TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
The board of directors of Abilene-based First Financial Bank NA has announced the election of Pat Schulz as executive vice president of human resources. The announcement was made by Ron Butler, chairman and CEO of First Financial Bank, Abilene. Schulz comes to First Financial Bank with more than 30 years of experience as a chief … Read more
Sweetwater-based Texas National Bank recently named Josh A. Greer vice president of the bank’s Abilene loan production office, which opened in January 2019. He joins the bank with five years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently serving as a senior loan officer at Lone Star Ag Credit in Abilene. Greer earned his … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital bank recently announced the promotion of Sean Mills to president of its Westlake banking group, Wade Morgan to executive vice president and Michael Ramirez to senior vice president of its downtown Austin lending group. Mills will continue leading the Westlake banking team. PlainsCapital Bank’s longtime Westlake leader, John Levy, will continue to serve … Read more
Jacksonville-based Austin Bank was recently named one of the “2020 Best Companies to Work for in Texas” by the Texas Association of Business during its virtual awards presentation on June 18. This is the 12th consecutive year for Austin Bank to receive this honor. The awards program was created in 2006 and is a project … Read more
TrustTexas Bank recently elected Fielding Hickey to its board of directors. He previously served as an advisory director. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mass journalism/advertising from Texas State University, Hickey launched Blue Notebook Media, an IT consulting company. In 2018, he co-founded Encompass Technologies, a construction management software company with locations in Cuero and … Read more
The war is doing more to place women on an equal footing with men in business than all the other influences that have swept across the American scene since Priscilla asked John Alden to speak up for himself 300 years ago.
In mid-July, San Antonio-based Broadway Bank announced the retirement of longtime senior vice president and community reinvestment manager Jeannette Flores Westbrook. After a 46-year career that began in 1974, she rose through the ranks at Broadway Bank in various capacities and developed legacy programs that will continue beyond her retirement. “We are very appreciative for … Read more
Let’s be honest, COVID-19 is not going away. But social distancing is being replaced with reasonable reopening. As I write this, the news feeds report that 21 reopened states have increasing rates of infection. That means that businesses need to be smart about how they bring customers back in, but it is not likely that … Read more
Executives from Laredo-based IBC Bank joined the Texas Border Coalition and the Borderplex Alliance for a virtual U.S.-Mexico Border Summit on June 17. This annual event, which typically takes place in-person—brings together business, government and civic leaders to discuss the importance of the border region in increasing the global competitiveness of both the United States … Read more
The spread of the coronavirus presents considerable risks to the world economy in general and the banking industry specifically. By some estimates, China saw economic activity cut in half as it worked to treat those infected by the virus and control its spread. World economic activity may rebound quickly if the virus is effectively contained, … Read more