David R. “Jude” Melville, III serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of b1BANK and as a director of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST). While listing publicly under Jude’s leadership, b1BANK has grown to $6.3 billion in assets by expanding its footprint across Louisiana and Texas, including the completion of five whole-bank acquisitions. Jude’s passion for education and dedication to the growth and development of entrepreneurs led to the launch of b1 FOUNDATION in 2021. To date, the Foundation has counselled 275 small business owners, helping them gain access to over $18.5 million in capital.
Prior to becoming a community banker, Jude served as a captain in the United States Air Force. He earned a Bachelor of Social Studies from Harvard College and a Master of Science in Management from the London School of Economics. Jude is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He serves as chair of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), chair of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS), in addition to other affiliations, including Louisiana’s Committee of 100, and is past president of the Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC). b1BANK is a multiyear winner of American Banker Magazine’s “Best Banks to Work” award.