Scott Gesell Named Chief Executive Officer And General Counsel Of Gateway

The Gateway First Bank Board of Directors announced the formal appointment of Scott Gesell as Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel for the Bank. He will also join the Board of Directors of Gateway as a Director. Gesell has served as CEO on an interim basis since April 3, 2020. Prior to becoming CEO, he was Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for the Bank.

“Scott’s dedication to Gateway runs deep,” said Don Powell, Gateway First Bank Board of Directors Lead Director. “The calm and steady leadership he has provided during these unprecedented chaotic times has been a defining moment between good and great governance.”

Gesell has been an integral part of Gateway First Bank’s leadership since 2013. During his time at Gateway, he has been a part of the executive management team responsible for the growth of Gateway. He played a leading role in the merger of a 100-year-old community bank with Gateway Mortgage Group, LLC that resulted in the formation of Gateway First Bank in 2019. Under his leadership, the Gateway team has shown a remarkable commitment to high-level customer service during the COVID-19 pandemic. April, May and June were record-setting mortgage production months, with the company reaching over $1 billion in residential mortgage loans each month for the first time in a 20-year history. In addition, Gateway is on pace to fund over $10 billion in mortgages this year which is far and away a new record.

“I believe in the mission of strengthening the families and communities we serve,” said Mr. Gesell. “This is a values-based organization where culture matters because it defines how we treat our customers. Gateway has an amazing team, and it is an honor to serve alongside them. We want to continue to grow our vision of being an Oklahoma-based community bank with a regional banking footprint and national mortgage presence.  We will continue our efforts to deliver the best services to our customers in a compliant and efficient manner.  We will also continue our efforts to grow and expand our digital products and services as part of these efforts.  We are excited about what the future brings for Gateway, its customers, communities and team members.”

Before joining the Gateway team in 2013, Gesell’s senior roles included positions with  Colorado National Bancorp, American Residential Communities, Affordable Residential Communities (now Hilltop Holdings, Inc.), First Nationwide Bank, First Madison Bank, First Gibraltar Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas.

Gesell received his Juris Doctor from The University of Nebraska College of Law.  He is a Commissioner for the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission and serves on the boards of several charitable, civic and non-profit organizations.