Movers & shakers: Brian Babcock, Carly Lovenguth & Erin Haldeman. August 27, 2026 Bob Coleman Founder & Publisher Brian Babcock Joins Ameris Bank as VP of Government Guaranteed Lending Brian Babcock has joined Ameris Bank as Vice President, Government Guaranteed Lending Business Development Officer after more than 11 years with Live Oak Bank. In his new role, Babcock will focus on SBA 7(a) and 504 lending nationwide. Babcock brings more than a decade of experience financing SBA 7(a) and 504 projects. He works with business owners on financing for acquisitions, commercial real estate, expansions, construction and other growth opportunities. At Ameris, he will continue working with automotive and car wash relationships he has developed throughout his career while expanding his lending across a broader range of industries. Babcock joined Live Oak Bank in 2015 as a Business Analyst before becoming a Credit Underwriter in 2017. He moved into a Loan Officer role in 2019 and became Vice President, Senior Loan Officer in January 2025. His work at Live Oak included financing for independent and franchise auto repair shops, collision centers and car washes using SBA 7(a), Express, 504 and conventional lending products. Carly Lovenguth Promoted to Director of SBA Operations at Busey Carly Lovenguth has been promoted to Director of SBA Operations at Busey, marking a new chapter in her more than two-decade career with the bank. Lovenguth currently serves as Senior Vice President and has held a number of SBA, commercial lending, compliance and operations roles during her 23 years with Busey. Lovenguth joined Busey as a bank teller in 2003 before moving into data entry, post-closing and compliance roles. She later served as Vice President - Commercial Documentation Manager and Vice President - SBA Portfolio Manager before taking on responsibility for SBA administration, documentation and closing. Announcing the promotion, Lovenguth expressed gratitude for the trust placed in her and said she looks forward to continuing to grow, lead and make a positive impact in her new role. Erin Haldeman Named SBA Business Development Associate at Fulton Bank Erin Haldeman has started a new position as SBA Business Development Associate at Fulton Bank, continuing her career with the bank after spending the past year in its Management Trainee program. Haldeman joined Fulton Bank as a Management Trainee in June 2025. Before joining the bank, she worked as a Customer Service Sales Assistant with University of Pittsburgh Athletics and completed a New Business Development internship with Clark National Accounts. Haldeman earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024. Announcing her new role, she expressed gratitude to those who contributed to her development during the Management Trainee program and said she is excited to continue her career at Fulton Bank.

First Busey has attracted investor attention after unusual options activity showed high implied volatility on a September 2026 call option. This surge suggests expectations for significant share price movement, possibly linked to a company event or complex trading strategies. The stock has performed strongly, rising 10.57% over 90 days and 26.07% year to date. Three-year total shareholder return stands at 69.56%. The stock closed at $30.13, whilst analyst targets sit near $33.29. First Busey trades at a P/E ratio of 11.7x, slightly above its estimated fair P/E of 11.1x but below peers at 13.9x and the US Banks industry average of 11.8x. Net profit margins improved to 27.1% from 13.9% last year.

Busey Bank names Mike Daley chief strategy officer, former CrossFirst exec. By Will Crow Posted June 25, 2026 First Busey Corporation announced that Mike Daley has been named chief strategy officer. Prior to this promotion, Daley previously served as Busey's director of finance & business line strategy since its integration of CrossFirst Bank last year. While at CrossFirst Bank, Daley served as the chief accounting officer for 2.6 years. "He was instrumental through our integration of CrossFirst Bank into Busey, and has done a terrific job helping align our teams and businesses," Amy Randolph, chief operating officer at Busey Bank, said in the release. "Expanding his role to lead the development and execution of the bank's long-term strategic plan across all business segments, in collaboration with the executive leadership team, is a natural progression." Daley succeeds Mark Trembacki, who retired in September. As CSO, Daley will oversee enterprise project management and enterprise sales and business development offices, as well as the corporate insights and pricing & profitability teams. Daley brings with him more than 20 years worth of experience in financial services, including his time with Busey and CrossFirst. He held several leadership positions at Waddell & Reed, such as senior vice president and chief accounting officer. Before that, he held another chief accounting officer position at National Bank Holdings Corporation. First Busey Corporation is the holding company of Champaign, Illinois-based Busey Bank. In March 2025, the handling company officially relocated its headquarters to Lenexa, KS, occupying the former CrossFirst Bank headquarters. The First Busey Corporation and CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. merger was valued at $917 million. As of March 31, 2026, First Busey Corporation has a total of $18.04 billion in assets, according to its LinkedIn page. Busey Bank operates with 80 banking centers across Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado, Indiana and New Mexico.