TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS
Nacogdoches-based Commercial Bank of Texas has promoted Jessica Hawkins to community president for Anderson County. She has been part of the Commercial Bank of Texas team for the past 18 years and has served as Anderson County branch manager since 2015, overseeing operations at branches in Palestine and Elkhart. Prior to moving to Anderson County, … Read more
Odessa-based SouthWest Bank has announced recent appointments to its board of directors. Melanie Hollmann , a partner at the law firm of Atkins, Hollmann, Jones, Peacock, Lewis & Lyon, joined the board in 2023. Micah Foster, chief financial officer for VoltaGrid, was recently appointed as an advisory board member. Hollmann’s law practice focuses on corporate … Read more
Following a national search, William T. Chittenden, Ph.D., has been selected president and CEO of the SW Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) Foundation, headquartered at the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business in Dallas. Chittenden, whose new role took effect earlier this month, most recently served as chief academic officer of SWGSB and associate … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank recently announced that Larry Smith has joined The Private Bank at PlainsCapital as senior vice president and senior portfolio manager. He will office at the bank’s location at 5010 University Ave. in Lubbock. Smith brings more than 28 years of experience in portfolio management with expertise in alternative investments. He joins the … Read more
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors has reappointed Thomas J. Falk as chair and Claudia Aguirre as deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas board of directors for 2024. Falk joined the Dallas Fed board in 2019 and served as chair in 2022 and 2023. He is retired chairman and CEO of Irving-based … Read more
On December 15, Farmers Branch-based TIB NA announced several officer promotions at its monthly board meeting, including a new executive vice president. Dawn Velekei was promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer. She has more than 30 years of experience in banking. She launched her career as an account services specialist at a … Read more
Sami Chadli, chief financial officer for the Texas Department of Banking for the past 11 years, has announced that he will retire on December 31, 2023. “We would like to congratulate Sami for decades of service to the State of Texas and his commitment and loyalty to the citizens of Texas and the Department of … Read more
Fort Worth-based Bank of Texas has hired Dennis Wright as North Texas market executive in Dallas, according to the Dallas Business Journal. “My role is to more further establish and firmly entrench Bank of Texas in the northern part of the Dallas metro area,” Wright told the Journal. “We’re already actively serving these communities, but … Read more
William Howard recently joined Leawood, Kansas-based CrossFirst Bank as private banker for the Dallas market. He brings more than five years of experience in commercial banking, which has included an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, and credit analysis. Prior to joining CrossFirst Bank, Howard served as vice president/relationship manager at Foro in Charlotte, North Carolina. … Read more
Rosie Rueda has joined Terrell-based American National Bank of Texas as vice president and community banker on the bank’s emerging markets team. Rueda draws on nearly 20 years of business lending and market development expertise. She previously served as vice president/senior business development at LiftFund Inc. in Dallas. Prior to that, she worked for LegacyTexas, … Read more