CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc.

Hello, and welcome to the first quarter 2022 earnings conference call for Cross First Bank Shares, Inc. All participants will be in a listen-only mode during the presentation. Please note that it's being recorded. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing the star key followed by zero. I would now like to turn the call over to Heather Worley, Director of Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Good morning, and thank you for joining us today for the Cross First Bank Shares first quarter 2022 earnings conference call. I'm Heather Worley, Director of Investor Relations. Before we begin, please be aware this call will include forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations of future results or events. Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this call, and we do not assume any obligation to update or revise them. Statements made on this call should be considered together with the cautionary statements and other information contained in today's earnings release, our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Our speakers for the call today are Mike Maddox, President and CEO, Ben Klaus, CFO, and Randy Rapp, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Credit Officer. At the conclusion of our prepared remarks, our operator, Tawanda, will facilitate our question and answer session. At this time, I'd like to turn the call over to Mike Maddox.

Mike? Thank you, Heather. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today as we discuss our first quarter 2022 results. The first quarter was great, not only at the bank, but also I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to my Kansas Jayhawks for winning the national championship. That was a fun one for me. Before we get into the numbers, I'd like to take a minute to talk about our strategic plan. We recently shared the highlights with our employees, and I'm excited to do the same with all of you today. Our plan for 2022 is focused on investing in talent and technology to drive responsible growth. The cross-first core values of character, competence, commitment, and connection combined with our one team, one bank, shared vision mindset defines our course of our strategy. One team is about our people who are the foundation of what we do. We are dedicated to recruiting the best talent and investing in their strengths and skills. This approach is at the heart of our culture and makes this highly desirable place to work. Last year, we were named one of the best places to work by the Kansas City Business Journal, and we've set a strategic goal this year to be recognized by Gallup as a best place to work company. We believe that a strong and consistent focus on employee engagement enhances our culture and leads to increased customer satisfaction, which supports our growth objectives. Our commitment to employee development starts with identifying and leveraging the strengths of our employees and coaching them to their full potential. We continue to explore different niches and verticals where we have the talent and experience to excel. As a part of that effort, we recently announced the hiring of Bobby Oliver to lead our restaurant finance group. He brings deep experience in providing customized banking solutions to companies in the restaurant space and will make a significant contribution to the bank. The recent addition of David Phelan to lead our Texas strategy, the further development of our Phoenix team, and now adding Bobby are a few examples of our commitment to investing in top talent. We are confident in the strength of the new hires we've made and their abilities to make an impactful contribution to our strategy, goals, and overall results. Our team knows growth without quality credit is not sustainable, and I'm proud of the improvements we've made in our credit profile and the framework that Randy and team have put in place. So as we look at the broader economy, know that we're keeping abreast of its changes and will prudently manage our risk profile. We continue to watch the geopolitical disruption, growing inflation, continued supply chain challenges, and the likelihood of additional rate hikes. Excuse me. These factors could dampen growth and slow the economy. We have ambitious objectives, but when we talk about growth, we know we must do so responsibly. That means we will manage risk appropriately by taking a balanced approach. This balance is key to how we build long-term value both as a company and for our shareholders. One Bank is about accelerating our transformation into a larger organization with organic loan and deposit growth, driving greater fee income, and looking to expand into new markets and new business verticals. Having the best talent and investing in personal relationships with our clients is critical, but we also know that more and more business is being done digitally. As such, it is imperative we invest in technology to provide an exceptional client experience. Today, we are fully engaged in the implementation of our technology strategy, which focuses on enhancing the digital experience for our clients. When completed later this year, we will have a unified digital platform across all channels. We have also invested in three bank-sponsored FinTech funds to ensure we gain exposure to developing technologies, which could provide more solutions for our clients. Lastly, the shared vision of our strategy is a balanced approach to drive shareholder value. We take seriously the role that we play in the overall health and well-being of our communities. I am so proud of the impact CrossFirst is making in all of our markets, as evidenced in our first corporate impact report published last year. We will do more of the same this year as we continue to support our strategic partners to make a difference in our communities. I am confident that our strategy for 2022 and beyond of one team, one bank with a shared vision will guide us on our path to deliver for our clients, shareholders, communities, and employees. Turning to this quarter's performance, we continued our momentum with earnings of $16.8 million or $0.33 per share. We grew loans at an annualized 12% growth rate, excluding PPP forgiveness. We remain focused on the overall economy and intend to be prudent ahead of a potential for a slowdown. Credit quality remains strong with modest improvement to a level we expect to maintain going forward. Our team is doing an outstanding job of continuing to diversify revenue by growing fee income. We are dedicated to the expansion of our credit card products, international banking services, and our full suite of treasury capabilities. With another quarter of solid earnings, we continue to add to our capital position while providing return and investing in our future. We accelerated the pace of our stock buyback initiative to take advantage of our stock price during the first quarter while making investments in technology and talent. We are actively evaluating the most attractive opportunities to deploy our capital, including M&A. We believe strongly in our proven organic growth model. However, we would consider M&A options that would allow us to enter new markets get us greater scale in existing markets, or augment our company through new lines of business with fee income products, which will further our ability to meet our customers' financial needs. We have a great team supporting dynamic markets. We are well positioned for the future, and I could not be more excited about what our team can accomplish the rest of the year and beyond. Now, I will hand the call over to Ben to cover the financial results in more detail. Good morning, everyone.