On September 15, Conway, Arkansas-based Home BancShares Inc. (HOMB), the parent company of Centennial Bank, and Amarillo-based Happy Bancshares Inc., the parent company of Happy State Bank, jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Home BancShares will acquire Happy Bancshares in an all-stock merger, with Home BancShares as … Read more
In August, the Texas Bankers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Texas Bankers Association, announced the eight recipients of its 2021 Cornerstone Award and Leader in Financial Education (LiFE) Award. Each of the banks selected has demonstrated excellence in community involvement or promoted financial education in its communities. The banks selected were celebrated at the … Read more
On September 15, Texas Banking Commissioner Charles G. Cooper announced that Dallas-based Texas Capital Bank NA has completed its conversion to a Texas state-chartered bank from a national banking association. The bank opened under its new charter as Texas Capital Bank on September 15. Texas Capital Bank was originally chartered as a national bank in … Read more
Laredo-based Falcon Bank opened its newest location in Zapata on August 30. The full-service branch, located at 134 S. U.S. Hwy. 83, was acquired from Roma-based Citizens State Bank. “This transaction provides us the opportunity to service our existing customer base and further expand our market share in the Zapata community,” Gilbert Narvaez Jr., president … Read more
On September 7, the University of Texas–El Paso (UTEP) announced the launch of the UTEP Banking Academy, supported by significant contributions from regional and national banks and financial institutions. Part of UTEP’s College of Business Administration, the Banking Academy was created to address the shortage of banking professionals in the West Texas and Southern New … Read more
Moulton-based SouthStar Bank has purchased the Kerrville branch of Community First National Bank with the full approval of the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The branch, located at 1101 Junction Hwy., opened as a SouthStar Bank branch on August 30. The community is invited to … Read more
With housing costs on the rise across Texas, finding an affordable place to live has become a crisis for too many families. Family incomes are not rising nearly as quickly as home prices in most regions of the state. According to studies, housing costs should account for less than 31 percent of a family’s income; … Read more
The Texas Tech School of Banking recently completed its 2021 session. Banking professionals from across Texas and four other states traveled to the 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 … Read more
CSB Bancshares Inc. and Burton Bancshares Inc. recently announced that an agreement for the merger of Burton-based Burton State Bank into Sommerville-based Citizens State Bank was signed in mid-August by the boards of both entities. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year. Upon completion, Burton State Bank will become the … Read more
The Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) announced this year’s three winners of its coveted Five*Star Award in June during the association’s 2021 IBAT Connecting Leaders Conference held in Grapevine, Texas. The 2021 recipients are Fenimore, Kay, Harrison & Ford LLP (category 1, small-size business); Bank Compensation Consulting (BCC) (category 2, medium-size business); and CLA … Read more
