Board of Directors

Mr. D’Angelo has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since our organization as a bank holding company in 2013. He has also served as the Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer since its organization in 2006. Prior to the Bank’s organization, Mr. D’Angelo was manager of the private banking, small business banking, construction lending, brokerage and trust areas of Hibernia National Bank (the predecessor to Capital One, N.A.) for more than six years in the East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, market. From 1996 to 2005, Mr. D’Angelo was president and director of Aegis Lending Corporation, a company with lending operations in 46 states and the District of Columbia. As the founder of the Bank and its current Chief Executive Officer, Mr. D’Angelo has a detailed understanding of our history, current operations and future plans and strategies. His extensive banking experience is an additional qualification to serve on our board.

Ms. Fontenot is a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana and has served as president of Southwest Fidelity Corporation since 2001.  Southwest Fidelity Corporation is the holding company for nine finance companies located in the Acadiana, Louisiana region and a full service independent insurance agency, which also manages real estate and rental properties along with other investments. She is also involved in numerous civic and non-profit associations in the Acadiana, Louisiana region.  Ms. Fontenot’s extensive experience in the Acadiana business community, and her significant contacts within the community, qualify her to serve on our board.

Mr. Ginn is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Amedisys, Inc., a publicly-held, leading provider of home health, hospice, personal care and high-acuity care. He has led financial teams at Amedisys since 2007, serving as Senior Vice President of Accounting and Controller and Chief Accounting Officer before being named Chief Financial Officer in 2017 and Chief Operating Officer in 2022. Prior to joining Amedisys, Mr. Ginn served as a Director at Postlethwaite & Netterville,  a professional accounting and business advisory firm. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a graduate of Louisiana State University and a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Ginn’s commitment and dedication have led to numerous accolades, and he was named 2022 Best CFO in Institutional Magazine’s  All-America Executive Team Midcap Survey for the Managed Care and Health Care Facilities. Mr. Ginn’s public company background and extensive financial expertise qualifies him to serve on our board. Mr. Ginn qualifies as an audit committee financial expert.

Mr. Hidalgo, the Chairman of our board, is the owner and managing member of Halimar Shipyard, LLC, a shipyard management company in Morgan City, Louisiana, and is an active marine consulting engineer. From May 1994 to October 2001, Mr. Hidalgo served as President and CEO of Conrad Industries, Inc., a publicly-traded marine vessel and offshore drilling component construction company in Morgan City. Mr. Hidalgo’s experience as president and CEO of a public company provides the board with knowledge of matters relevant to the successful management of a public company. As with a number of other directors, as a business owner, Mr. Hidalgo is able to add a borrower’s perspective to board discussions. His significant experience owning and operating companies also enables him to help the board efficiently manage the Company’s growth.

Ms. Hudson is the President and CEO of Louisiana Lottery Corporation and has served in that capacity since 2006. Ms. Hudson has served as a director of the Bank since October 2020. Ms. Hudson has been active in service to the Baton Rouge community for many years. She is currently chair of the Woman’s Hospital Foundation board of directors and immediate past chair of the board of directors of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation. Ms. Hudson’s leadership experience, business and management experience and extensive involvement in the local community qualify her to serve on our board.

Mr. Joffrion has worked as a licensed general contractor since 1979. Since 2006, he has served as the General Manager of Joffrion Construction, Inc., a commercial and residential construction business in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Joffrion’s long-standing business and personal relationships in the Baton Rouge area, as well as his strong sense of the business conditions in Baton Rouge, qualify him to serve on the board.

Mr. Jordan, a resident of New Iberia, Louisiana, has served as Managing Member of Vermillion Business Group since 1989. Vermillion Business Group develops properties for several Fortune 500 companies and also develops gated and non-gated subdivisions and industrial parks. Mr. Jordan is also involved in numerous civic and non-profit associations in the Lafayette, Louisiana region. Mr. Jordan’s extensive experience in the Lafayette business community, and his significant contacts within the community, qualify him to serve on our board.

Mr. Melara is the President and CEO of Melara Enterprises, LLC which publishes the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, 225 Magazine, inRegister Magazine, Daily Report online news, 1012 Industry Report, and other specialty publications. He is also the President and CEO of StudioE, a content, communications and creative studio. He serves and has served on numerous Boards of Directors, including the National Alliance of Area Business Publishers, Tiger Athletic Foundation, and Joe Burrow Foundation. Mr. Melara's background as a businessman and extensive involvement in the local community qualify him to serve on our board. Mr. Melara qualifies as an audit committee financial expert.

Ms. Middleton currently serves as the chairman of the Bank. Since April 1999, she has also worked as the Chief Financial Officer of Credit One, LLC, a debt buying and collection company based in Metairie, Louisiana. As a chief financial officer, Ms. Middleton is able to use her understanding of financial and accounting matters to help us shape our business plans, as well as her executive and management experience, which equips her to contribute to the board’s oversight of the Company’s management and business activities. Also, her knowledge of the New Orleans area allows her to provide insight regarding our growth plans in this market.

Dr. Nelson is a board certified gastroenterologist and is currently a partner with Texas Digestive Disease Consultants, a medical practice. From 1997 to 2018, he worked as a practicing partner with Gastroenterology Associates, a medical practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition to the different perspective on our banking operations that Dr. Nelson’s background as a physician gives him, Dr. Nelson’s experience as a business owner until 2018 allows him to provide insight and understanding of our customer’s needs, as well as an understanding of successful business operations, to board discussions.

Mr. Walker has been the Chief Financial Officer of JP Oil Holdings, LLC since 1996. JP Oil Holdings, headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, is an oil and gas exploration and production company as well as an investor in commercial real estate. Mr. Walker also serves on the Board of Trustees and as Treasurer of Lafayette General Health, a seven-hospital system with an additional six clinical affiliate hospitals in southwest Louisiana. In addition to his understanding of financial matters resulting from his business experience, Mr. Walker’s knowledge and contacts in Lafayette help us to develop our strategies to further expand our presence in this area.

Dr. Yegge is a board certified nephrologist at the Renal Associates of Baton Rouge, LLC.  He has lived in the Baton Rouge area since 2002. Dr. Yegge’s background as a physician and relationships in the local community offer a unique perspective on our banking operations with regard to understanding how we can better serve our customers’ needs.