TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS

Neil Ferguson

Louisiana-based Origin Bank Hires Cornelius as Regional Executive Vice President for North Texas Region 

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Choudrant, Louisiana-based Origin Bank has hired Todd Cornelius as regional executive vice president/business development for its North Texas region. He joins the team at Origin Bank’s Dallas financial center. Cornelius has more than 27 years of banking experience, specializing in the development and training of banking personnel through strategic partnerships and relationship building. In his … Read more

Candia Joins WestStar Bank Accounting Team as Vice President and Controller

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El Paso-based WestStar Bank has announced the hiring of Marcela Candia as vice president and controller. She will oversee financial and regulatory accounting and reporting for WestStar and will work closely with senior management on implementing new accounting pronouncements and special projects. Candia joins WestStar with 17 years of experience working for large publicly traded … Read more

TrustTexas Bank Promotes Santoya-Lopez to Assistant Branch Manager in Cuero

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Cuero-based TrustTexas Bank recently promoted Mari Santoya-Lopez to assistant branch manager of the bank’s Cuero branch. She has been with TrustTexas Bank for three-and-a-half years, having joined as a relationship banker at the Laurent branch. She then moved on to serving as a floating universal banker II, traveling to various Southern regional branches. She enjoys … Read more

Knies Promoted to Princeton Branch President for Peoples Bank

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Larry Allen, Lubbock-based Peoples Bank CEO and chairman, has announced the promotion of Matthew Knies. He will serve as branch president at the bank’s Princeton location. Knies has been with Peoples Bank for eight months and in the banking industry for more than five years. Knies received his BBA degree with concentrations in finance and … Read more

Banking Veteran Donnelly Joins Veritex Community Bank as Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel

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Longtime banking veteran Phil Donnelly has joined Dallas-based Veritex Community Bank as senior executive vice president and general counsel. As a member of the bank’s executive leadership team, Donnelly will work hand-in-hand with senior management in developing and implementing bank-wide strategic business initiatives and in the creation of new procedures and protocols designed to strengthen … Read more

Texas Bankers Foundation Announces 2021 50-Year Banker Honorees

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The Texas Bankers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Texas Bankers Association, has announced the 17 recipients of the 2022 50-Year Banker Awards. Each of the bankers selected is recognized for his/her exemplary and long-standing service to the banking industry. Launched in 1989 by the Texas Bankers Association, the 50-Year Banker Awards honor the men … Read more

The National Bank of Texas at Fort Worth Announces New Hires and Promotions

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The National Bank of Texas at Fort Worth recently announced new hires and promotions. Sherri Bartholomew has been hired to serve as assistant vice president/loan officer/loan admin at the bank’s Hurst branch. She comes to The National Bank of Texas at Fort Worth from Spirit of Texas Bank where she was assistant vice president/lending assistant. … Read more

First Foundation Bank Opens New Branch in Plano

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On May 9, Dallas-based First Foundation Inc., a financial services company with two subsidiaries, First Foundation Advisors and Irvine, California-based First Foundation Bank, announced that it has opened a new branch in Plano. Along with First Foundation Inc.’s principal executive office in Dallas, the new branch—located at 1601 Preston Rd., Ste. K, in Plano—expands the … Read more

Citizens National Bank Breaks Ground on New Round Rock Location

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Cameron-based Citizens National Bank recently broke ground on a new location in Round Rock at 110 S. Mays St. Located one mile south of the bank’s existing Round Rock branch at 201 W. Palm Valley, the new branch is in the heart of downtown at the corner of Mays and Bagdad. Several of the bank’s … Read more

Retzer Joins Texas Bank and Trust Co. in Flower Mound

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Roger Retzer has joined the staff of Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust Co. as banking officer and portfolio manager in the bank’s Flower Mound location. He most recently served as vice president and commercial lender at PointBank in Denton. He has been involved in the financial services industry for 11 years, with five years as … Read more