On October 15, Laredo-based Texas Community Bank donated $1 million to Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) for its Banking Academy in the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business.
“As our name affirms, we are a community bank and believe that partnering with TAMIU—the primary source of this community’s human capital—is a perfect way to elevate our community and prepare generations for growth,” Douglas Macdonald, Texas Community Bank president and CEO, said during the presentation. “Texas Community Bank is all about service and our gift will help ensure our service and all banking services remain superior in Laredo and beyond.”
“This gift is a blessing…for the future and a blessing of futures for our students and graduates,” Dr. Claudia San Miguel, TAMIU provost and vice president for academic affairs, told the assembly. “It’s a gift with generational implications that will benefit Laredo and our state for years. To know that Texas Community Bank shares this vision and offers such a generous gift to help secure it is truly consequential.”
TAMIU has been recognized as one of the nation’s “Top Ten Southern Colleges” in Washington Monthly magazine’s 2024 College Guide (“Best Bang for the Buck”), ranking No. 5 on the list. The university also earned a No. 2 ranking for low net price. Niche, a Pittsburgh-based company that annually ranks colleges, awarded TAMIU an overall grade of A minus. Other TAMIU rankings by Niche included being recognized as the No. 4 “Best Value in Texas,” No. 7 “Top Public Universities in Texas” and the No. 11 “Best Colleges in Texas.”
“This gift empowers a bold new venture that answers a critical need for individuals equipped to handle the highly varied banking needs along the U.S/Mexico border and beyond,” noted Dr. Luis A. Perez-Batres, dean of the A. R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business, who joined the university this summer. “We are honored to be the agent that will lead that change forward.”
Last month, the Matias De Llano Charitable Trust administered by Laredo-based International Bank of Commerce donated $100,000 to the banking academy.
Established in 2003, Texas Community Bank serves Laredo, San Antonio, Somerset and the border towns of Brownsville, McAllen and Del Rio.
Celebrating the $1 million gift from Texas Community Bank to the Texas A&M International University Banking Academy: Oscar Cisneros, Texas Community Bank senior vice president; Dr. Stephen Sears, director, TAMIU Banking Academy; Rosanne Palacios, TAMIU vice president for institutional advancement; Lyssa P. Gonzales, Texas Community Bank executive vice president; Douglas Macdonald, Texas Community Bank chair, president and CEO; Sheryl Cox, Texas Community Bank senior executive vice president and chief operating officer; Dr. Claudia San Miguel, TAMIU provost and vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Luis Perez-Batres, dean, A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business; and Joaquin G. Cigarroa III, Texas Community Bank senior executive vice president.
