WestStar Title’s Coon Retires, Leaving Legacy of Leadership and Community Service

Janette Coon, senior vice president and commercial escrow officer at WestStar Title, a division of El Paso-based WestStar Bank, retired at the end of January, concluding a 41-year career. She has been a member of the WestStar Title team for 14 years. “It has been a great honor to be part of WestStar Title and … Read more

USAA Federal Savings Bank Board of Directors Appoints Moran President

On January 30, San Antonio-based USAA Federal Savings Bank’s board of directors announced the appointment of Michael Moran as bank president. Moran, who has been serving as the interim president, brings more than two decades of banking experience and a strong commitment to the mission of serving the military community and their families. Before moving … Read more

Jackson Named Chief Lending Officer and Senior Executive Vice President at VeraBank

Henderson-based VeraBank has announced that Joel Jackson is now senior executive vice president, chief lending officer and regional chair of the bank’s Southeast region. Jackson has more than 23 years of experience with a focus on commercial banking. He started his career in East Texas, working his way through various leadership positions at community banks … Read more

Community Banks vs. the Big Banks: Leveling the Playing Field

By DR. SEAN PAYANT, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, HABERFELD In our ever-changing industry, many community bankers fall into the trap of trying to grow market share by following the lead of the “big banks.” Many of them are finding it just doesn’t work. Customers continue to flee from banks that focus on regular service charges and … Read more

Three Texas Community Bankers Receive KlariVis’ 2024 Banking on Brilliance Award

On October 29, Roanoke, Virginia-based KlariVis, a cloud-based, universal enterprise dashboard and analytics solution for bankers, announced the winners of its 2024 Banking on Brilliance Awards. The award recognizes remarkable women in community banking nationwide who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in driving transformation through innovation and data. Each nominee and winner was nominated by a … Read more

Louisiana-based Origin Bancorp Inc. Appoints Whitley Penn’s Jones to Board of Directors 

Ruston, Louisiana-based Origin Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Choudrant, Louisiana-based Origin Bank, has announced the appointment of Cecil Jones to the board of directors of both the bank and its holding company. Jones is a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of experience working primarily with financial institutions. For the past 10 … Read more

Community Banking Association Elects Harris Chair, Names New Executive Committee and Board

In early October, the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) announced that Tracy Harris, chief strategic planning and project officer at Harlingen-based Texas Regional Bank, has been elected chair of the IBAT board of directors for 2024–25. She officially accepted the position during the association’s 50th Annual Convention held October 5–8 in San Antonio. In … Read more

SW Graduate School of Banking and Texas Bankers Association to Partner on New Commercial Lending School

To help prepare bankers for current and future banking challenges, the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University (SWGSB), in partnership with the Texas Bankers Association (TBA), have announced the introduction of a new commercial lending school. The inaugural session of the school will be held on the Southern Methodist University campus April … Read more

Unlocking Growth: A Practical Guide to Leveraging Your Bank’s Data

By ACHIM GRIESEL and DR. SEAN PAYANT In the digital age, financial institutions find themselves sitting on a goldmine of data—a treasure trove with the potential to revolutionize the way they operate. From understanding consumer spending habits to predicting financial needs, institutions want to leverage that data to drive success in an ever-evolving industry. Before … Read more

The Changing Face of Leadership

By NED PAULEY Simply stated, a leader is someone others follow. Leadership is not a title. It’s not a reward for length of employment. It’s an act of service that inspires people toward a shared vision. If you’ve been in bank leadership for a while, you know the role is changing. Perhaps more accurately, followership … Read more