TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Fort Worth-based NBT Financial Bank recently broke ground on its new Grapevine location, marking the bank’s continued growth across northeast Tarrant County. The new branch will be located at 803 E. Northwest Hwy. The groundbreaking ceremony brought together bank leadership, business partners and community supporters. “This project reflects who we are and where we come from,” … Read more
San Antonio-based Vantage Bank has hired Clay Burnett to serve as executive vice president/San Antonio market president. He brings more than a dozen years of banking experience in the San Antonio market, with expertise that spans treasury management, working capital lines of credit and equipment financing. Before joining Vantage Bank, Burnett was executive vice president/sales … Read more
On February 18, Texas City-based Texas First Bank announced the appointment of nine senior executives to its advisory board of directors. These new advisory directors bring deep expertise and regional ties from across key operational areas, including technology, risk management, retail banking and lending. The advisory directors will provide strategic guidance to the Texas First … Read more
David Baty, president and CEO of Frisco-based Texas Republic Bank, recently announced that “banking like it oughta be!” is celebrating 135 years in business this year. The bank was acquired 15 years ago by a local investor group headed up by Baty and real estate investor Tim Cantrell. Over the past decade and a half, … Read more
Birmingham, Alabama-based Regions Bank announced that Kafi Slaughter has joined the bank to serve as area wealth leader for Regions Private Wealth Management across Houston, Austin, San Antonio and other markets in the southern half of the Lone Star State. She will report to Connie Rogers, Texas regional executive for Regions Private Wealth Management. A fifth-generation … Read more
The Texas Bankers Association has appointed David “Chip” Bartlett as senior vice president of government relations. The appointment—announced by Chris Furlow, TBA’s CEO, and Celeste Embrey, the association’s general counsel/executive vice president of government relations—is effective March 1. “I was drawn to TBA because Texas is emerging as the new financial capital of the nation, … Read more
After more than 40 years of service in community banking, Tindle Ramon is retiring in 2026, concluding a career that helped shape modern banking across the Texas Panhandle. He currently serves as executive vice president/chief financial officer at Guymon, Oklahoma-based Panhandle First Bank, a bank launched in 2024 following the merger of First National Bank … Read more
Daniel Frasier, director of the Texas Department of Banking’s corporate activities and financial innovation, is retiring after 18 years of state service. His retirement is effective June 30, 2026. “We congratulate Dan on this career milestone and wish him a happy retirement,” says Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking. “We appreciate … Read more
On February 24, El Paso-based WestStar Bank announced the appointment of John Morales as executive vice president of information technology and chief information officer. He brings decades of federal senior executive leadership experience overseeing complex, mission-critical organizations and large multidisciplinary teams. Most recently, Morales served as a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent in charge, … Read more
On February 25, Denver, Colorado-based FirstSun Capital Bancorp and Irving-based First Foundation Inc. jointly announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has approved the merger of their respective bank subsidiaries, Dallas-based Sunflower Bank NA and Irvine, California-based First Foundation Bank, with Sunflower Bank NA continuing as the surviving bank. Completion of the … Read more