Jim Dobbs

The $1.6 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that its directors "voted to terminate" Kevin Lycklama's employment. Dan Cox, chief credit officer, was named as acting president and CEO.

The nearly $81 million plan to buy Community Financial Group in Spokane, Washington, would mark the 13th acquisition in the past decade for Glacier. The Montana-based bank has more than tripled in size during that time.

Bankers say regulatory burden, rising costs and intensifying competition will reignite a drive for scale and spur dealmaking provided interest rates level off and the economic outlook improves.

The Vancouver, Washington, company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Kevin Lycklama was under investigation. It elaborated only to say that the matter did not involve the bank's financial condition.

Kansas Banking Commissioner David Herndon told American Banker that his agency declared Heartland Tri-State Bank insolvent because of a "very sudden" event that crippled the bank financially.

Investors should expect "consistency, predictability," says COO Tyler Wilcox, who is scheduled to take over for longtime CEO Chuck Sulerzyski when he retires next spring.

Regulators noted the demise of Heartland Tri-State Bank involved an isolated problem. Industry observers cautioned against prediction of more failures to follow, saying second-quarter earnings show community banks generally remain in sound financial health.

Like many of its peers, the bank is grappling with higher deposit costs and net interest margin pressure.

The regional bank said metropolitan economies across its central and western U.S. footprint are resilient, and new loan opportunities are abundant. Trepidation among competitors, too, is creating openings for the Oklahoma bank, its CEO said in an interview.

The deal is expected to close late in 2023 or early next year and be immediately accretive to the combined company's earnings.