Southstar Bank Insider - SouthStar Bank, S.S.B.

Congratulations Andrew Denny!

Congratulations to Andrew Denny, who was recently awarded the EMBA scholarship at the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame Gala. Starting in the Fall, Andrew will be enrolled in the Executive MBA Program in Banking and Financial Institutions at Sam Houston State University. The program is a unique two-year program designed to develop and enhance a candidate’s skills necessary for a position of leadership in a financial institution or regulatory agency. The program emphasizes the integration and synthesis of various disciplines to develop a student’s ability to function and make sound administrative decisions in a dynamic financial institution environment.

Apart from being a valued SouthStar Bank team member, Andrew is also a husband, father, and avid paddleboarder. Every year he volunteers to raise funds and awareness for the Flatwater Foundation, paddling 21 miles in the annual TYLER’S Dam That Cancer event.

Congratulations and Good Luck, Andrew!

Congratulations Kacy Kirk & Kristy Hollis New Retail Area Managers

Kacy Kirk and Kristy Hollis have been promoted to the role of Vice President/Retail Area Manager for the Rural and Urban regions, respectively. Both Kacy and Kristy have thrived in their Branch Manager positions, using their knowledge and experience to support their teams and provide an outstanding banking experience for their customers. Their hard work was recognized in 2022 when both ladies were awarded the Ride for the Brand Award for Operations, which is one of the bank’s highest internal honors. In their new roles, both ladies will assist with the advancement of new employees, develop strategic plans with the retail team, and continue to grow customer relationships.

Kristy is coming up on her fourth year with SouthStar Bank and has over two decades of banking experience overall. As the Retail Area Manager of the urban market, she is excited to share SouthStar Bank’s overarching vision and motivate her team to be the best they can possibly be. Kristy is a natural leader who thrives on sharing knowledge and seeing team members excel in their respective roles. When Kristy is away from work, she can be found spending time with her daughter. She points to being a mother as her biggest personal achievement and cherishes every moment she can spend with her family. Kristy also enjoys traveling, with cruises being her preferred method. She has a great appreciation for anywhere with beautiful blue water.

Kacy has been in the banking industry for over a decade boasting 11 years of experience, including eight years at SouthStar Bank. In her new role as Retail Area Manager of the rural market, she is excited to be able to work on new projects aimed at elevating the customer and team member experience across all the branches in her area. Kacy is also involved in the Hearne community and finds great enjoyment in contributing her skills beyond the bank. Most recently, she has served three years on the Hearne Community Development Board as secretary and treasurer. When Kacy is out of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family. They enjoy traveling, camping, visiting family, and reading books.

SouthStar Bank is excited to watch Kacy and Kristy continue to grow in their new positions and make our star shine! Congratulations, Kacy and Kristy!

Welcome Camisha Delgado

Camisha Delgado, Assistant Vice President/Branch Manager | SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch

Welcome Camisha Delgado! Camisha is the new Branch Manager for the SouthStar Bank Steiner Ranch branch and brings with her over a decade of banking experience. She has worked in the Finance industry for 10+ years and has worked diligently to become an expert across many subjects, including Lending, Operations, and Customer Service. Her extensive banking knowledge and interpersonal skills make her an excellent person to step into the role of Branch Manager. At her previous institution, Camisha started at the bottom and eventually worked her way up through the ranks to the role of Branch Manager. Upon starting her leadership position, Camisha managed three branches and supported 23 employees simultaneously. One of her most significant professional achievements was winning the Legend Award, which equates to receiving Employee of the Year, not once but twice.

Outside of work, Camisha is a frequent traveler, with her favorite destination being Italy. She loves trying the food, experiencing the culture, and learning all about the country’s history. Camisha spent a little less than a month exploring Europe and says it’s something everyone should do once in their lifetime. Her next international trip is already in the planning stages, but this time she is planning on traveling to Asia. Camisha loves talking to the locals and hearing about the history of where she visits. In her free time, she takes random “adventures” to anywhere new. This has led to her visiting more than 12 states, with Hawaii, Florida, and Colorado being some of her favorites. This trait is also how she found her love for Texas, which eventually led to her move here from her home in Southern California. Since she is still new to the great state of Texas, Camisha is actively welcoming recommendations for any and all places that her clients and coworkers love.

Employee Spotlight- Sche Kehner

Sche Kehner, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Kerrville

Sche Kehner is a Personal Banker for the SouthStar Bank Kerrville branch. She has been in banking since high school and has spent the last 13 years broadening her knowledge of the banking industry and honing her interpersonal skills. Sche was a member of the Community First team before SouthStar acquired the branch in 2021. Sche greatly enjoys her conversations with customers and the relationships she can form by genuinely listening to their needs and informing them of the best products and services SouthStar can offer them.

Outside of work, Sche loves to fish and hopes to one day have fished in every state across the US. She also loves to visit the coast and explore exciting new recipes. When she isn’t doing one of her many hobbies, Sche enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, Byrd and Bailey Mae, cuddled on the couch watching action movies.

Employee Spotlight- Roni Nickelson

Roni Nickelson, Vice President/Loan Operations Manager | SouthStar Bank Calvert

Roni Nickelson is a Vice President and the Loan Operations Manager at the SouthStar Bank. Roni has been with us for almost two decades, with 19 years of experience under her belt. Along with her volume of experience, she has also been awarded the prestigious President’s Award on two separate occasions! The President’s Award is given out each year to the individual who the president and executive team feel has made the strongest contribution to the organization. Roni works tirelessly to ensure that she and her team can process loans effectively and efficiently. She enjoys the fast-paced, ever-changing environment that banking offers.

When Roni is out of the office, she is often found reading books or spending time near the water. She enjoys spending time at the lake, floating down the river, and of course, hanging out at the beach.

A Message from the President

Considering all the recent news on the big bank failures, I want to assure you our bank is safe. While there are some commonalities in the decline in the values of bonds at virtually all banks, there are also key differences.

The following are a few significant differences between our bank and the banks in the news:

The decline in value of our bond portfolio is very manageable at 14% capital. The failed banks had losses of up to 100% of their capital when they were required to cash in their securities. Our bond portfolio is stronger due to shorter maturities and proper management of interest rate risk. Even if we had to sell all securities, our capital strength would be twice the regulatory minimum Tier 1 requirement.
We do not have a significant volume of uninsured deposits. Eighty-one percent (81%) of our deposits are either insured or secured by pledged assets. Our uninsured deposits are spread between 572 accounts which are generally long-term stable customers. The problem banks typically grew very rapidly, accepting unstable concentrations of deposits from a relatively small group of new depositors. One of the problem banks only had about ten percent (10%) of their deposits insured.
The other key difference is our bank does not get involved with cryptocurrency or financing risky start-up tech businesses. The failed banks had concentrations of business in one or both categories. As a 103-year-old bank, we have established over 26,000 diverse deposit and loan relationships. Once the large concentration of uninsured depositors started moving their funds from the failed banks, they didn’t have sufficient liquidity to cover the withdrawals. We have ample available liquidity and two large borrowing lines to cover all uninsured depositors.

Aside from my support of our strength, there are several other rating companies that also reflect our bank as “5 Star” or “A” rated. Compare us to other banks, and I know am confident you will find SouthStar to be one of the strongest banks around. I encourage you to contact the Senior Officers at your local branch or me directly if you have any concerns. We want all our customers to feel comfortable with our bank as a safe place for any additional funds you, your friends, and your family have. Despite all the negative news on banks, we still believe our Star shines the brightest during these times.

David R. Kapavik
President/CEO