Employee News

Tanya McGregor, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Leander The SouthStar Bank Leander team is growing with the addition of Personal Banker, Tanya McGregor. She joins the team with over 47 years of experience in the banking industry and a love of community banking. Tanya is most excited to share her vast amount of community banking knowledge with the people around her. Outside of work, Tanya enjoys shopping, reading, playing piano, and spending time with her two adult sons. Welcome Tanya!

Brittany Edwards, Loan Operations Processor | SouthStar Bank Calvert Welcome Brittany Edwards! Brittany joins the SouthStar Bank team as a Loan Operations Processor in our SouthStar Bank Calvert location. She is excited to play a role in making people’s homeownership dreams a reality. Brittany enjoys spending her free time with her family and having “girls day” with her daughter.

Rodney Morales, Vice President of Lending | SouthStar Bank Georgetown Welcome Rodney Morales! Rodney Morales joins the SouthStar Bank Georgetown Branch as Vice President of Lending. Bringing over 25 years of industry experience, Rodney is a valuable addition to the SouthStar Bank team. A graduate of Texas State University and the LSU Graduate School of Banking, Rodney specializes in commercial real estate lending. He strives to help all of his customers achieve their business goals, from securing funding for additional equipment purchases to a loan for a new location. Rodney is dedicated to the Georgetown community. Currently, he serves on the board for the Georgetown Health Foundation and CASA of Williamson County. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Georgetown. In his free time, Rodney enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife, Andrea. Some of their favorite activities are walking and cycling. NMLS# 480544

Madison Jalufka, Loan Intern | SouthStar Bank Shiner Madison Jalufka joins the Shiner Branch as a Summer Loan Intern. Madison is a Senior at Texas A&M University, where she is studying Ag Economics. During her internship, Madison is most excited to bring her positive attitude to the team and learn an abundant amount of new information. Madison enjoys staying active in her spare time, spending time with family and friends, and watching football. A secret skill of hers is that she can make great chicken parmesan. Welcome Madison!

Joey Patek, Vice President of Lending | SouthStar Bank Shiner Joseph “Joey” Patek is the Vice President of Lending at the SouthStar Bank Shiner branch. He comes to SouthStar Bank with 20 years of experience as a Superintendent of Schools. During his career in education, Joey created and implemented budgets and secured funding for multiple construction projects. In his new role, he is excited to help his customers achieve their goals and dreams. Outside of the bank, Joey likes to spend time with his family, fishing in Rockport, and listening to music. He is also planning on getting involved with the local Rotary Club. NMLS# 2157148

Lane Jackson, Personal Banking Intern | SouthStar Bank Southwest Austin Lane Jackson joins SouthStar Bank as a Personal Banking Intern at our Southwest Austin location. Lane is currently a student at Abilene Christian University and is pursuing a degree in Business Administration. He is excited to gain industry experience and bring his customer service and problem-solving skills to the operations team. In his free time, Lane enjoys long-distance running, reading, and traveling. He has traveled to multiple states and countries and has a goal of visiting every national park in the United States.

Riley Martine, Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator | SouthStar Bank Southwest Austin Welcome Riley Martine! Riley joins the SouthStar Bank lending department as a Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator. She offices out of the Southwest Austin location. An alum of The University of Texas at Austin, Riley has spent the last three years in banking, starting as a Personal Banker. She is eager to bring her organizational skills and excitement for learning to the SouthStar Bank team. In her free time, Riley enjoys running. She completed the Austin Half Marathon in April 2021.

Mary Hall, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Bremond Mary Hall joins SouthStar Bank as a Personal Banker at the Bremond Branch. She has nine years of experience in the banking industry, with six of those years being spent at the SouthStar Bank Franklin location, formerly known as First Star Bank. Mary is excited to return to SouthStar Bank and is looking forward to meeting and assisting her new customers. Welcome back to the SouthStar Bank family, Mary!

Janis Cowman Arteaga, Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator | SouthStar Bank Georgetown Janis Cowman Arteaga brings over 20 years of finance experience with her new role as Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator at SouthStar Bank’s Georgetown Branch. Janis is eager to apply her experiences in her position with SouthStar Bank. Outside of work, Janis loves spending time with her family and traveling the U.S. Her favorite place she has traveled to is Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Welcome to the team Janis!

Alexis Stilley, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Harker Heights Alexis Stilley joins SouthStar Bank as a Personal Banker at the Harker Heights Branch. A Student at Central Texas Community College, Alexis is currently working to earn her Business Management degree. In her role, Alexis looks forward to meeting and building lasting relationships with her customers. In her free time, Alexis enjoys traveling, coaching little league soccer, and watching makeup and beauty tutorials on YouTube. Welcome Alexis!