TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE and IDEAS



Jacksonville-based Austin Bank Promotes Stroud to Tyler Market President

Jacksonville-based Austin Bank recently announced the promotion of Millette Stroud to Tyler market president. With 39 years of banking experience—including 30 years in lending and management—she joined Austin Bank in 2015 and works from the Whitehouse office. She will be moving to the Tyler Cumberland Park location later this fall. Prior to her promotion, Stroud … Read more

WestStar Promotes Marquez and Anaya to Commercial Banking Officers

El Paso-based WestStar Bank has announced the promotions of Andres Marquez and Robin Anaya to commercial banking officers. Both officers will leverage their expertise to develop and manage a diverse portfolio of businesses, offering services such as loan structuring, credit risk management and tailored financial strategies. Their focus will include strengthening existing client relationships and … Read more

Texas Lyceum Honors Longtime Banker Dippel with 2025 Stewardship of Texas Values Award

On September 18, the Texas Lyceum, a premier nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide leadership organization, honored “Skipper” Dippel with its 2025 Stewardship of Texas Values Award during a special ceremony at the Omni Dallas Hotel. A founder of the Texas Lyceum and a longtime Texas banker, Dippel was recognized for his unmatched contributions to the state of … Read more

Successor Beneficiaries: What Are Their Distribution Options?

By Kristiana Rodriguez, CIP Ascensus When an IRA owner dies, the assets are distributed to beneficiaries, whether named by the IRA owner or determined by IRA document defaults. This can sometimes be a complicated process for financial organizations. And further complications may arise when the original beneficiary dies, leaving the inherited IRA to a successor … Read more

Gouge Joins Harmony Bank as Senior Vice President in Midlothian

Dallas-based Harmony Bank has hired Kendra Gouge to serve as senior vice president/ commercial loan officer at the bank’s Midlothian branch. With more than 20 years of experience, her expertise in managing diverse loan portfolios spans commercial and industrial, SBA and commercial real estate projects. Prior to joining Harmony Bank, Gouge was vice president of … Read more

Jackson Named Fort Worth Market President at R Bank, Lee Hired as Concierge Banker in Austin

Jeremy Jackson has joined Round Rock-based R Bank as executive vice president/market president for the Fort Worth region. With more than 24 years of experience spanning commercial and private banking, he will spearhead the bank’s growth in the Fort Worth market, focusing on establishing a strong presence and expanding its footprint. As part of this … Read more

SouthStar Bank Welcomes Bourland as Senior Vice President of Lending in Bee Cave

Steven Bourland has joined Moulton-based SouthStar Bank’s Bee Cave team as a senior vice president of lending. He has more than three decades of experience in the finance industry and has expertise across several areas of lending, with an emphasis on commercial loans and commercial real estate loans. Bourland previously served as senior vice president … Read more

Ohio-based U.S. Bank Hires Batie for Government and Higher Education Banking in Texas and Oklahoma

Keba Batie has joined Cincinnati, Ohio-based U.S. Bank as senior vice president in the bank’s government banking and higher education group, covering Texas and Oklahoma. Based in Dallas, he will focus on delivering tailored financial solutions to public sector clients such as cities, counties, states, tribal authorities, school districts and higher education institutions. Batie brings … Read more

Akladios Joins Moody Bank as Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Officer

Nashwa Akladios has joined Galveston-based Moody Bank’s Friendswood banking team as senior vice president and commercial banking officer. With more than 30 years of banking experience, she specializes in commercial and residential real estate, construction, commercial, industrial, and asset-based lending, equipment financing and lines of credit. Akladios comes to Moody Bank from Truist, for which … Read more

58 Bankers Complete 2025 Texas Tech School of Banking Program

The Texas Tech School of Banking recently completed its 2025 session. Banking professionals from across Texas and three other states convened at Rawls College of Business on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock for the program. Established in 1973, the school offers a blend of traditional academic coursework and interactive lecture sessions hosted … Read more