LBEC Spotlight: Samuel V. Wilkinson

Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by LBEC Councilman at Large Mallie Bowers of First Federal Bank of Louisiana. LBEC council members regularly write articles profiling a banker or a bank's education outreach. For more information on LBEC, click here

Wilkinson

Samuel “Sam” V. Wilkinson has worked in the banking and human resources profession since 1977. Having begun his career at Calcasieu Marine National Bank, Sam has played a key role in two major mergers/acquisitions by coordinating strategic planning and profit improvement initiatives: Hibernia National Bank (1996) and Capital One, N.A. (2005). Regardless of the bank name, Sam’s career continued to advance from recruiter to human resources director to human resources regional manager and, while at Capital One, Sam was senior vice president and responsible for the overall management of human resources for the entire Texas region. As a Lake Charles resident and (at the time) father of a teenage daughter, Sam wanted to return back to the Lake Area. In 2007, Sam joined the team at First Federal Bank of Louisiana in Lake Charles to serve as senior vice president and director of human resources. Considering his years of leadership experience and community banking knowledge, it wasn’t long before Sam also added chief risk officer to his duties, overseeing the bank’s enterprise risk management initiatives. In February of 2018, Sam was named executive vice president at First Federal Bank of Louisiana. 

 

As a community banker at heart, Sam has continued to give back to the Lake Charles area over the years by serving on the boards of directors for several local organizations such as the Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles (past president), American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Central School of Arts and Humanities, Contraband Days (past president), Imperial Calcasieu Museum, as well as the Lake Charles Symphony. Sam currently serves as chairman of the board for the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a member of The Montaigne Society and the Krewe of Contraband. 

Sam earned his Bachelor’s degree from McNeese State University and completed the Graduate School of Banking program at Louisiana State University in 1993. He has been professionally involved in several banking and human resources associations such as the Society of Human Resources Management and Calcasieu Human Resource Management. In 1996, Sam served as president of Louisiana Young Bankers (presently known as Louisiana Bankers Education Council). 

Sam has mentored hundreds of bankers and human resources professionals throughout his career. Sam has always measured his success by the success of those working for him. Because of his team-first mentality, many of Sam’s former employees are now managing human resources departments of their own. 

As a current LBEC council member and direct employee of Sam, I can honestly say his leadership style is quite similar to LBEC’s mission statement: “to promote and facilitate banker development”. And for that, I am forever grateful.