TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Corpus Christi-based Charter Bank has announced the appointment of Matt Cravey to its board of directors. He is the founder and president of Cravey Real Estate Services Inc. in Corpus Christi, the largest commercial real estate firm south of San Antonio. Cravey’s career spans more than 50 years. He first went into real estate in … Read more
By JAMES WHITE, EngageFI Scan the trade publications and conference agendas, and you’ll find a drumbeat of optimism: AI adoption is surging. Two-thirds of financial institutions are now “implementing AI.” Budgets are climbing. Use cases are multiplying. The future, we’re told, has arrived. But the banking industry is celebrating the wrong number. Here’s the problem. … Read more
On March 9, Journey Financial Group Inc. and Houston-based Lone Star Bank jointly announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Journey will acquire Lone Star. The transaction is expected to close late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2026. Journey Financial Group is led by Dean O. … Read more
Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank has hired Reid Wendell to serve as senior vice president/senior relationship manager. Based at the bank’s Kirby location in Houston, he brings 15 years of commercial banking experience to his new role. Wendell oversees a portfolio of commercial clients, builds new banking relationships and leads analysts who support portfolio management. Wendell previously … Read more
In early March, Longview-based Texas Bank and Trust announced that Matthew Spivey has been promoted to market president for its Fort Worth location and Mason Whitmarsh has been promoted to assistant vice president and lending officer. Spivey joined Texas Bank and Trust as a senior vice president and commercial lender in the bank’s Fort Worth … Read more
On March 5, Wichita Falls-based American National Bank & Trust announced key hires and promotions across multiple locations. This news comes in addition to the bank’s recent announcement that Craig Berry is succeeding Dwight Berry in the role of president; Dwight Berry will continue serving as chief executive officer and Craig Berry will continue as … Read more
Waco-based The First National Bank of Central Texas (FNBCT) has opened its newest banking center in College Station. The brand-new 21,000-square-foot facility is located at 4270 State Hwy. 6 S. To celebrate the opening, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held at the new location. As part of the celebration, the bank made $5,000 donations to … Read more
On March 2, Pine Bluff, Arkansas-based Simmons Bank announced the promotion of Laura Condley to private banking market executive. In her new position, she will oversee all private banking activities in the Oklahoma and Texas markets. Condley started her banking career at Simmons Bank as a market retail manager. Throughout her tenure, she advanced to … Read more
On March 2, Cornerstone Capital Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Houston-based Cornerstone Capital Bank, announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Peoples Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Lubbock-based Peoples Bank. The combined organization now holds more than $3.4 billion in assets. All acquired branches remain open as Peoples Bank, a division of Cornerstone … Read more
The SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University (SWGSB) has announced its highest honors of the year. Michael G. O’Rourke, president and CEO of TIB, will be honored with the 2026 Distinguished Service Award and J. Carter Tolleson, CEO of Tolleson Wealth Management, will be honored with the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The … Read more