A community bank is defined by more than just the friendly faces at the teller window. It is built on a foundation of local relationships, and the collective wisdom of its leadership. At Bank of St. Francisville, our Board of Directors—comprised of prominent business leaders, professionals, and civic advocates—acts as a strategic anchor. Board members work alongside management to set long-term goals, manage risk, and serve as vital ambassadors to the community. As your bank expands in the Felicianas and across the Capital City in 2026, meet the community leaders who’re steering our growth while ensuring that our services remain rooted in real-world needs.
Executive Vice President, Gallagher Global Broking
Years on the Board: 22
You work with companies throughout the Southeast. What advantages does a community bank like BSF offer to customers both in St. Francisville and beyond?
MB: “As an insurance broker and CPA, I’ve been fortunate to have interacted with many business leaders and individuals who have the entrepreneurial spirit to build very successful businesses. Every one of them partnered with a bank that helped them fulfill their vision. Those personal relationships are critical, and are the life blood of Bank of St. Francisville that help us grow together.”
Why do you choose to serve as a BSF Board member?
MB: “When I moved to St. Francisville 35 years ago, it didn’t take long to recognize how big a role Bank of St Francisville played in supporting this community. I have been honored to serve on the Board for 22 years, and have watched how Carter Leak, his son, Carter IV, and Conville Lemoine have built a great team around them. As leaders, the culture remains strong, our business is personal and we are there to help our customers and be the best community bank we can be.”
President, Vivitas, Inc.
Years on the board: 2
What aspect of your business experience has proved most useful in your role as a board member?
JC: “I think I was asked to join the board because I'm a small business entrepreneur with experience in areas of cybersecurity, and have familiarity with the opportunities and risks of doing business in the digital age.”
Founder, the Daniel Clinic
Years on the Board: 8
Why do you serve?
CD: “This community bank played a significant part in helping me build my business in ways that would not have been possible without its support. I believe that serving on the board provides an important opportunity to give back and help create similar opportunities for others with comparable needs.”
How does your experience as a business owner inform your participation on the board?
CD: “As a business owner, I am able to understand and relate to the needs of local businesses and residents. This perspective allows me to help ensure the bank continues to bring meaningful value to our community and contribute to making it a better place to live and work.”
Founder, Grandmother’s Buttons
Years on the Board: 25+
What skills best prepare you to serve on the Board of Directors?
SD: “As a small business owner, I’ve always thought a lot about the importance of branding, and I’ve always believed that the bank’s brand and its value were inextricably linked to the strength of its relationships and its commitment to service. And as the first female member of the Board of Directors, I have worked to encourage other women to pursue their dreams of becoming business owners.”
How does the Board help guide the bank’s evolution, enabling it to better serve its community and customers?
SD: “All board members are members of the community and represent a spectrum of business and professional business interests. They’re conscious of maintaining a balance between local, St. Francisville-based voices, and larger-city businesspeople. That’s one of the ways to best ensure that the institution is not isolating itself, or neglecting parts of the community.”
Chief Compliance Officer, Cane Capital Partners
Years on the Board: 2
How does your professional experience benefit the bank and its customers?
EL: “My career experience in the regulatory and compliance arena within banking and investments is one of the strongest areas of influence I can offer to the bank board. It's been rewarding to sit on the Audit Committee and learn the various compliance and audit functions that keep the bank operating efficiently and effectively in a changing regulatory environment.”
Why do you choose to serve?
EL: “I have great respect for the philanthropic contributions the bank has made, not just in our small town but also in the broader region. On a personal note, the bank has been a huge supporter of the Julius Freyhan School renovation, which is near and dear to my heart. I feel a tremendous sense of pride in being able to give back to the bank that continues to support our local causes.”
Co-founder, Maestri-Murrell Commercial Real Estate
Years on the board: 2
What aspects of your business experience do you find most useful in fulfilling your duty of care as a BSF Board member?
LM: “I find the process of helping businesses tackle the challenges they face for growth to be very fulfilling. As a community bank, we are able to build relationships that give us true personal contact with customers for years to come.”
What benefits does a community bank like BSF offer customers outside St. Francisville - in Baton Rouge and beyond?
LM: “I like dealing with community banks better than large regional banks. With national banks I find them sometimes very hard to deal with. As a customer you have to fit in their box. With a community bank you get to know your customer on a personal level, and have the opportunity to work with them through difficult times with compassion.”
Founder, Rhino Construction Services, Inc., Discovery Real Estate & Development
Years on the board: 5
What aspects of your business or personal expertise/experience are most valuable in executing your responsibilities as a board member?
SS: “I have a long history in real estate development and management from the ground up. I am a CPA and have a master's degree in business. More recently, I have led discussions about the changes coming to financial business transactions and the transition from traditional finance to decentralized finance, and the role the bank might play and support as this transition takes place.”
Partner: Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LLP
Years on the board: 14
What do you feel is the most important role BSF plays in contributing to the wellbeing of the communities it serves?
TT: “I grew up in St. Francisville and West Feliciana parish, so I know the long history of the Bank of St. Francisville’s commitment to the local community. The bank has forged relationships with individuals from every part of the community and has assisted those individuals with everything from the purchase of homes and automobiles to the opening of small businesses. With those longstanding relationships comes trust and loyalty. The bank then gives back to the community through donations to seemingly every local fundraising event.”
To meet all the members of the Board of Directors, click HERE
