TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based Valliance Bank, which operates Texas locations in McKinney and Fort Worth, announced that Shelby Bruhn has been elected chief lending officer and executive vice president by the board of directors. He joined the bank in 2016 and has more than 20 years of experience. Bruhn has served as Texas market president and commercial lender … Read more
Yoakum-based Crossroads Bank recently announced the hiring of two new associates and a promotion for another. Marissa Gonzales is a new loan officer for Crossroads Bank at the Yoakum branch. She joins the bank with many years of experience, including positions with IBC Bank, Yoakum National Bank and Texas Dow Employees Credit Union. Outside of banking, … Read more
Karla Hollins has joined Jacksonville-based Austin Bank as assistant vice president and relationship manager in the company’s Lufkin office. With more than 26 years of banking experience in management, operations and lending, Hollins comes to Austin Bank from Regions Bank where she served as vice president/consumer banking manager with responsibility for the oversight of 14 … Read more
Houston-based Central Bank’s newest branch is open for business. The bank’s Lower Heights location opened its doors to the public on January 11 at 2799 Katy Frwy., Ste. 150. It replaces the company’s Midtown branch, which closed on January 8. Housed in the Lower Heights District multi-use development, the full-service branch offers business and personal … Read more
Terry Christian, Paris-based Peoples Bank’s president, retired at the end of 2020 and the bank’s board voted unanimously to promote T. Bradley Perry to fill the position, according to a report in The Paris News. Christian served as president of the bank for 31 years. “In 1989, (Chairman and CEO) Ronnie Abbott and the existing … Read more
Michael Hobbs, chief banking officer at McKinney-based Independent Financial, announced that Tiffany Cason has been hired to serve as the bank’s head of Texas middle-market banking. She will work with the 1,500 employees across Independent Financial’s network to ensure continuity across all lines of business while working to attract new business verticals. Her team will focus … Read more
Ben Wallace, chairman of the board of Corpus Christi-based American Bank, has announced that Clayton J. Hoover Jr. has been elected to the bank’s board of directors and Robert Greenwood has been appointed to serve as chairman of the bank’s advisory board of directors. Advisory board members act as bank ambassadors and provide advice and … Read more
The Baker Group LP, one of the nation’s largest independently owned securities firms specializing in investment portfolio and interest rate risk management, recently announced the promotion of Kathryn Phillips, CPA, to chief operating officer. She has served for nearly 20 years as chief financial officer for the firm and will maintain that title and role … Read more
Cameron-based Citizens National Bank recently announced three leadership promotions at this month’s board meeting. Steven M. Wise has been appointed chief executive officer and president. He has been with Citizens National Bank since 2009, joining as a regional credit manager and quickly working his way up to chief lending officer in 2012. In the CLO … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted banking. Changing consumer behavior has created new habits that will last a lifetime. Remaining relevant in an evolving competitive landscape reshaped by the pandemic is the challenge. Financial institutions that successfully realign network delivery to traverse this challenge will emerge with the ability to capture present and future opportunities. Productivity … Read more