b1BANK Names Jerry Vascocu as Chief Administrative Officer

BATON ROUGE, La. , Nov. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jude Melville, president and CEO of b1BANK, announced N. Jerome “Jerry” Vascocu, Jr. as Chief Administrative Officer for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFST) and b1BANK. Vascocu will be the first chief administrative officer for the bank. He has over twenty-seven years of banking experience, most recently serving as director of commercial banking strategy for First Horizon Bank.

“The b1 culture appeals to a growing number of highly talented individuals within the banking industry, and I look forward to welcoming one of those impactful leaders, Jerry Vascocu, to our team,” said Melville. “As we grow in the present, our horizons expand in the future. Jerry will help guide our efforts to explore and execute upon those opportunities as a member of our executive team while also joining several of our steering committees. As chief administrative officer, he will partner with our asset management, financial institutions, human resources and marketing department directors to support the teams they lead.” 

In his recent role at First Horizon Bank, Jerry led the development and implementation of client-focused strategies for commercial banking teams across the bank’s 12-state region. During his 17-year career at IBERIBANK and First Horizon, Vascocu also served as Acadiana market president in Lafayette, La., Central Arkansas market president in Little Rock, Ark. and commercial relationship manager and team leader in Baton Rouge, La.

“I’m excited to join b1BANK during a significant stage of growth,” said Vascocu. “Jude and the executive team have created a great internal setting that gives team members the autonomy to focus on clients and community. That strong commitment to clients combined with a culture that energizes and encourages is a formula for continued success across the growing b1BANK footprint. I am eager to explore the opportunities available today and in the future.”

Vascocu is also a board member of Ochsner Lafayette General Hospital, Ochsner Lafayette General Foundation, Ragin Cajuns Athletic Foundation at the University of Louisiana Lafayette and is a member and past chairman of the Louisiana Chapter of Young Presidents Organization International. He has previously served as chairman of the board and finance chair of One Acadiana, commissioner with the Louisiana Economic Development Authority (LEDA), board member and chair of the Operational Excellence Committee for the United Way of Acadiana, chairman of the Ascension Episcopal School Board of Trustees and board member of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette B.I. Moody School of Business Advisory Council.

Vascocu earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Vanderbilt University and currently resides in Lafayette, La.

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST), through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, has $5.8 billion in assets, $6.3 billion in assets under management through b1BANK’s affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (excludes $0.9 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates Banking Centers and Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and the Dallas and Houston, Texas areas, providing commercial and personal banking products and services. Commercial banking services include commercial loans and letters of credit, working capital lines and equipment financing, and treasury management services. b1BANK was awarded #1 Best-In-State Bank, Louisiana, by Forbes and Statista, and is a multiyear winner of American Banker’s “Best Banks to Work For.” Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release may not be based on historical facts and may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to future period(s) or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foresee,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “could” or “intend,” future or conditional verb tenses, and variations or negatives of such terms.

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Misty Albrecht
b1BANK
225.286.7879
Misty.Albrecht@b1BANK.com