The Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) recently announced that Thomas Sellers, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Sulphur Springs-based Alliance Bank, has been elected chairman of the IBAT board of directors for 2021–22. He officially accepted this position during the association’s 47th annual convention held September 18–21 in Austin. In addition to Sellers, the community banking organization elected Kyle Irwin (Gruver-based Western Bank) chairman-elect and Chris Doyle (Texas City-based Texas First Bank) secretary-treasurer.

Sellers, Irwin and Doyle will serve on the IBAT executive committee alongside Brad Tidwell (Henderson-based VeraBank), immediate past chairman; Justin Steinbach (San Antonio-based Frost Bank’s Dallas office), chair of the IBAT Leadership Division; and Hazem A. Ahmed (McKinney-based Independent Financial’s Houston office), chair of the IBAT Education Foundation.

IBAT members also elected new members to the association’s board of directors, including John David “J.D.” Baker (Llano National Bank), Thom Canfield (Mason Bank), Mike Fernandez (Abilene-based Texas National Bank), Tracy Harris (La Grange-based National Bank & Trust), Sloan Kuehl (Waco-based First National Bank of Central Texas and Reed Williams of Brady National Bank.

With a banking career that spans more than 42 years, Sellers has served Sulphur Springs and the surrounding community at Alliance Bank for 33 years. Prior to his time at Alliance Bank, he was a county supervisor at the Farmers Home Administration and vice president and senior leading officer at the Federal Land Bank at Tyler. Sellers has selflessly given to the community banking industry for years, serving as chairman of the IBAT Education Foundation, as well as being a member of the IBAT board and executive committee. He is also on the federal delegate board for the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Click here to learn more about IBAT’s new chairman, Thomas Sellers.