TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
On May 27, Legend Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Bowie-based Legend Bank NA, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Graham-based Graham Savings and Loan SSB, a Texas community bank founded in 1934. Graham Savings and Loan operates three full-service locations in Graham, Breckenridge and Possum Kingdom, and reports approximately … Read more
To recognize banks (and credit unions) making a meaningful difference, Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group have published “America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2026.” The methodology utilized the Texas Ratio (a measure of a bank’s credit quality), as well as reviewed profitability and net loans and leases, press coverage over the past two years, … Read more
The Cecil family is celebrating a centennial milestone, marking the 100th year of their leadership and family legacy at Paris-based The Liberty National Bank. In 1925, Jim Cecil, a prominent banker from Valliant, Oklahoma, moved to Paris, Texas, at the urging of his physician, Dr. L.P. McCuistion. McCuistion’s brother, Ed McCuistion, was the president of … Read more
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
In the aftermath of the Great War and the devastating fire of 1916 that left Paris, Texas, in disarray, a group of community leaders banded together to devise a plan for the city’s recovery. In 1922, they founded the Paris Savings and Loan Association—now First Federal Community Bank—with a mission to promote home ownership and … Read more
Longtime banker Ronald “Ronnie” Earl Abbott , founder of Paris-based Peoples National Bank (now Peoples Bank under a Texas state charter), passed away on September 1 at the age of 69. Raised in Paris, Abbott went straight to work after graduating from high school, starting off as a dispatcher for the Texas Ranger Law Enforcement … Read more
Paris-based Liberty National Bank has hired Dillon Cecil as an executive vice president and a newly appointed bank board member. He will focus on consumer and commercial loans, residential home loans and assist with bank operations. Cecil started his banking career at TIB NA in 2014 as a credit analyst/lending officer. He was later promoted … Read more
Paris-based Lamar National Bank has announced the hiring of veteran banker Mark Stroud as executive vice president/chief accounting officer. He began his banking career in West Texas where his father and brother also served as community bankers. From 2005 to 2022, he served as chief financial officer at Classic Bank in Cameron. “Mark’s passion for … Read more
Paris-based Lamar National Bank has announced the appointment of Dr. Torii Hunter to its board of directors. A former Major League Baseball veteran who played for 19 years, Hunter established himself as one of the top players in his field. He is the recipient of nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards, a five-time Major League All-Star … Read more
Paris-based Lamar National Bank has hired Brian Blair to serve as regional market president over the bank’s Celina and Anna markets. A graduate of Sam Houston State University, Blair began his banking career in 2007, advancing as regional president for Prosperity Bank for the Houston market and later the Plano market. “We are pleased to … Read more