On May 30, Steve Scurlock, former director of government relations at the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT), received the highest honor bestowed upon a graduate of the SW Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) at Southern Methodist University, receiving recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus. The honor was presented to Scurlock during SWGSB’s 67th Annual Awards Banquet.

Scurlock retired from IBAT at the end of 2023 after serving as the association’s director of government relations (among other titles) for nearly 30 years. When the banking crisis of the 1980s upended his banking career, he answered the call to public service and helped Texas navigate that uncertain era, serving as deputy banking commissioner with the Texas Department of Banking from 1987 to 1991. During that time, he saw firsthand how good and bad actions by legislators and regulators could have real-world effects on the banking industry. Scurlock carried that knowledge and conviction to IBAT in 1991 and served on the front lines of every battle for the future of the banking industry in Austin and Washington, D.C. until his retirement.

“I can say, without irony or reservation, that the community banking industry would have long ago been demolished by the advocacy of the large banks or actions of lawmakers if not directly for the actions of Steve Scurlock,” says Christopher Williston, IBAT president and CEO. “Through it all, he did it with the heart of a community banker. He built success through relationships, honesty, integrity and hard work.”