Our Team

Meet the people who made this happen.

Our board of directors knew that the time for a primarily women-owned and led bank was now, so they put their collective 150+ years of financial services experience together, and they built Agility.

Lauren Sparks

founder, director, ceo

Maureen Sanders

director

Edna meyer-nelson

director

Deborah sopher

Director

james e. mclean

director

roxann thomas chargois

Director

Lauren Sparks founded Agility 2020, Inc., the entity that proposed a federally chartered bank, primarily owned and led by women.

With over three decades of community banking and risk management experience, Lauren is uniquely qualified to foster the growth of a community bank that focuses on digital banking. As a business owner herself, she executed exceptional opportunities for entrepreneurs, especially women.

In 2009 Lauren formed Third Party Resources, Inc. (3PR Inc.), a woman-owned consulting firm specializing in community banks and financial service firms. 3PR, which serves more than 30 community banks at any given time, also has become a preferred vendor for one of the world’s largest software providers.

Maureen Sanders, is an outstanding executive with more than 30 years of experience leading financial and non-profit organizations. She has served as the key executive for the oldest safety net charity clinic in the country located in Houston, Texas.

This faith-based charity clinic provided medical, dental, pharmacy and ancillary services for 4,000+ patients annually who were underserved, uninsured and lived at 250% or below the Federal Poverty Level. She managed a staff of more than 60 employees as well as coordinated the efforts of up to 800 volunteers. In addition, Ms. Sanders oversaw an annual budget of approximately $11 million. She continues to work with non-profits across the state of Texas.

Ms. Sanders was also a career bank executive in Houston from 1981-2009, including roles in marketing, business development and private banking customer relations. Her banking experience runs deep in the community bank customer facing delivery channels. During her time as a banker, Ms. Sanders earned the organizational award for Top Corporate Champion for Women-Owned Businesses in the Greater Houston area given by WBEA—Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance.

Since founding The Richland Companies in 1993, Edna Meyer-Nelson has amassed a portfolio of 35 properties in the southwestern states representing more than 2.5 million square feet of commercially owned and managed property valued in excess of $250 million.

She began her career in the banking industry where she served as vice president, commercial loan officer, and marketing director for several of the larger community banks in Houston.

During her tenure, Edna’s duties included initiating commercial, small business and real estate loans, as well as executive lines of credit. Today Edna is also involved in mentoring and career development in her industry.

Deborah is the owner and founding member of Strategic Financial Services and Strategic Benefit Solutions. Both practices have been providing comprehensive financial planning and employee benefits services predominately in Texas for 25 years.

As a financial advisor, Strategic Financial Services is a member of BCJ Financial Services, a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Deborah is a member of both the Houston and National Underwriters Association.

A member since 2000, she is past president of Houston’s Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Organization. Deborah is also on the global and local boards of Entrepreneurs Organization serving as chair of both the Mentorship and Learning Committees. A board member of the Jewish Family Service, she co-chairs its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

James E. McLean (Jim), a native Houstonian, is a Certified Public Accountant and a Charter Global Management Accountant with over 40 years of experience.

Over his career, Jim has assisted in launching and managing various small businesses across multiple industry sectors.

For three years, he served on the Advisory Board of Community National Bank in Bellaire (acquired by Prosperity Bank in 2012), and is currently a board member of the Galveston Railroad Museum serving on the finance committee.

Directors

Meet the people who made this happen.