Jackie Stewart is the executive editor of American Banker Magazine. Previously, she covered breaking news, community banks and mergers and acquisitions for American Banker before being named as the managing editor of the Credit Union Journal. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2006, Jackie taught for two years in the Bronx, N.Y., through Teach for America.
Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Wash., landed the first sizeable deal of the New Year with an agreement to buy Pacific Continental in Eugene, Ore.
TFB Bancorp CEO Mary Lynn Lenz believes bankers and directors should hold frank discussions about selling, even if it means having difficult and emotional exchanges. She should know after selling four banks over the last decade.
Kenneth Mahon, the new CEO of Dime Community Bank, wants to reduce the 152-year-old institution's multifamily exposure by diversifying into other asset classes. But finding new business amid already fierce competition could be an immense challenge for Dime and other community banks in 2017.
Hope Bancorp in Los Angeles will close an additional nine branches next year as part of a second round of cost cutting.
Dime Community Bancshares in Brooklyn, N.Y., will record a one-time charge after approving changes to its employee stock ownership plan.
Daryl Tressler will retire as president and CEO of MainSource Bank in Greensburg, Ind., at the end of this year.
Regulators have warned about the dangers of high commercial real estate concentrations despite bankers' assertions that they are managing risk better than they did before the financial crisis. Still, CRE concerns could influence M&A and loan diversification in 2017.
So now what? New York Community Bancorp and Astoria Financial have been mum about why they nixed their merger agreement, or where they go next, but the companies have a surprising number of options in the current climate.
Pacific Metro Bank would cater to Chinese-Americans around Atlanta. The application process is worth watching since the group is seeking the first Georgia charter in seven years and would be based in a market where more than 90 banks have failed since 2007.
Pacific Premier in California has been firing on all cylinders when it comes to lending, but it needed low-cost deposits. Buying Heritage Oaks Bancorp will do just that.