Southern Bancorp promotes Marlar, Smith to director positions

Southern Bancorp Bank announced the promotion of Stacey Marlar to Director of Product and Scott Smith to Director of Payments.

Marlar has been with Southern Bancorp since 1999, most recently working as its Retail Operations Director, West Region.

“Stacey has worked in nearly every retail banking role during her many years at Southern Bancorp, which made her the perfect person to lead our expanding product strategies,” said Michael Ersland, Head of Product, Payments and Data Insights. “Adding Stacey’s experience and expertise to this new position will be vital as we grow into new and existing markets, ensuring that we do so in innovative ways that align our unique history and mission alongside a competitive slate of products that help everyone in our communities build wealth, no matter the zip code or starting point.”

Marlar brings nearly 30 years of banking experience to her new role, all of which as a member of the Southern Bancorp team. She first joined the CDFI in 1999 as a drive-thru teller, and since then has worked her way up through a number of different roles, including new accounts, deposit operations, branch management, and ultimately her latest role of Retail Operations Director.

In her new role as Director of Product, Marlar will help shape and guide Southern Bancorp’s product strategies, including streamlining and enhancing its suite of available products to better meet the needs of its current and future customer base.

“I am excited for the opportunity to grow at Southern Bancorp and lead our evolving product strategies,” said Marlar. “It has been an honor to be part of this special organization and to serve our customers for all these years, and I look forward to continuing to support the financial futures of our neighbors, their families, and our local businesses in this new role.”

Smith has been with Southern Bancorp since 2023, most recently as its Organizational & Regulatory Risk Officer.

“Scott has been an exceptional member of our team over the past few years, and I’m excited to welcome him into this new role,” said Ersland. “The effectiveness and efficiency of our payment solutions are important factors within our plans to grow in size, service, and impact. Scott’s leadership will ensure our payment programs are competitive in the modern marketplace and beneficial for all of our customers.”

Smith brings more than 15 years of banking experience to his new role. He first joined Southern Bancorp in 2023 as its Organizational & Regulatory Risk Officer following the CDFI’s acquisition of Premier Bank of Arkansas, which operated branches in Jonesboro, Marion, and West Memphis. Prior to this, he served as Chief Risk Officer for Premier Bank, and before that as a Certified Bank Senior Examiner at the Arkansas State Bank Department.

As Director of Payments, Smith will lead all of the bank’s payment solutions, including wires, automated clearing house (ACH) transactions, alternative payment vendors, as well as its debit card program.

“It’s been an honor to be part of Southern Bancorp’s unique mission over the past few years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to grow into this new role and identify ways we can better serve our customers,” said Smith.