TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Mikel Williamson, who served as president and CEO of Amarillo-based Happy State Bank until its 2022 merger with Conway, Arkansas-based Centennial Bank, has been named president of St. Louis, Missouri-based First Bank. He will also assume the role of CEO at the end of this year upon the retirement of Shelley Seifert, who has served … Read more
Matt Crable, regional loan president and SBA lending manager at the Pearland branch of Texas City-based Texas First Bank, has been elected chair of the IBAT Leadership Division, a division of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT). He assumed the role from Cory Flencher, executive vice president at Somerville-based Citizens State Bank during IBAT’s … Read more
Las Cruces, New Mexico-based Western Heritage Bank announced that Bryan Hernandez has been promoted to vice president, commercial lending/underwriting. He will continue to serve the El Paso area. “His hard work with us at Western Heritage Bank has been extremely productive and his advancement within our organization maintains that he is truly an asset to … Read more
First National Bank of Giddings CEO Bill Landiss with IBAT’s Mae Beth Palone showing their respective allegiances in 2014Mae Beth Palone, who led the IBAT Leadership Division for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas for many years, passed away on June 25 from injuries sustained in a car accident. Palone was born in Klamath Falls, … Read more
Henderson-based VeraBank has hired Michelle Murray to join its Huntsville team as senior vice president and commercial banker. She previously served the bank in its Bryan/College Station market and brings more than 25 years of banking experience across many departments to her new role. A Lovelady native, Murray began working in the financial industry at … Read more
Tenured banking executive Eddie Gammon has joined Corpus Christi-based American Bank as its director of bank operations. Making the announcement was Todd Lee, chief information officer. Gammon will provide leadership to the bank operations team, ensuring that all activities are completed in compliance with applicable laws, regulatory guidelines and bank policies and procedures. He will … Read more
Jacqueline Willardson, director of the Texas Department of Banking’s Houston regional office, is retiring after 29 years of service with the agency. Her retirement is effective August 31. She has had the responsibility for reviewing examination reports, monitoring the financial conditions of banks within the region, interacting with bankers and fielding their questions, assisting with … Read more
Lafayette, Louisiana-based Home Bank has named Jeff Dudderar senior vice president and Houston market president, according to the Houston Business Journal. He succeeds Kenny Koncaba as market president. Koncaba was formerly CEO of Friendswood Capital Corp., the holding company of Texan Bank NA. When Home Bancorp, the holding company for Home Bank, acquired Friendswood Capital, … Read more
Jeff Austin III, chairman of Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, recently announced the addition of four lenders. Lori Danielson was elected assistant vice president and relationship manager in Longview. She brings 11 years of business development, sales and management experience, most recently serving as area vice president of business development for Gentiva Health Services. She was owner … Read more
On June 14, Houston-based Cadence Bank announced the appointment of Shanna Kuzdzal as chief legal officer. She succeeds Chuck Pignuolo, who has served as the bank’s chief legal officer since 2014. In addition to providing legal counsel to Cadence Bank’s board of directors, executive leadership and senior management, Kuzdzal will lead a team of in-house … Read more