TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS
Neil Ferguson Mergers and Acquisitions The TDB reports that MapleMark Bank, based in Dallas, has withdrawn its application to merge with Oakwood Bank, based in Dallas. Conversions The TDB reports that The First Liberty National Bank, based in Liberty, has applied to convert to a state association under the name First Liberty Bank. The TDB reports that … Read more
Cindy Conroy, director of community outreach at El Paso-based WestStar Bank, has been named one of this year’s “Women of Impact” by El Paso Inc., a West Texas business publication. “She’s the unsung hero behind the scenes,” Rick Francis, WestStar CEO, tells El Paso Inc. Francis describes Conroy’s job at the bank as “a chief … Read more
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has appointed South Texas native Armida Riojas to lead the bank’s San Antonio branch. In her new role, Riojas, an assistant vice president, is responsible for the branch’s operating and administrative functions. She will continue her current role overseeing the Dallas Fed’s economic education group and the communications and … Read more
On September 8, Kemp-based Harmony Bank NA and Dallas-based Texas Brand Bank announced that they have signed a definitive agreement in which Harmony Bank will merge with and into Texas Brand Bank. The merger agreement, announced by former Texas State Senator John J. Carona, chairman of Harmony Bank, and Edward B. Tomlinson II, chairman of … Read more
San Antonio-based Jefferson Bank has hired Shawn Hughes to serve as senior vice president/estate and trust officer. After spending 20 years practicing law in probate, estates and guardianship and eight years in the banking industry, his experience has allowed him to gain knowledge across the bank, including trusts and wealth management and private, business and … Read more
Emily Willeford Christy, partner/U.S. government affairs at SoftBank Group International, has been appointed to the board of directors of San Antonio-based Jefferson Bank. At SoftBank Group, she is responsible for government affairs engagement at the local, state and federal level. Before joining SoftBank, she served as executive director/government relations at USAA. Christy worked at USAA … Read more
On September 6, Independent Bank Group Inc., the holding company for McKinney-based Independent Financial, announced the appointment of Dan Strodel as executive vice president and chief banking officer. He will be responsible for key revenue-generating lines of business, including commercial, middle-market and specialty banking, treasury solutions, SBA, mortgage and private capital management. “Dan has been … Read more
The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) Foundation will convene its 155th Assembly for Bank Directors at The Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, January 19–22 to plan for a successful future, focusing on community banking and new imperatives. The conference will be guided by the industry’s leading authorities on community banks and their competitive … Read more
Henderson-based VeraBank continues to grow in Southeast Texas with the opening of a new branch in Conroe. The new full-service location will be VeraBank’s first in Montgomery County and third in Southeast Texas. The Conroe branch, located at 200 River Pointe Dr., Ste. 100, officially opened on August 8 and will host a grand opening … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank announced that Amy Petrilla has joined its Fort Worth commercial lending group as executive vice president at the bank’s Fort Worth/Camp Bowie location. She has spent almost the entirety of her more than 33 years of banking serving the Fort Worth market with an extensive background in credit and almost 20 years … Read more