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

Employee Spotlight – Janis Cowman-Arteaga

Janis Cowman-Arteaga, Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator | SouthStar Bank Georgetown

Janis Cowman-Arteaga is a Commercial Loan Closing Coordinator at the SouthStar Bank Georgetown branch. Janis has been with the bank for two and a half years and boasts over 38 years of overall experience in the banking and mortgage industries. Prior to joining the SouthStar Bank team, Janis owned and operated her own mortgage company for several years. She credits this experience with helping her develop perspective when working with small businesses. In her position, Janis enjoys utilizing her skills to derive what she finds most rewarding, which includes delivering on someone’s dream of home ownership and helping businesses grow with commercial business loans.

Janis is plenty busy outside the office as well! Following her six years of service with the United States Marine Corps she became a lifetime VFW and Marine Corps League member. At home, Janis raises Lovebirds, tending to her flock in a large outdoor aviary that now houses 45 birds! Janis’ favorite travel destination is Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which she believes to be one of the most scenic and serene places on the planet. She enjoys looking for minerals and gemstones to add to her collection when she visits.

Employee Spotlight – Brianna Tirado

Brianna Tirado, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Gonzales

Brianna Tirado is a Personal Banker at the SouthStar Bank Gonzales branch. She will have been in the banking industry and at SouthStar Bank for two years this coming November. In her position, Brianna enjoys the customer interactions she encounters on a day-to-day basis, striving to assist each customer in any way required. Her second favorite aspect of her job is getting to work with her fabulous peers.

When Brianna is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Employee Spotlight – Bridget Brosh

Bridget Brosh, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Moulton

Bridget Brosh is a Personal Banker in the SouthStar Bank Moulton branch. She received her degree from Texas State University and has four years of banking experience, all here with SouthStar. Bridget enjoys the fast-paced environment that banking provides, never shy to a new challenge faced and quick to adapt to the everchanging landscape of the industry. One of her career highlights is taking on IRAs and developing an intricate understanding of the product. An understanding that she now proliferates throughout the entirety of the bank, fielding questions and providing solutions and knowledge to best support her peers. Bridget views each challenge as an opportunity for growth.

Outside of work, Bridget enjoys hanging out with friends and family as well as spending time outdoors.

Employee Spotlight – Barbara Armstrong

Barbara Armstrong, Personal Banker | SouthStar Bank Hearne

Barbara Armstrong is a Personal Banker at the SouthStar Bank Hearne location. She worked primarily in Property Management before joining the SouthStar Bank team one year ago. Barbara enjoys being able to assist customers and problem-solve. One of Barbara’s biggest professional accomplishments was successfully taking charge of and maintaining a billion-dollar student housing company during a 5-month transition in management.

Barbara is a proud mother of two and greatly enjoys spending time with her children. Barbara spends her free time cooking, baking, and creating rustic art pieces. As an art enthusiast, one item on her bucket list is to learn how to make pottery.

Congratulations Trip Ray! New Chief Credit Officer

Trip Ray has been promoted to the position of Chief Credit Officer. He has been with SouthStar Bank since 2016 and has served as the bank’s Chief Risk Officer since 2020. In his time with the bank, Trip has made tremendous contributions, including creating an Enterprise Risk Committee and actively working to build risk assessments across all departments of the bank, ensuring top quality and safety for our customers.

Trip naturally gravitated toward the lending side of the institution in his role as Chief Risk Officer, making him an ideal fit for the Chief Credit Officer position. In his new role, Trip will be responsible for providing support, direction and developing credit information and loan policies to ensure the overall quality of the bank’s lending portfolio. He will oversee the Underwriting and Credit Administration Department and continue to work with the Audit Committee as well as internal and external loan review teams.

When Trip is out of the office, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing golf, and spending time outdoors.

Congratulations Trip!

Employee Spotlight – Amanda Waldrop

Amanda Waldrop, Loan Operations Processor | SouthStar Bank Calvert

Amanda Waldrop is a Loan Operations Processor at the SouthStar Bank Calvert location. She had previously worked at SouthStar Bank from 2016-2019 and was welcomed back in 2021. The two things she enjoys most about her job are her amazing coworkers and the ability to provide a helping hand to those who dream of home ownership. Amanda’s biggest professional accomplishment was starting a demolition/clean-up company with her husband. Their business had them chasing hurricanes from Rockport, Texas, to South Louisiana, providing services to those affected by the storms. They sold the business in 2021 and eventually moved back to Texas.

When she is not working, Amanda spends her time traveling, camping, boating, cooking, enjoying a good cup of coffee, and spending time with friends, family, and her rescue dog, Gunner.