TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
On December 7, Perryton-based Interstate Bank announced the retirement of Mike Blasingame as market president. He has been with the bank for 20 years serving in various roles, including executive vice president, commercial and ag lender, chief lending officer and, most recently, market president. He is also a member of the bank’s board of directors. … Read more
John P. Guest, CEO of Citizens National Bank at Brownwood, announced that he is retiring at the end of the year after 40 years of service in the Texas community banking industry. He will continue to serve on the bank’s board of directors. A native of Abilene, Guest moved to Brownwood in 1979 and worked … Read more
Curtis Wren, executive vice president and chief credit officer at Moulton-based SouthStar Bank, retired recently after serving for four decades in banking and finance. His retirement was announced by David Kapavik, president and CEO. Wren has been with SouthStar Bank since 2014, overseeing the credit administration group, as well as the administration and maintenance of … Read more
Karen Neeley, general counsel for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) since 1989, retired on August 31. The association paid tribute to Neeley’s many years of service to the community banking industry in a special edition of its ongoing Ask IBAT Anything series. “After 33 years of representing IBAT as its general counsel, it … Read more
Mark Wade has been named chief executive officer of Bank of Texas, a subsidiary of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based BOK Financial Corp., as of January 1, 2023. He will assume the role as longtime CEO Norm Bagwell transitions into a new part-time role after leading the Texas bank for more than 15 years. “Norm Bagwell has been … Read more
Larry W. Walker, director of the Texas Department of Banking’s Dallas regional office, is retiring after 42 years of service. His retirement is effective July 31. Walker joined the Texas Department of Banking in 1980 as an assistant financial examiner in Corpus Christi and was promoted to commissioned examiner in 1983. In 1993, he was … Read more
On July 25, Guaranty Bancshares Inc., the parent company of Mount Pleasant-based Guaranty Bank & Trust NA, announced that William D. “Bill” Priefert retired from the board of directors of Guaranty Bancshares Inc. and from the board of Guaranty Bank & Trust effective July 20. He has served as a director of the company for … Read more
On June 28, Mount Pleasant-based Guaranty Bancshares Inc., the parent company of Guaranty Bank & Trust NA, announced the promotion of Shalene Jacobson to executive vice president and chief financial officer of Guaranty Bank & Trust, replacing Cappy Payne. Payne will remain as senior executive vice president and chief financial officer for Guaranty Bancshares. “Cappy … Read more
After 18 years at Kilgore-based Citizens Bank and 50 years in the banking industry, CEO Sammy York will retire at the end of June. A native of Corsicana, York graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS degree in agricultural economics in 1974. He is also a 1981 graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of … Read more
Karen Neeley, general counsel for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) since 1989, has announced her planned retirement from IBAT “no later than August 31.” She chose the August 31 deadline to correspond with the due date for comments on the proposed revisions to the Community Reinvestment Act. “A fitting finale,” Neeley notes. “After … Read more