FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Katrina Sweaney
(417) 823-9600
ksweaney@legacybankandtrust.com
Legacy Bank and Trust adds three key employees to its new Tulsa location
Springfield, MO – March 2022
Nick Wofford, the Market President for Legacy Bank and Trust in Tulsa, is pleased to announce the addition of Eric Gentry, Lindsey Peterson, and Melanie Lawson to the new, fast-growing, banking operation in Tulsa, OK. Eric Gentry and Lindsey Peterson, who will both represent the bank as Senior Vice Presidents of Commercial Lending, have spent their entire commercial banking careers in the Tulsa area. They are very well respected in the community and by their peers. Melanie Lawson, who will represent the bank as a commercial loan assistant, is a seasoned banker and brings a wealth of knowledge, foundation, and dedication to our team. Melanie has worked with the overall team for many years and is instrumental in many aspects to the success of the Tulsa Market Team. All three additions convey a strong, team-first, way of thinking and fit great with our culture, core values, and future success as we continue to expand our footprint in Tulsa.
Eric Gentry, Senior Vice President, has been in banking for over 22 years and worked as a commercial lender in the Tulsa area for the past 17 years. “Eric brings a tremendous amount of diverse lending experience to Legacy Bank and Trust and is a proven community banker that truly cares about the success and outcomes for his customers. I have worked side by side with Eric and saw firsthand that his charismatic skillset is special, and I am extremely excited to have him join our team.”, said Nick Wofford, Tulsa Market President. Eric is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Finance. Gentry is active with his local church and various non-profit organizations in the Tulsa Metro area. Gentry added, “I am very excited with this new opportunity to share Legacy Bank’s array of unique products with all my existing relationships and the Tulsa Market.”
Lindsey Peterson, Senior Vice President, joined Legacy Bank and Trust as a commercial lender with over 18 years of banking experience. Nick Wofford added, “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lindsey for almost a decade and she is one of the best lenders and bankers that I’ve encountered. She brings a plethora of commercial credit experience to our team with strong relationships in the local medical and real estate industries. She is a team-first community banker and I look forward to building Legacy’s presence in the Tulsa market with her”. Lindsey graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Finance. She is involved with the Tulsa Area United Way and the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. Peterson added, “Given the historical success of Legacy Bank in community development and the many lending tools available, I couldn’t wait to provide these opportunities to my Tulsa network. Our team is very versatile, and we are eager to help you achieve your financial goals.”
Melanie Lawson recently joined Legacy as a Commercial Loan Assistant. “Melanie is fantastic at delivering the best customer service while facilitating loan requests and working with both our customers and lenders to ensure that our closings happen in an efficient and timely manner. We all have had the pleasure of working with Melanie for many years and I am grateful that we have the opportunity to continue to do so”, added Nick Wofford.
Legacy Bank and Trust opened its Tulsa office in early February of 2022 at 8211 S. Regal Place, Suite 106. Legacy is currently in the process of selecting a site for the construction of a new permanent facility set to open in the near future.
About Legacy Bank & Trust:
Since our first bank opened its doors, our vision has been to surpass standards in banking for our customers as well as local businesses, so they have the ability to help our communities thrive. Legacy Bank and Trust exists to serve as the financial leader in economic and community development by providing financial products and services to underserved populations within our service areas. As a Community Development Financial Institution, our mission is to provide economic opportunities to underserved communities. Legacy is a $800 million community bank with five locations in southwest Missouri, and now one in Tulsa, OK. It is a commercial bank that focuses on small business, agricultural and affordable housing lending.
Legacy has been recognized by S&P Global Market Intelligence as one of the Top 100 Community Banks in the country in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The ranking is based on six metrics that factor profitability, capital, growth and asset quality. In 2020, Legacy Bank and Trust was ranked #9 out of nearly 4,300 banks in the nation with assets below $3 billion.
Legacy recently announced it holding company (Ozarks Heritage Financial Group, Inc., OHFG, Inc.) was approved for $81.7 million in capital from the Treasury Department through the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP) to increase lending to small businesses, and low- and moderate-income consumers in underserved urban and rural communities. ECIP enables Treasury to make direct investments in bank and holding companies that are designated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Ozarks Heritage Financial Group, Inc. and its subsidiary, Legacy Bank & Trust have both designated as certified Community Development Finance Institutions since 2016. Legacy Economic Growth Fund (LEGF) is a Community Development Entity that is also a subsidiary of OHFG, Inc. LEGF recently received an $60 million allocation of New Market Tax Credits.