VeraBank Bestows Annual CRA Scholarships Totaling $35,000 to Local High School Seniors

This spring, Henderson-based VeraBank awarded 35 scholarships totaling $35,000 to local college-bound high school seniors through its annual Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) scholarship program. Since the inception of the program in 2005, the bank has awarded more than $252,000 in scholarships to 401 local high school students who have met the established criteria. To qualify, … Read more

SouthWest Bank Welcomes Littlefield as Senior Compliance Officer

Lou Deane Littlefield has joined Odessa-based SouthWest Bank to serve as senior vice president/senior compliance officer. She oversees all of the bank’s compliance processes with an emphasis on Bank Secrecy Act and Community Reinvestment Act policies and procedures. With more than four decades of banking experience Littlefield previously worked as a CRA officer and compliance … Read more

Vista Bank Receives Coveted ‘Outstanding’ CRA Rating from Federal Reserve System

In August, Dallas-based Vista Bank received the Federal Reserve System’s highest rating of “Outstanding” during a recent Community Reinvestment Act examination. Each year, only 13 percent of banks in the U.S. get the highest rating from the Federal Reserve. During a fiscal year that saw considerable challenges for the entire banking sector, the “Outstanding” rating … Read more

Espinosa Appointed to Lead American Bank’s Community Development Team

Corpus Christi-based American Bank announced that it has promoted Monique Espinosa to community development manager. In this newly created position, she will lead the bank’s community development team and be responsible for engaging with current and prospective clients throughout the bank’s South and Central Texas markets. She’ll also have responsibility for strategic initiatives related to … Read more

The State of Play with CRA

If COVID-19 and an economic recession are not enough for you to deal with, here’s another regulatory issue that continues to loom over all banks—the Community Reinvestment Act. CRA Exams. First, CRA examinations and release of exam results continue. Lists of banks up for their exam are posted. These should be “virtual” exams in keeping … Read more