TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking, has announced the selection of Robert K. Nichols III as the agency’s general counsel. Nichols will be responsible for overseeing the legal division and providing advice to the banking commissioner, as well as other divisions across the agency. He will also be responsible for assisting … Read more
Abilene-based First Financial Bankshares Inc. has announced that its subsidiaries, First Financial Bank NA and First Financial Trust and Asset Management Co. NA, have each filed applications with the Texas Department of Banking to convert to a Texas state banking association and a Texas-chartered trust company, respectively. The bank has been a national bank since … Read more
On March 2, Laredo-based Commerce Bank announced that Ignacio Urrabazo Jr., president and CEO, has been appointed to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC). In this role, he will provide valuable insights and recommendations on various consumer financial issues, including lending practices, consumer protection and regulatory compliance. The CBAC, composed … Read more
The board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Houston branch has elected Ruth Simmons chair and Cynthia Colbert chair pro tem for 2023. Simmons joined the Houston branch board in 2020. She is president of Prairie View A&M University. Previously, she was president and professor of comparative literature and Africana studies at … Read more
The board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ El Paso branch has elected Sally Hurt-Deitch chair and Tracy Yellen chair pro tem for 2023. Hurt-Deitch joined the El Paso branch board in 2018. She is the executive vice president of nursing and operations infrastructure for Ascension. She also has served at Tenet Healthcare … Read more
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors has re-appointed Thomas J. Falk of Dallas as chair and Claudia Aguirre of Houston as deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas board of directors for 2023. Falk joined the Dallas Fed board in 2019 and was appointed chair in 2022. He is the retired chairman and … Read more
On November 30, Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking, announced that The First Liberty National Bank, headquartered in Liberty, has completed its conversion to a Texas state-chartered bank from a national banking association. The bank began operating as First Liberty Bank under its new charter on November 30. A wholly owned … Read more
On November 29, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas announced the appointment of Emily Greenwald as senior vice president responsible for banking supervision and regulation, as well as credit, risk and reserves management. Her appointment is effective January 1, 2023. Greenwald has spent 17 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where she currently … Read more
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) has re-appointed Texas Department of Banking Commissioner Charles G. Cooper to serve as the state banking representative on the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). This is his third consecutive term as the state banking representative. “In today’s dynamic environment, regulatory coordination is critical for a safe and well-functioning financial system. Commissioner Cooper … Read more
Karen Neeley, general counsel for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) since 1989, retired on August 31. The association paid tribute to Neeley’s many years of service to the community banking industry in a special edition of its ongoing Ask IBAT Anything series. “After 33 years of representing IBAT as its general counsel, it … Read more