TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
The SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University (SWGSB) has announced that Stephan Crétier, GardaWorld Security founder, president and CEO, will be the keynote speaker for SWGSB’s 2026 summer graduate school session, May 26–June 5. Crétier founded GardaWorld in 1995 with an initial investment of $25,000, secured through a second mortgage on his … Read more
Wellington-based Wellington State Bank recently held the 35th annual stockholders meeting of its current ownership group, commemorating a significant milestone as the bank celebrates its 120th anniversary. Established in 1906, Wellington State Bank is recognized as the second-oldest state-chartered bank in Texas. In celebration of the bank’s 120th anniversary, stockholders received commemorative gifts, including cedar … Read more
Coastal Bend Bancshares, the holding company for Corpus Christi-based First Community Bank, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Port Lavaca-based First National Bank. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. “Our roots along the Texas Gulf Coast run deep at First Community Bank,” notes Wes Hoskins, First Community … Read more
On April 6, Texas Gulf Bancshares Inc., parent company of Houston-based Texas Gulf Bank NA, announced that Chase Zalman has been appointed president of Texas Gulf Bank, effective immediately. Zalman brings more than 20 years of banking leadership experience to the new position. He joins the bank from Prosperity Bank, for which he most recently … Read more
On March 30, Texas Banking Commissioner Charles G. Cooper announced that Yoakum-based Yoakum National Bank has completed its conversion to a Texas state-chartered bank from a national banking association. Under its new charter, the bank will begin operating as Yoakum Bank. The bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yoakum National Bancshares Inc., was originally chartered … Read more
On March 5, Wichita Falls-based American National Bank & Trust announced key hires and promotions across multiple locations. This news comes in addition to the bank’s recent announcement that Craig Berry is succeeding Dwight Berry in the role of president; Dwight Berry will continue serving as chief executive officer and Craig Berry will continue as … Read more
The SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University (SWGSB) has announced its highest honors of the year. Michael G. O’Rourke, president and CEO of TIB, will be honored with the 2026 Distinguished Service Award and J. Carter Tolleson, CEO of Tolleson Wealth Management, will be honored with the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The … Read more
As Wichita Falls-based American National Bank & Trust celebrates 50 years of service, it has announced a strategic leadership transition. Dwight Berry is continuing his tenure as chief executive officer, while Craig Berry has assumed the role of president, maintaining his responsibilities as chief lending officer. Dwight Berry, who joined the bank in 1981, has … Read more
The Texas Bankers Association has appointed David “Chip” Bartlett as senior vice president of government relations. The appointment—announced by Chris Furlow, TBA’s CEO, and Celeste Embrey, the association’s general counsel/executive vice president of government relations—is effective March 1. “I was drawn to TBA because Texas is emerging as the new financial capital of the nation, … Read more
On February 25, Denver, Colorado-based FirstSun Capital Bancorp and Irving-based First Foundation Inc. jointly announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has approved the merger of their respective bank subsidiaries, Dallas-based Sunflower Bank NA and Irvine, California-based First Foundation Bank, with Sunflower Bank NA continuing as the surviving bank. Completion of the … Read more