TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
To honor regional banks that positively impact their communities, Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group publish an annual list of “America’s Best Regional Banks [and Credit Unions]”* every December. The publication’s 2025 list includes 46 regional banks that operate in Texas, with 39 banks based in the Lone Star State. As Newsweek states, “Regional banks…are the … Read more
Houston-based Texas Gulf Bank NA recently hired two executives. Winston McKnight has joined the bank as executive vice president/head of wealth management. He will work out of the bank’s Voss location. With a career spanning 30 years, his areas of expertise include wealth management services, business development and asset management. Prior to joining Texas Gulf … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank has hired Jorge Vernaza to serve as senior vice president/senior commercial loan officer on its Houston lending team. He will be based at the bank’s Richmond Ave. location. Vernaza has a strong background in both commercial real estate and commercial and industrial, with former clients across various sectors and sub-sectors of the … Read more
On November 8, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based MidFirst Bank announced the completion of its acquisition of the Houston banking locations of Coral Gables, Florida-based Amerant Bank NA, the main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp Inc. Through the acquisition, MidFirst gained Amerant’s Houston client relationships and added six banking locations and 45 employees. “Houston is a highly desirable and … Read more
Houston-based Stellar Bank has hired John Ensminger to serve as chief information officer. He brings more than two decades of experience in leading enterprise and global IT functions, driving technology strategy, innovation and transformation across various industries, including financial services, life sciences/biologics and internet startups. Prior to joining Stellar Bank, Ensminger served as executive vice … Read more
On October 7, Houston-based Gulf Capital Bank announced that Ignacio Pujol is joining the bank as executive vice president and market president for its Spring branch and Memorial/West Houston market. Pujol joins Gulf Capital Bank with more than 38 years of credit and commercial lending experience. His most recent position was as executive vice president … Read more
On October 16, Jeff Austin III, chairman of the board of Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, announced that Austin Bancorp Inc., the bank’s parent company, has entered into an agreement to acquire Houston-based Chasewood Bank. Chasewood Bank serves northern Harris County with two locations and reports assets of approximately $88 million. The merger is expected to close … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank has hired Sara Brooke Burnside to serve on its Houston lending team as senior vice president/senior commercial loan officer. She will be based at the bank’s Richmond Ave. location. “Her extensive experience and proven track record in commercial lending will be a tremendous asset as we continue to expand our services and … Read more
John Olson has joined Houston-based Amegy Bank as vice president and Dallas/Fort Worth area mortgage production manager. With more than 20 years of banking and finance experience, he will help grow the bank’s North Texas market residential mortgage division. Olson most recently served as managing director of residential mortgage at Bank Ozk in the Dallas … Read more
Houston-based Cornerstone Capital Bank has appointed Paul Woo chief financial officer. He has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Woo previously served as senior vice president and director of capital planning and corporate development at Cadence Bank. Prior to Cadence Bank, he was a senior member of The Endicott Group, … Read more