Southern Bank Recognized by SBA as Top 10 Community Bank in MO

On May 2, 2024, Southern Bank was recognized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as one of the Top 10 Community Banks during the Eastern Missouri Annual Awards and Lenders Luncheon. This event was in celebration of Small Business Week, which was April 28 th through May 4 th , and celebrates lenders as well as small businesses and small business owners. The event included members from institutions across Missouri and Illinois with some big names in the industry from across the US present.

SBA lending is a relatively new endeavor for Southern Bank, with the SBA lending department forming in 2022. Within just two years, however, Southern Bank is already working at a similar level as some well- known SBA lenders in the industry.

What makes Southern Bank's team special? With six members spanning St. Louis, Kansas City, Poplar Bluff, and Springfield, Southern Bank offers a personalized approach to the Small Business Lending process. While other lenders use 3rd parties to underwrite or package loans, Southern Bank's team takes care of the entire process from start to finish. We also continually train and educate our team and stay up to date with the latest SBA changes. This expertise sets our team apart from other banks and is the reason Tom Daiber of SBA gave Southern Bank a verbal “Rookie of the Year” acknowledgement during the SBA event.

Amber Mase, head of the SBA division, has 30 years of experience in banking & finance with 16 years in consumer, commercial, agricultural, SBA and USDA lending. In 2022 she was given the task of heading up the SBA division.

“Many of my years in banking I held leadership positions at other lending institutions, which I feel is one of my strong suits. One of my favorite things to do is to grow and mentor my team,” says Amber. “I'm so proud of our team and the accomplishment of being one of the top ten SBA lenders in Eastern Missouri. It's all due to the hard work and dedication of the entire team.”

Southern Bank CEO Matt Funke had high praise for the team. “We're thrilled for Amber and the SBA lending team. They've hit the ground running and quickly given Southern Bank a lending division that we can count on to meet customer needs. This award comes as no surprise with all their hard work, and at the level that they are operating, I'm sure there's more to come.”

To see more SBA awards given out at the ceremony, click here.