TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
The membership of the Texas Bankers Association recently elected officers for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Elected were Chairman Raymond “Rusty” Rust III, president and CEO of Commercial Bank of Texas in Nacogdoches; Vice Chair A. Ford Sasser III, president and CEO of Rio Bank, McAllen; and Treasurer David W. Osborn, president and chief operating officer … Read more
Midland-based FirstCapital Bank of Texas has hired Garrett Bird to serve as vice president/relationship manager at the bank’s Lubbock Indiana branch location. He has eight years of banking experience with a focus on commercial lending. He received his finance degree from Texas Tech University. Bird, who grew up in Lubbock, is happy to return to his … Read more
Independent Banker, the flagship publication of the Independent Community Bankers of America, recently published its third-annual list of “40 Under 40: 2021’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders.” According to the magazine, “The competition highlights young community bankers who stepped up to help their banks navigate a chaotic year. They delivered economic relief. They introduced new technology. … Read more
Houston-based Prosperity Bank recently announced the promotion of Brent Hoffman to Lubbock regional president. He previously served as banking center president. Hoffman has 34 years of banking experience in Lubbock, 14 of which have been with Prosperity Bank. Hoffman earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Texas Tech University. Active in his community, he has … Read more
Reports from the commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) reflect aggregate net income of $76.8 billion in first quarter 2021, an increase of $58.3 billion (315.3 percent) from a year ago. Aggregate negative provision expense, reflecting improvements in the economy and asset quality, drove the increase in quarterly … Read more
Midland-based FirstCapital Bank of Texas has promoted Justin Fleming to vice president in its Lubbock office. He most recently served as assistant vice president/relationship manager for the bank. Fleming has 10 years of banking experience and specializes in commercial lending, but also has experience in residential mortgages. Fleming holds a bachelor’s degree in finance with … Read more
United Way of Greater Houston has named Steve Stephens, chief executive officer of Amegy Bank, as this year’s recipient of the Robert W. Kneebone Volunteer of the Year Award at its annual meeting. The Kneebone Award is a distinguished honor given to a United Way volunteer in recognition of their extraordinary leadership and commitment to … Read more
On April 22, Pine Bluff, Arkansas-based Simmons First National Corp. announced changes to certain senior leadership roles. The following changes were effective as of April 26. Simmons Bank operates 23 branches in Texas. Bob Fehlman has been named president and chief operating officer of Simmons First National Corp. and Simmons Bank. In these roles, he … Read more
After serving with Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based The Baker Group for 35 years, Lester F. Murray has announced his retirement as of May 28. He has been an associate partner with the company since 2014, working within the firm’s financial strategies group. Every Friday at lunchtime for the past decade, community bankers, directors and others in the … Read more
In April, Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust announced that Todd Meadows has been promoted to executive vice president/director of loan operations, Keith Purvis is now senior vice president/consumer lending manager and Chris Reynolds has been promoted to vice president/credit manager. Meadows has been employed in various positions within the bank and its holding company for … Read more