About Regent Bank
Regent Bank, originally known as the “Bank of Nowata”, was opened and incorporated on June 21, 1898 (before the government incorporated Nowata, OK in 1904). It was established by a partnership formed of J. E. Campbell, William Johnstone, E. E. Lawson, James Mehlin and Ben J. Scoville. These directors andstockholders initiated the Bank with capital stock of $10,000, divided into 100 shares of $100 each.
In 1940, George W. Lee moved to Nowata and bought stock in the Bank. In 1958, George’s son Bryan, became involved in First National Bank of Nowata and became Chairman of the Board in 1982. In 1991, Bryan’s son, BC joined the Bank and in 1996, BC became the third generation of Lee’s to hold the position of President of First National Bank.
In April of 2003, the Bank decided to change its name to Regent Bank, N.A. This name change would allow the Bank to more efficiently expand into additional markets. The name Regent means “a Trustee or overseer” and certainly embodies the type of relationship we have with our clients.
In April of 2008, Regent Capital Corporation, led by Sean Kouplen and partner Dow Hughes, purchased Regent Bank. Regent Capital Corporation was made up of 80 local investors, most of whom were small business owners and operators.
Regent Bank expanded into Tulsa in August of 2008 by occupying our current location in the Executive Center One office building on the southwest corner of 71st and Yale. Tulsa has developed into Regent Bank’s largest market and continues to grow rapidly.
In September 2012, Regent Bank took advantage of an opportunity to hire a talented Oklahoma City banker named Darin Kent and expanded into Oklahoma City. The bank now has a thriving full-service branch at 50 Penn Place (Penn & NW Expressway) which opened in August of 2014.
In May of 2018, Regent Bank took advantage of an opportunity to hire six of the best in banking in Springfield, Missouri and opened a branch in this dynamic community on East Battlefield. This market has grown rapidly under the capable leadership of President Mick Nitsch.
In June of 2019, Regent Bank opened our cannabis division under the dynamic leadership of Director Keri Cain. Oklahomans voted to legalize medical marijuana and we are proud to help make the industry much safer and make sure all transactions are screened for legitimacy. Keri has become one of the premier cannabis bankers in the country.
In April 2020, Regent Bank purchased ACICP Insurance from our friend Ivan Alvarez and Regent Insurance was born. We specialize in serving small and mid-market businesses and their owners. This expanding division, led by Evan Tipton, offers a wide range of personal lines, commercial lines and employee benefits products.
In March of 2021, Regent Bank launched Regent Mortgage by hiring industry veteran Scott Veitch. Regent Mortgage has also seen outstanding growth and specializes in concierge client service for busy individuals.
In October of 2020, Regent Bank opened a branch in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The unique mural on the bank building reflects a community filled with early Oklahoma history. Bartlesville is the home of ConocoPhillips and boasts buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
In September 2021, Regent Bank opened a loan and deposit production office in Edmond. This small office has now grown into a spectacular new full-service branch that opened in March 2023 on I-35 just south of 2nd Street. We are very excited about our future in Edmond under the leadership of President Kenneth Wohl.
In February 2022, Regent Bank hired Broken Arrow President Corey Bates and opened a loan and production office in Tiger Plaza. This market has grown rapidly and we are currently finalizing plans for afull-service facility on the northwest corner of the Broken Arrow Expressway and Elm in Broken Arrow. The beautiful 35,000 facility will have additional room available for lease.
In July 2023, Regent Bank purchased 2.5 acres at the corner of Stonebrook Parkway and Legacy Drive in Frisco, TX and we are actively recruiting the team to expand into this new market.
A lot has changed since we purchased Regent Bank in 2008, Regent has grown from a single market community bank with $72 million in assets into a regional business bank in seven vibrant markets in Oklahoma and Missouri with $1.3 billion in assets. We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing banks in the country and the only bank on the 2023 Inc Magazine Best Places to Work List.
Regent Bank attributes all glory to God and are grateful for his favor and provision. We are a faith-basedorganization whose purpose is “To show God’s love to our employees, clients and communities”. We hope you will come experience the Regent Bank difference.
