The Baker Group’s Murray, Host of Lunch with Lester, Retires

After serving with Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based The Baker Group for 35 years, Lester F. Murray has announced his retirement as of May 28. He has been an associate partner with the company since 2014, working within the firm’s financial strategies group. Every Friday at lunchtime for the past decade, community bankers, directors and others in the … Read more

The Bankers Bank Tapped to Help Shape FedNow, the Federal Reserve’s Instant Payments Program

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based The Bankers Bank (TBB) has been selected to participate in a pilot program for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming instant payments offering, FedNow, which will provide an important payments infrastructure when it becomes available in 2023. The goal of FedNow is to develop an instant payments service that enables financial institutions of every size … Read more

Oklahoma-Based Valliance Bank Names Bruhn Chief Lending Officer

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based Valliance Bank, which operates Texas locations in McKinney and Fort Worth, announced that Shelby Bruhn has been elected chief lending officer and executive vice president by the board of directors. He joined the bank in 2016 and has more than 20 years of experience. Bruhn has served as Texas market president and commercial lender … Read more

Appling Promoted to President and CEO of Oklahoma-based The Bankers Bank

On January 5, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based The Bankers Bank, a correspondent bank serving community banks in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, announced the promotion of Troy Appling to president and CEO. He will provide leadership, direction and guidance of the holding company and subsidiaries in achieving their goals and objectives. The Bankers Bank conducted a … Read more

Wade Named President of Oklahoma-Based Valliance Bank

The board of directors of Oklahoma City-based Valliance Bank has elected Alicia Wade president and chief operating officer, effective January 1, 2021. She joined Valliance Bank in 2007 and has more than 23 years of banking experience. Wade has overseen bank and branch operations, compliance, cybersecurity, physical security, marketing and information technology. Brad Swickey will … Read more

Advantage Health Plans Trust Welcomes Barrett to Board of Trustees as Gober Completes Term

Casey Barrett, president and CEO of the San Angelo-based Texas Bank, has been appointed the newest member of Advantage Health Plans Trust’s (AHPT) board of trustees. A member of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based AHPT since 2012, Barrett joined the board as a trustee in June 2020. He fills one of two Texas seats on the board and … Read more