TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Longtime East Texas banker Jane Austin Chapman passed away peacefully on November 2 in her hometown of Frankston. She was a third-generation banker. Her grandfather, John F. Austin Sr., founded the First State Bank of Frankston in 1909, and her father, Jeff Austin Sr., served there as president starting in 1946. Jeff Austin Sr. went … Read more
William L. “Billy” Mullins, senior executive vice president, chief risk officer and director at Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, announced his retirement after a banking career spanning 51 years, effective July 17. Mullins started his banking career in 1974 as an assistant national bank examiner for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). In 1979, … Read more
Joe H. Sharp Jr., 86, a highly respected leader in the banking industry, passed away on June 30 in Longview. After graduating from Mineola High School in 1956, he earned a BBA degree in accounting from Southern Methodist University and gained his license as a certified public accountant. He also attended and later taught at … Read more
On January 24, Jeff Austin III, chairman of the board of Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, announced that Austin Bancorp Inc., the parent company of Austin Bank, has received regulatory approval for the company’s acquisition of Chasewood Bank, based in Houston. The acquisition date of February 14, 2025, will create combined assets of $2.9 billion with 40 … Read more