Little Rock, Ark. – Southern Bancorp Bank, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), today announced two additions to its lending staff and overall Hispanic outreach in Central Arkansas. Arturo Moraga has joined the CDFI as a Commercial Loan Officer, and Estefany Perez as a Mortgage Community Development Lender. Both are bilingual and will be based out of Little Rock, Ark.
“I’m excited to welcome Arturo and Estefany to the Southern Bancorp mission, each of whom brings a wealth of experience and purpose to their respective roles,” said Miguel Lopez, Market Strategy Executive, Hispanic/Latino Market. “As we continue to expand our capabilities for our Spanish-speaking neighbors, we do so not only with unique products and programs, but also with people who are driven by our mission to be ‘wealth builders for everyone.’ Arturo and Estefany are moved by these values as much as anyone, and I look forward to the impacts they will make for our community.”
Moraga brings more than 10 years of banking experience to his commercial lending role at Southern Bancorp, most of which for Simmons Bank in Conway, Ark., where he worked his way up from Personal Banker to Financial Center Manager, and, ultimately, Business Banker. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Central Arkansas, and is a graduate of the Arkansas Bankers Association’s Commercial Lending School. Moraga is actively involved in his local community and with local organizations, including serving on the Boards of Directors for Paloma Community Services, Opportunity Matters Arkansas, and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business Accelerator. In 2021, he received the Diversity in Business Outstanding Young Professional award from the Conway Chamber of Commerce.
Perez has nearly a decade of experience in the mortgage industry, most recently as a Mortgage Loan Officer for First Horizon Bank in Little Rock, Ark. Prior to this role, she spent eight years as an Assistant Banking Center Manager for First Horizon. She is also very active in the community in various ways, such as for the Arkansas Foodbank, Make-A-Wish Mid-South, and as a volunteer Financial Literacy Educator for Junior Achievement of Arkansas. In 2024, she was selected by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Arkansas Chapter as one of its Finest Young Professionals and was named a 2024 Best Dressed Little Rock Honoree by the American Cancer Society. Perez also serves as an ambassador for the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Both of these new lenders will help support Southern Bancorp’s overall mission to ensure responsive and responsible capital is within reach of everyone in the community, regardless of zip code or financial position, each with an intentional focus of reaching more Hispanic and Latino customers with entrepreneurship and homeownership opportunities. Recent studies show an estimated $200 billion business-lending gap among Hispanic and Latino Americans nationwide, as well as a 20-point lower homeownership rate than white households, divides that the CDFI hopes to bridge through its expanded banking, lending, and outreach efforts.
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About Southern Bancorp
Founded in 1986 by some of the nation’s leading political, business, and philanthropic leaders with an initial investment of $10 million, Southern Bancorp, Inc., along with its development partners – Southern Bancorp Bank and Southern Bancorp Community Partners – has grown into a $2.5 billion asset organization with 56 locations serving 65,000 customers across two states. Southern Bancorp has a unique array of financial products and services designed to help individuals at all stages of life’s financial journey – from teaching kids how to save to helping entrepreneurs and families realize the American Dream. Southern Bancorp is a certified Community Development Financial Institution, certified B-Corp, and proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Learn more at www.BankSouthern.com and www.SouthernPartners.org.