TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS
On May 22, Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking, announced the opening of Houston-based Houston Bank & Trust, the first de novo state bank charter approved since April 2022. The bank is anticipated to serve customers primarily in the Houston MSA, with a focus on Harris and Montgomery counties. Houston Bank … Read more
Birmingham, Alabama-based Regions Bank announced the appointment of Christina Clemmons to serve as Texas consumer banking executive, a senior leadership role overseeing retail-banking operations across Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Tyler and other Texas markets. She succeeds Michael Pardue, who now serves as retail segment program manager supporting branch operations across Region Bank’s 15-state retail-banking footprint. … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank has hired Jeannie Vernetti, CTFA FPQP, to join The Private Bank at PlainsCapital as vice president/ wealth management administrator. She will be based at the bank’s 50th and University location in Lubbock. Vernetti joins PlainsCapital Bank with more than 20 years of experience in trust and wealth management. Most recently, she served … Read more
Harry J. “Johnny” Brooks, chair and CEO of Woodville-based Citizens State Bank, has been named 2026 Mr. East Texas as part of the community’s 83rd Annual Tyler County Dogwood Festival in Woodville, held on weekends in March and April. The Dogwood Festival is the longest-running outdoor celebration in Texas. Citizens State Bank has supported it … Read more
On April 23, Dallas-based Texas Capital announced several executive leadership appointments that, according to the bank, “are designed to scale the firm’s clearly differentiated platform in its next phase of growth.” Jeff Hood has been appointed managing director/chief human resources officer. He joins Texas Capital from Citizens Financial Group with more than 25 years of … Read more
The board of directors of Abilene-based First Financial Bank has announced senior leadership changes in its Greater Houston region. Rodney Nabors has been elected regional CEO, Bart Griffith has been promoted to Conroe market president and Brian Bonner has been promoted to executive vice president/senior lender for construction and development. “Rodney, Bart and Brian have … Read more
Dallas-based Susser Bank has appointed Jamie Kile as senior vice president/treasury management solutions officer and Antonio “Tony” Gomez III senior vice president/Corpus Christi market president. Kile joins the bank’s Dallas team located at the new Old Parkland East Campus. She will work closely with commercial clients, helping businesses optimize cash flow, manage payments, enhance liquidity and … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank announced that it has hired two bankers to serve on the bank’s relationship management teams in The Woodlands and Denton. Jamie Ballard, CTP, has joined the bank as senior vice president/senior relationship manager. He will office out of The Woodlands branch at 1699 Research Forest Dr., Ste. 100. Ballard brings more than … Read more
Harlingen-based Texas Regional Bank has strengthened its Central Texas presence with the opening of a new banking center in Boerne and the relocation of its Bulverde-area banking center into a newly constructed facility in Spring Branch. The new Boerne banking center provides full-service personal and business banking with direct access to local specialists. The Bulverde … 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