GlobeNewswire Inc | Sep 9, 2020 09:00AM EDT

September 09, 2020

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jude Melville, president and CEO of b1BANK, announced Jesse Jackson will lead the banks Financial Institutions Group and will join the executive leadership team. Jackson has over 30 years experience in the banking industry, most recently serving as executive vice president of Texas Capital Banks Dallas Commercial Banking Practice. Jackson was also instrumental in building their correspondent banking network of over 400 community financial institutions across more than 40 states.

More than ever, community bankers will need to partner with each other as we contribute to the rebuilding of our countrys economy, said Melville. Jesse joins our team with a proven background in team building and relationship development.I look forward to working with Jesse and his team as they impact our industry through their work building our Financial Institutions Group and as he impacts our company in his role on our executive team.

Mr. Jacksons 30-year banking career includes 25 years of working with key executives at financial institutions, building partnerships and consultative correspondent banking relationships. Prior to joining Texas Capital Bank in 2013, Jackson held senior leadership roles at The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. His experience also includes positions in mergers and acquisitions, lending and consultative sales.

Having the opportunity to represent b1BANK and their commitment to financial institution relationships is a dream come true, said Jackson. My career journey has been concentrated in working business-to-business with financial institutions, where I have assisted in the growth and expansion of some of the best companies in the region. This opportunity with b1BANK will allow me to quickly, and selectively, develop and provide high-value, relationship-based strategic partnerships and relationships that contribute to our mutual success.

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Jackson holds a Masters of Business Administration in corporate finance from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelors of Science in business from Grambling State University. He completed post graduate studies at the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business School of Bank Management, the National Advanced Commercial Lending School at the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, and is a 2010 graduate of the Dallas Regional Chamber Leadership Dallas Program.

Jackson actively serves on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Minority Deposit Institution Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C. He also serves as an executive board member on the Texas A&M University Mays Business School Finance and Commercial Banking Program, and he serves on the Board of Advisors for the Klyde Warren Park Foundation, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

About Business First Bancshares, Inc.Business First Bancshares, Inc., through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, formerly known as Business First Bank, operates 42 banking centers in markets across Louisiana and in the Dallas, Texas, area. b1BANK provides commercial and personal banking, treasury management and wealth solutions services to small to midsize businesses and their owners and employees. Visit www.b1BANK.com for more information. Business Firsts common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol BFST.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsStatements in this press release may not be based on historical facts and may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to future period(s) or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as anticipate, estimate, expect, foresee, may, might, will, would, could or intend, future or conditional verb tenses, and variations or negatives of such terms.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release.

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-- Jesse Jackson

Misty Albrechtb1BANK225.286.7879Misty.Albrecht@b1BANK.com