TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
A tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton last Thursday evening, June 15, killing three people, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage. Perryton’s banks—including FirstBank Southwest, First National Bank, Perryton National Bank and Interstate Bank—were affected to varying degrees. While First National Bank was able to remain open the day after the … Read more
Branches The OCC reports that Guaranty Bank & Trust, based in Mt. Pleasant, has established a branch at 2415 Williams Dr. in Georgetown. The OCC reports that it has approved an application by West Texas National Bank, based in Midland, to establish a branch at 6502 Slide Rd. in Lubbock. The OCC reports that it … Read more
On May 31, San Francisco-based Agent IQ, a provider of digital customer engagement solutions specializing in making financial services more personal again, announced a strategic investment from the Bankers Helping Bankers Fund (BHB Fund), a community bank-focused fintech venture capital fund managed by Latitude38 Venture Partners in partnership with IBAT Services Inc., a subsidiary of … Read more
On June 3, Dallas-based Texas Capital Bank and several of area nonprofit organizations hosted a fair for the West Dallas community. The event was held at the Texas Capital Banking Center in Trinity Groves and included complimentary food from local vendors, family fun and financial education. The bank has supported the West Dallas community in … Read more
Dallas-based Vista Bank is expanding its footprint to Florida, the company’s first location outside of Texas, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The bank has taken office space on the first floor of the Divosta Towers in Palm Beach Gardens and plans to open a branch in mid-August. The Journal reports that Dan Sheehan, a … Read more
In June, Midland-based Community National Bank announced several new officers and officer promotions: Charlie Parks has joined the bank as senior vice president/Lubbock market; Griselda Leyva has been hired to serve as bank officer/loan serving manager; Crystal Wagoner has joined as senior vice president/compliance and risk officer; Selena Martinez has been hired as assistant vice … Read more
On June 1, William “Tex” Gross, chairman of Dallas-based Commerce Street Holdings, and Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking, were honored by the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) at Southern Methodist University. During an awards banquet, Gross received SWGSB’s Distinguished Service Award Award and Cooper received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. … Read more
Brittani Gunnels has joined the staff of Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust as assistant vice president and mortgage loan originator in the bank’s Richardson location. She has worked in the financial services industry for 12 years. Gunnels holds an associate of the arts degree in education from Trinity Valley Community College. Active in her community, … Read more
The board of directors of Cameron-based Classic Bank NA has appointed John D. Minor chief executive officer and chairman of the board. He previously served as president and chief lending officer. Minor is a third-generation banker with more than 30 years of banking experience in Central Texas. Prior to joining Classic Bank, he was senior vice … Read more
Chelsey Reeder was recently named branch manager for Corpus Christi-based American Bank’s Victoria branch, located at 4304 N. Navarro St. The announcement was made by Randy Price, Victoria market leader. “Chelsey’s extensive experience as a banking leader in our community, combined with her commitment to delivering exceptional customer service, will be invaluable assets to our … Read more