On January 27, the boards of First Financial Bankshares Inc. and Abilene-based First Financial Bank announced the promotion of David Bailey to CEO of both entities. The position was previously held by F. Scott Dueser, who will continue to serve as executive chairman of both boards.
“David has been with the company for more than 22 years and is extremely qualified to lead…with his deep knowledge of the industry, his commitment to excellence and customer service, history of rising through the ranks from a teller’s position to president and now CEO, his vision to grow the company well into the future and his commitment to make sure the company continues to be one of the top-rated banks in the country,” Dueser notes. “I have committed through a transition and retirement agreement to stay on as executive chairman through the 2028 annual meeting. This will allow David and me to continue to work together for a smooth transition in accordance with the company’ss ongoing management succession plan.”
Bailey started as a teller at the bank and in recognition of his excellence and commitment to the company progressed steadily to become president and CEO of the Eastland division and later, executive vice president/head of commercial banking for the company and then executive vice president/chief banking officer, overseeing all lending and treasury management functions, while also serving as co-chair of the service improvement team.
He is a graduate of McMurry University, FFIN University and the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He presently serves as First vice chair of the board of trustees for McMurry University, secretary/treasurer of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, executive board member of the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation and chair elect of the board of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. Previously, he served on multiple boards in Eastland County and has actively served his church in numerous volunteer positions.
Earlier in January, the company announced a number of key promotions as part of its ongoing management succession, which has been in development for several years.
James Alexander has been promoted to executive vice president/head of commercial banking for the bank, a position most recently held by Bailey. Alexander began his career with First Financial in 2018, upon the bank’s acquisition of Commercial State Bank in Kingwood, where he was then serving as bank president. He has more than 20 years of experience in commercial banking, having begun his career in commercial lending with Compass Bank. He has served in multiple roles since then as market president of Sterling Bank, president of Commercial State Bank and senior lender of the Kingwood region of the bank. In his most recent role as president of the greater Houston region, Alexander was responsible for overseeing regional operations, driving strategic growth initiatives and managing commercial lending activities. He holds a BBA degree in finance from Texas A&M University and an MBA degree in finance from the University of Houston. He is also a graduate of the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University and FFIN University.
Chris Evatt has been promoted to senior banking executive and will provide executive leadership for the bank’s Southern regions. He began his career at First Financial in 2001 as a credit analyst. Like many other regional presidents and CEOs of the bank, he worked his way up the ladder, having served as commercial relationship manager in Stephenville, senior vice president/commercial relationship manager in Abilene and, most recently, as CEO of the West Texas region. Evatt holds both a Bachelor of Accounting degree and an MBA degree from Tarleton State University. He is also a graduate of the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University and FFIN University.
Rick Vaughan was promoted to chairman and CEO of the West Texas region of the bank, a position previously held by Evatt. Vaughan joined First Financial Trust & Asset Management, a subsidiary of the company and affiliate of the bank, in 2024, most recently serving as senior vice president/relationship manager and San Angelo market supervisor. He brings more than 30 years of banking and wealth management experience, having served as regional banking president for Wells Fargo, for which he oversaw more than 40 branches across multiple states. Prior to joining First Financial, Vaughan served as the private banking manager for a community Bank in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He will continue to play an active role in the leadership of the San Angelo market of First Financial Trust & Asset Management, in addition to leading the growth efforts of the entire West Texas region of the bank. Vaughan is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a BBA degree. He is also a graduate of the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.
Luke Uherik was promoted to market president of San Angelo and senior relationship manager for the West Texas region. He has been with First Financial for more than 17 years, having joined the bank as a junior commercial relationship manager and working his way up to his most recent role of executive vice president/commercial relationship manager. Prior to joining the bank, he served as a banking officer at PlainsCapital Bank. Uherik is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where he earned a BS degree in agricultural and applied economics and a BBA degree. He also completed the Texas Tech University School of Banking program and is a graduate of the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Additionally, Uherik holds his credit risk certification from the Risk Management Association.
“Each of these advanced roles aligns with the management changes we have been implementing over the past few years, ensuring that our organization remains agile and well-positioned for growth,” Bailey notes.
Established in 1889, First Financial Bank operates 79 locations in Texas.
