Women in Business - American Bank

Lingling Neel, Vicky Talley, & Brandi Harris

American Bank

American Bank is a community bank headquartered in Covington with five locations across the region. After only a year and a half of offering SBA business loans, American Bank is already the number one SBA lender in Louisiana.

“Our President and CEO Alton McRee had experience with SBA lending, and we realized it was something that expanded what we could offer our customers,” said Victoria Smith, Human Resources Manager for American Bank. “We want to see small businesses in our area do well. In addition to being their banker, we are customers of theirs.”

Lingling Neel, VP and Lending Officer, agrees. “I not only want to help my customers with their current request, I want to support their future endeavors as well. I take pride in seeing my clients prosper,” Neel said.

“We encompass the best of everything,” Smith said. “As a community bank, there is always somebody here to answer your questions and take your phone call. If our customer prefers to do everything online, we have the online and mobile banking tools to do that.”

The bank has earned a reputation for its personal touch in customer service. Employees know their customers by name and enjoy spending a few minutes catching up on family news before getting down to business. Lending decisions are made by people who understand the local economy. And if someone can’t get away for a trip to the bank, lenders have been known to go to their customers’ offices instead.

“We’re all like family here,” said Brandi Harris, VP and Lending Officer. “We know our customers, and they know us. People who bank here know the people they’re banking with individually. We are the face of the bank. To them, I am American Bank.”

Vicky Talley, VP and Lending Officer, said American Bank builds strong relationships with clients. “One of the benefits of banking with us is that we take the time to get to know our clients. You aren’t just a number; you are part of our banking family,” she said.

Smith said a common misconception is that small community banks don’t have the resources to offer a full range of services or may operate slowly. “It’s quite the opposite. We’re built for speed in the way we manage the loan process. Our goal is to get things done quickly and efficiently for our customers,” she said.

American Bank prides itself on being a community bank, invested in helping those places thrive. McRee keeps his office on the ground floor of the Covington headquarters where he can answer questions or meet with visiting customers.

“Being a native of St. Tammany Parish, I have watched the area grow to what it is today,” Talley said. “As existing businesses expand and new businesses open with the help of American Bank, it creates jobs and builds a community where you can raise your family.”

“We like being a community bank,” Smith said. “It affords us the best opportunity to build relationships with our customers.”

#1 SBA lending team in Louisiana for fiscal year 2022.

Locations in Covington, Mandeville, Hammond, Terrytown, Coushatta | AmericanBank.com