ste. 100 locations. In 2017, lender, bringing Austin, Texas 78701 he initiated over- with him seven WIGGS Neil Ferguson, Editor sight of a special years of banking Alina Greavu, Publication Manager assets task force while continuing as a experience. In his Lindsey Gehrig, Associate Editor commercial lender. He also serves as an 28-year tenure with Bob Brimer, Advertising advisory director. the bank, he has JONES “Steve has provided excellent ser- served as location Contact Bankers Digest at vice to Austin Bank,” says JEFF AUSTIN president and regional president, as 512/474-6889 III, vice chairman. “His commitment well as an advisory director on the [email protected] to banking and this community have board. bankersdigest.com defined his reputation as a loyal and Jones is a graduate of Texas A&M For display or classified trusted leader.” University, the Southwestern Graduate advertising inquiries, email Wiggs began his 50-year banking School of Banking at Southern Meth- [email protected] career with Garland Bank and Trust in odist University and the Jacksonville 1968 as a part-time teller. He later was Leadership Institute. One year subscription rate: a bank examiner with the FDIC before He has served in leadership posi- Print and digital $59 serving as president and CEO of Ban- tions with numerous nonprofits and Digital only $39 corpSouth in Texarkana, American State civic organizations, including the Jack- Bank in Tyler and Huntington State Bank. sonville Chamber of Commerce, United Opinions expressed by Wiggs is a graduate of the University Fund, Boy Scouts of America, Lakeview writers of bylined articles in this of North Texas with a degree in banking Methodist Church, Rotary Club and the publication are not necessarily and finance. He also is a graduate of the Jacksonville Economic Development those of Bankers Digest. We make Southwestern Graduate School of Bank- Corp., among others. He was recog- no representations or warranties for ing at Southern Methodist University. nized in 2012 as the Jacksonville Citizen information, products or services An active member of the Tyler of the Year and as Outstanding Busi- contained in any advertisement in this magazine or on the Bankers Digest community, Wiggs has been involved in nessman of the Year in 2009. website. Editorial guidelines may be numerous organizations, including the Austin Bank operates branches in obtained upon request. Articles and Tyler Museum of Art—serving on the 32 East Texas locations within 23 cities photos may be submitted to above board of trustees and as current presi- and 11 counties. The bank is locally address or sent via email. dent of the board—East Texas Sympho- owned and operated by the Austin ny Orchestra, Tyler Junior Achievement family, who is celebrating 108 years of Periodical postage paid at and Tyler Economic Development Coun- service in the Texas banking industry. • Austin, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Bankers Digest 1700 Rio Grande St., Ste. 100 Austin, Texas 78701 © 2019 BANKERS DIGEST BANKERSDIGEST.COM 2 | Bankers Digest January 14, 2019 NATIONAL Government Shutdown Hurts SBA Lending in December, According to Small-Business Lending Index ITH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) closed for the past two weeks because of the partial government shutdown, SBA W loan approvals dropped in December 2018 at banks and other institu- tions. Despite this setback, small-business loan approval rates for big banks reached another record high—27 percent—in December, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index released on January 8. Business loan approval rates jobs in December, a number far above dropped three-tenths of a percent at expectations. The Federal Reserve sig- regional and community banks in De- naled in December that two more rate ber. While some of these lenders were cember. Small-bank approvals slipped hikes could come in 2019, on top of five affected by the SBA shutdown, experts below the halfway mark to 49.9 percent consecutive quarters with interest rate advise that the trend could reverse following the month of November when increases. itself if the shutdown continues. 50.2 percent were approved. The December approval percent- “NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, 2018 WAS STILL A GREAT YEAR age for big banks (assets of $10 billion FOR SMALL-BUSINESS LENDING. AS LONG AS THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN or more) rose one-tenth of a percent from October’s figure of 26.9 percent DOES NOT CONTINUE MUCH LONGER, WE ARE STILL IN A GOOD PLACE.” to 27 percent, according to Biz2Cred- it’s monthly report, which examines Institutional lenders inched slightly “If SBA lending continues to stall, more than 1,000 small-business credit up to 64.8 percent in December, up alternative lenders could rebound. They applications made via its online lending one-tenth of a percent from 64.7 will offer money when other lenders do platform. percent in November, a good sign for not, but the funding comes at higher “Things were moving quite well small-business borrowers. rates and shorter terms,” Arora says. before the shutdown and still are for Loan approval rates among alterna- “These lenders have carved out a niche big banks,” says Biz2Credit CEO ROHIT tive lenders dropped from 56.7 percent by funding companies that do not ARORA, who oversees the index.