During the IBAT Connecting Leaders Conference held this summer in San Antonio, the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) presented its annual Excellence in Leadership Award. This year’s recipient was Christy Bussey, chief risk officer at Integrity Bank (in formation) in Houston. To be considered for the Excellence in Leadership Award, one must selflessly promote, support and serve independent bankers in Texas. In addition, the recipient must be a member of the IBAT Leadership Division, demonstrating a personal commitment to, and financial support of, the 450-member group, which was founded in 1985 and is dedicated to the development of tomorrow’s leaders in community banking.
Bussey has 34 years of community banking experience. Prior to her current role helping launch Integrity Bank, she served as IBAT’s director of growth and development, responsible for membership calling and serving as staff liaison for the IBAT Leadership Division. She was also a member of the IBAT management team. Additionally, she led the association’s Credit Consultation Hotline, offering guidance and providing tools for portfolio analysis, loan grading, workout situations, regulatory examinations and a variety of other credit administration issues.
Prior to her tenure at IBAT, Bussey served as executive vice president and chief credit officer at Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust for 16 years. While at the bank, she served as IBAT Leadership Division chair, as well as Leadership Division president and PAC chair of Region 5, which includes East Texas. She is a member of the Texas Tech School of Banking advisory board and previously served on the IBAT Services board.
Bussey earned a BBA degree from the University of Texas–Tyler and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. She has volunteered with many local agencies in her community.
IBAT’s Curt Nelson and Julie Courtney accept Palone’s posthumous award on her behalf.In addition to Bussy’s Excellence in Leadership Award, during the Connecting Leaders Conference, the Leadership Division also honored another former IBAT employee who left a mark on the Texas community banking industry. Mae Beth Palone was posthumously awarded a place on IBAT’s Wall of Heroes and Legends of Texas Community Banking. As government relations officer, vice president and staff liaison to the IBAT Leadership Division, Palone lived and breathed community banking, but she was never more proud than when she was playing mother hen to the volunteer leaders of the IBAT Leadership Division, a role she held for more than 20 years. With her support, the Leadership Division grew to almost 600 members and raised significant PAC dollars to support community banking in Texas. Palone retired from IBAT in 2017. Tragically, her life was cut short this past year due to a traffic accident. Julie Courtney, president of IBAT Services, accepted the honor on Palone’s behalf at the Connecting Leaders Conference.
