On March 28, The First National Bank of Bastrop welcomed a new chief operating officer to its executive team and announced the creation of a chief human resources officer position on the executive team.

Chase Browning has joined the bank as the chief operating officer and will report to Chase Anderson, the newly named successor to the current CEO Reid Sharp. Browning is a Texas native and began his career at a North Texas branch of Compass Bank. He quickly rose through the ranks of Compass Bank and BBVA, working in various retail leadership positions prior to joining Independent Financial in a retail leadership position. Browning is a graduate of Baylor University and an avid supporter of the university.

“Chase’s leadership experience is a great addition to our bank executive team, and I look forward to his strategic focus on customer experience and service delivery,” Anderson says. “We are in one of the most dynamic markets in the country and the foundation that has been laid over the past 133 years creates a unique opportunity to accomplish our strategic plan for years to come.”

In addition to this move, Dianna Kana has been named the bank’s newly created chief human resources officer, reporting to Anderson. Kana joined the bank in 1996 as human resources officer and during her tenure has taken additional responsibility. Until this promotion, she served as chief operations officer. Kana is a Bastrop native and graduate of the University of Texas–Austin.

“Dianna is a tremendous asset to the bank and her training and experience in human resources will be invaluable as we focus on growth,” Anderson says. “Human capital is a strategic focus for us as it is becoming more difficult for companies to attract and retain talent. I am very excited to have Dianna’s leadership in the organization in this capacity, and this move is instrumental in the accomplishment of our strategic plan.”

Established in 1889, The First National Bank of Bastrop operates six full-service branches located throughout Bastrop County.