TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
On October 17, Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based b1BANK announced that N. Jerome “Jerry” Vascocu Jr. will be the bank’s new president, reporting to Jude Melville, who will retain the title of chair and CEO. b1BANK currently operates 18 banking offices in Texas. Vascocu, who joined b1BANK in 2022 as chief administrative officer, oversees the coordination of … Read more
In September, Business First Bancshares, the holding company for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based b1BANK, received regulatory approvals to complete its merger with Oakwood Bancshares, the holding company for Dallas-based Oakwood Bank, a Texas banking association. “We appreciate our regulatory partners’ efficient review of the proposed transaction as well as the strong affirmation expressed by the Oakwood … Read more
On April 25, Business First Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based b1Bank, announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Oakwood Bancshares Inc. and its subsidiary, Dallas-based Oakwood Bank, in an all-stock transaction for total consideration value of approximately $85.7 million based on the company’s closing price of $21.57 per … Read more
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) has awarded $28.4 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) subsidies to 43 projects in its five-state district of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. The subsidies will result in the creation or rehabilitation of 2,677 housing units. “Affordable housing is a critical need for communities … Read more
American Banker has released its 2023 list of the “Best Banks to Work For,” which includes 11 banks based in Texas or with operations in Texas among the 90 listed. Like last year and the year before, Oakworth Capital Bank in Birmingham, Alabama, was ranked the Best Bank to Work For. First Federal Savings & … Read more
Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Investar Bank NA, which has banking offices in the Houston region, has promoted Holly Hidalgo-DeKeyzer to chief banking officer. She will lead the bank’s consumer lending, retail, and business banking teams. Hidalgo-DeKeyzer has been with Investar Bank since its founding in 2006, serving as the central region president. Under her leadership, the … Read more
American Banker has released its 2022 list of the “Best Banks to Work For,” which includes 11 banks based in Texas or with operations in Texas among the 90 listed. Like last year, Oakworth Capital Bank in Birmingham, Alabama, was ranked the Best Bank to Work For. Greater Community Bank in Rome, Georgia, is the smallest bank … Read more
On July 18, Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Investar Holding Corp. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Investar Bank National Association, has entered into an agreement to sell certain assets, deposits and other liabilities associated with its Alice and Victoria locations in Texas to Corpus Christi-based First Community Bank. The pending sale is expected to close in … Read more
Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Business First Bancshares Inc., the holding company for b1BANK, has completed its acquisition of Texas Citizens Bancorp Inc. and its wholly owned bank subsidiary, Pasadena-based Texas Citizens Bank National Association. The acquisition became effective March 1. “This partnership in the Houston area is an important step in the widening of our footprint … Read more
American Banker has released its 2021 list of the “Best Banks to Work For”—aka: “Best Banks to Keep Working For”—which includes 10 banks based in Texas among the 90 listed. Explaining the slight change in the title of this year’s list, American Banker notes that “good employees are hard to find—and keep. Competition for talent … Read more