Employee Spotlight

Nolan Johnson, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Leander A member of the SouthStar Bank team, Nolan Johnson works at the Leander Branch as a Personal Banker. He recently joined the Leander team after two years at our Harker Heights location. Nolan’s two favorite things about the banking industry are getting to build long-lasting relationships with his customers and using his problem-solving skills. “I love working together with someone to help them reach their financial goals. Being able to send my customers away with a smile and a feeling of being helped is a great feeling,” says Johnson Nolan loves supporting his community. He is currently a member of the City of Nolanville Planning & Zoning Committee, the Nolanville Zoning Board of Adjustments, and the Harker Heights Rotary Club.  Outside of the bank, Nolan enjoys fishing, playing music, and spending time with his two kids. A secret most people don’t know about Nolan is that throughout high school and college, he played guitar and sang in a rock band that toured in the sunbelt states.

Monica Leal, Vice President/Branch Manager | SouthStar Bank Gonzales Monica Leal is the Vice President and Branch Manager at the SouthStar Bank Gonzales branch. She has 12 years of experience in the banking industry, spending the last eight years with SouthStar Bank. Working with the community is what Monica enjoys most about her job. She loves putting her problem solving and thinking skills to work to help her customers achieve their financial goals. Her nomination for SouthStar Bank’s 2020 Ride for the Brand Award is one of Monica’s biggest career highlights. When she’s not at the branch, Monica loves spending time with her family. Motherhood is her biggest personal achievement. Her hobbies include playing volleyball, fishing, baking, going to the beach, and participating in any outdoor activity. Something most people don’t know about Monica is that she is the youngest and only girl of four siblings. Two fun facts about Monica are that her first concert was N’sync and that sky diving is on her bucket list.

Melissa Chavez, Retail Quality Control Specialist | SouthStar Bank Loan Administration Building Melissa Chavez is a Retail Quality Control Specialist based in Leander. A Texas State Alumni, she holds over 10 years of experience in the banking industry and is a recent addition to the SouthStar Bank team. Melissa loves to problem solve and find solutions to help both her team members and customers. Mentoring and educating her fellow coworkers is one of Melissa’s favorite things about her job. Melissa cherishes giving back to her community. She participates in many programs including Meals on Wheels, the Salvation Army Angel Tree, and fundraising for Dell Children’s Hospital. Melissa also enjoys spending her time with her family, going to the park, and painting. She hopes to one day travel with her family to Spain. A fun fact about Melissa is that Los Tigres del Norte was the first concert she attended.

Megan Garcia, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Hearne Megan Garcia is a Personal Banker at the SouthStar Bank Hearne location. She has been with the bank for three years and enjoys having daily interactions with the community. One of Megan’s biggest career achievements was being voted Best Teller in Robertson County’s 2020 Best of the Best awards. Outside of work, Megan enjoys volunteering with the local little league. She loves spending time with her family, reading, and binging Netflix. Megan’s favorite place she has traveled to is Disney World. A fun fact about Megan is that an item on her bucket list is to go sky diving.

Lori Singleton, Senior Executive Vice President/ Chief Loan Administration Officer/ Special Projects Manager| SouthStar Bank Loan Administration Building Lori Singleton has been with the SouthStar Bank team for six years. In banking for 34 years, she enjoys working closely with her loan administration teams who help clients build and purchase their dream home, grow their business, or meets their other financial needs. Lori is most proud of her SouthStar Bank Star Leader award. The award recognizes her overwhelming passion and leadership to help her team meet and exceed their goals. Lori previously served on the Williamson County Seton Women’s Development board. She has a passion for supporting initiatives that provide healthcare for the less fortunate. Lori also supports various initiatives through CRU and the Hill Country Bible Church. During her leisure time, Lori enjoys spending time with her family which now includes her grandson!  She also enjoys traveling and hiking. She plans to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc in the next year, which is a 105-mile trail through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Out of all her travels, Lori’s favorite destination is Italy due to its amazing people, food, and culture. She hopes to travel to New Zealand in the future.

Lori Phillips, Loan Operations Processor| SouthStar Bank Calvert Lori Phillips is a Loan Operations Processor for SouthStar Bank. She has been a part of the SouthStar Bank family in Calvert for the last three and half years. Prior to joining the lending team, Lori was a Personal Banker at the Franklin branch. Getting to work with such a great team is one of Lori’s favorite parts of the job. She also enjoys getting the chance to help customers understand the inner working of all things escrow. A career highlight for Lori was being nominated for the Ride for the Brand Award in 2019. Lori loves to spend her free time with her family. She especially enjoys watching her daughter perform with her local Drill Team. Lori’s hobbies also include various craft projects. A fun fact about Lori is that she is originally from Buffalo, New York. She moved to Georgia, and eventually Texas, once she completed her time in the United States Navy. A WWII buff, Lori hopes to one day travel to Poland and Amsterdam to tour Auschwitz and Anne Frank’s home.

Elise Giles, Senior Vice President & Specialty CRE Director| SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch Elise Giles is a Senior Vice President and the Managing Director for Specialty CRE, which stands for Commercial Real Estate. She has been with SouthStar Bank for over four years and is located at the Steiner Ranch Branch. One of Elise’s biggest accomplishments in her 34-year career is obtaining her CCIM Designation which she received in October 2019. The Southwest Texas alum earned the designation, which is like a CPA designation for commercial real estate. Elise’s natural connecting and problem-solving skills have allowed her success in the industry. She loves using her skills to create deals and make long lasting relationships with clients, builders, developers, and bankers. One of her favorite things now is sharing her knowledge with the next generation of professionals working their way up the ranks. Outside of work, Elise is involved in multiple organizations in her community. She currently serves as the Treasurer for the Board of Commercial Real Estate Women and Designation Promotion Chair for CCIM Central Texas. Outside of her professional organizations, Elise is a member of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church and their Chancel Choir. Elise volunteers with her church’s Flower Ministry where they create individual arrangements to give to those in hospitals, retirement homes, and that are home ill. She also supports Dress for Success which supports under privileged women in the Austin area with interview skills, resume writing, and business attire. Elise is enjoys spending time with her husband and her three grown children. Elise has many hobbies including gardening, hiking, traveling, and power boating around Lake Travis. Over the next year, Elise will be helping her son and future daughter in law plan their wedding to be held in Austin in 2021! Her dream vacation would be to visit Australia and New Zealand. A secret talent of Elise’s is her singing ability. She was a voice performance major on scholarship in college and has performed as a soloist in many choirs including the Houston Symphony Chorus. NMLS#1493386

Laura Desselle, Loan Operations Processor| SouthStar Bank Calvert Laura is a Loan Operations Processor at our Calvert location. Although she is new to the banking industry, Laura still enjoys helping clients find a financial solution to make their dreams a reality. A career highlight for Laura was helping her customers acquire PPP loans during such an unpredictable time. Outside of work, Laura loves to spend time with her four kids. Together they enjoy kicking the soccer ball around, hiking, watching movies, and playing board games. In her community, Laura currently serves as Cheer Coordinator for the Franklin Youth Football & Cheer League.  A fun fact about Laura is that she was raised in an Agrarian Christian Community. Due to her upbringing, Laura can sew, knit, crochet, cross stich, weave, create wood and leather work, make pottery, play the piano nominally, and speak Hebrew.

Kristy Hollis, Assistant Vice President & Branch Manager| SouthStar Bank Round Rock Kristy Hollis joined the SouthStar Bank Round Rock team in 2019. After 18 years in banking, Kristy values the opportunity to build a rapport with her customers and help them achieve their banking goals. Over her career, Kristy has experienced many professional accomplishments, but her biggest achievement is seeing team members that she leads excel in their personal careers. Kristy’s favorite pastime is spending time with her husband and daughter. Whether their time is spent cooking, kicking the soccer ball, or playing board games, time spent together is well spent. As a mom, Kristy is involved in every activity her daughter does. Whether it is assisting with soccer or reading books to local elementary students, Kristy is there. Cruising is one of Kristy’s favorite ways to spend a family vacation. She has been on 16 cruises in her lifetime and has plans to go on many more. Being out on the water and experiencing new places with her family makes the trips even more special. Her idea of a dream retreat is to be on a huge cruise ship surrounded by beautiful crystal-clear blue water.