TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
The Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce will honor banking industry veteran Vic Pierson as the 2025 “Nonno” Tony Smecca “Galvestonian of the Year” at its 181st annual meeting on January 24 at Galveston Island Convention Center. A banking pioneer and lifelong champion for Galveston’s economic vitality, his leadership continues to shape businesses and communities across … Read more
Mike Fernandez, president and CEO of Sweetwater-based Texas National Bank, announced that Kimmy Riddel has joined the bank as senior vice president of deposit relationships. She will be responsible for the strategic direction, execution and profitability of the bank’s retail and commercial deposit departments. Riddel began her community banking career working as a part-time teller in high school … Read more
American Banker has released its 2025 list of the “Best Banks to Work For,” which includes 13 banks based in Texas and banks that do significant business in the Lone Star State. The 2025 list of the 90 best banks has a few newcomers, including the one that nabbed the No. 1 spot—Wood & Huston … Read more
Michael Atkins, a longtime owner of Odessa-based SouthWest Bank, passed away on October 8. He was 77. He was an esteemed lawyer and respected member of the Odessa community. After serving as a county attorney in Odessa for two terms early in his career, Atkins went into private practice, culminating with the firm Atkins, Hollman, … Read more
Longtime East Texas banker Jane Austin Chapman passed away peacefully on November 2 in her hometown of Frankston. She was a third-generation banker. Her grandfather, John F. Austin Sr., founded the First State Bank of Frankston in 1909, and her father, Jeff Austin Sr., served there as president starting in 1946. Jeff Austin Sr. went … Read more
Farmers Branch-based TIB NA, the nation’s largest correspondent banking provider, has announced the retirement of Beverly Texada, executive vice president and director of card finance and accounting. She has served more than three decades with TIB, spending the entirety of her career there helping build what has become the bank’s industry-leading card services division. Texada … Read more
Harlingen-based Texas Regional Bank has appointed Guillermo Gómez as international banking factoring officer. Based at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Harlingen, he will lead the launch of a new line of business in factoring within the bank’s international private banking division. Gómez brings more than 38 years of financial sector experience, specializing in factoring, leasing … Read more
Austin-based Compliance Select recently announced the hiring of Amy Woolsey and Barbra Sims to serve as digital compliance officers. Since 2022, Compliance Select has provided community banks with resources to ensure consumer and regulatory compliance. The team continually expands to meet the needs of all client banks. Woolsey brings 21 years of community banking experience to … Read more
Choudrant, Louisiana-based Origin Bank has hired Sara Imes to serve as chief audit executive. She will develop and implement a risk-based audit plan while overseeing the planning, design, implementation, communication and delivery of audit initiatives across the organization. In addition, she will partner with all levels of management and cross-functional teams to strengthen internal controls … Read more
Eva Marie (Kleckley) Miller, 86, of Crockett, passed away peacefully on October 11. She enjoyed a lifelong career in banking before retiring in her 60s. Her banking career began as a drive-through teller in Houston, where she made the news for being robbed at gunpoint in the 1960s. Undeterred, she stayed in the banking industry … Read more