TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS
Neil Ferguson 
John Olson has joined Houston-based Amegy Bank as vice president and Dallas/Fort Worth area mortgage production manager. With more than 20 years of banking and finance experience, he will help grow the bank’s North Texas market residential mortgage division. Olson most recently served as managing director of residential mortgage at Bank Ozk in the Dallas … Read more
Houston-based Cornerstone Capital Bank has appointed Paul Woo chief financial officer. He has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Woo previously served as senior vice president and director of capital planning and corporate development at Cadence Bank. Prior to Cadence Bank, he was a senior member of The Endicott Group, … Read more
Plains Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Dimmitt-based First United Bank, has announced the addition of Brayden Ruthart to its Amarillo lending team. He will serve as vice president of commercial lending and will office at the Amarillo-Colonies banking center, located at 4501 First United Bank Pkwy. in Amarillo. An Amarillo native, Ruthart spent nearly … Read more
On September 19, Liberty Capital Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Addison-based Liberty Capital Bank, announced its plans to merge with Southwestern Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Boerne-based Texas Heritage Bank. The merger is based upon long-standing respect and mentorship between Texas Heritage Bank principals Jack Griggs and Steve Mack and the co-founder of Liberty … Read more
Perryton-based Interstate Bank has announced the retirement of Danny Skarda, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and the election of Blair Berg as his successor. Berg assumed his new role on September 30. Skarda, a third-generation banker, is retiring after a distinguished career managing banks in New Mexico, Montana and Texas for more … Read more
The SW Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) at Southern Methodist University (SMU) is registering participants for its National Certified Community Bank Director’s (NCCBD) Program, October 21–23 on the SMU campus. Regulatory expectations and wise management often demand a skill set that many bank directors are eager to enhance. NCCBD is a comprehensive curriculum that addresses … Read more
First Financial Bankshares Inc., the parent company of Abilene-based First Financial Bank, has announced the election of Brian D. Goodrich as executive vice president and general counsel. “We are delighted to welcome Brian to Abilene and the company’s executive management team as the first general counsel for First Financial Bankshares,” says F. Scott Dueser, chairman, … Read more
In September, Business First Bancshares, the holding company for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based b1BANK, received regulatory approvals to complete its merger with Oakwood Bancshares, the holding company for Dallas-based Oakwood Bank, a Texas banking association. “We appreciate our regulatory partners’ efficient review of the proposed transaction as well as the strong affirmation expressed by the Oakwood … Read more
Fort Worth-based NBT Financial Bank announced two officer new hires in September. Kyler Conde has joined NBT Financial Bank as assistant vice president/credit analyst. He previously worked for First Bank Texas as an appraisal and special assets team lead. Prior to that, he was an assistant lender at Spirit of Texas Bank. Conde holds an … Read more
El Paso-based WestStar Bank recently announced the promotion of Courtney Yeatman to senior vice president/construction banker. She will continue to maintain banking relationships with homebuilders and generate new business opportunities to expand the bank’s residential construction loan portfolio. Yeatman holds an MBA degree in finance from Colorado Technical University and is a graduate of the … Read more