TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Lowell “Stretch” Smith Jr., longtime banker and avid civic supporter in Johnson County, passed away on August 29. He was 88. For decades, he helped lead the First State Bank of Rio Vista. Smith grew up on a family ranch near Rio Vista. Many people knew him as “Stretch,” a nickname acquired from his high … Read more
The Texas Bankers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Texas Bankers Association (TBA), has announced the 14 recipients of its 2021 Emerging Leader Awards. Each banker was chosen for his/her outstanding qualities by the president, CEO or chair of a TBA-member banking institution. Launched in 2019 by the Texas Bankers Foundation in collaboration with the Bank … Read more
Kristi Koncaba, president and COO of Houston-based Texan Bank, has been elected to the board of directors of the Texas Bankers Association. She has also been appointed chair of the Texas Bankers Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Texas Bankers Association that serves and supports Texas banks, their employees and communities through educational programs, gifting … Read more
The membership of the Texas Bankers Association recently elected officers for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Elected were Chairman Raymond “Rusty” Rust III, president and CEO of Commercial Bank of Texas in Nacogdoches; Vice Chair A. Ford Sasser III, president and CEO of Rio Bank, McAllen; and Treasurer David W. Osborn, president and chief operating officer … Read more
The Texas Bankers Association (TBA) has partnered with national nonprofit organization CareerWork$ to support the expansion of its signature free vocational training program, BankWork$, in Texas. The program, which currently operates classes at Dallas College, helps young adults from low-income communities build meaningful careers in banking through a free eight-week career training program, with placement assistance … Read more
In February, Texhoma, Oklahoma-based Anchor D Bank announced the appointment of Michael L. Schnell, executive vice president/market president, to its board of directors. He has spent the majority of his career in the Texas Panhandle. After many years serving as chairman and CEO of another local bank, he joined Anchor D Bank in 2020, opening its … Read more
On March 1, Texas Southern University (TSU) announced a $500,000 pledge of support for its Jesse H. Jones School of Business (JHJSB) from Atlanta, Georgia-based Cadence Bank. The three-year pledge will support the school’s new Future Bankers Leadership Program (FBLP), set to launch this fall. The new academic program gives students direct exposure to commercial banking. … Read more
In February, the Texas Bankers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Texas Bankers Association (TBA), announced a new banker education scholarship, the Tom Frost Memorial Scholarship. Named for the late Tom Frost of San Antonio-based Frost Bank, the scholarship is available to junior and senior students enrolled in the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University (SWGSB). “We’re … Read more
Ryan Morris, chief executive officer of Gainesville-based First State Bank, has been selected to fill a vacancy on the board of directors of the Texas Bankers Association (TBA). His term will expire May 31, 2022. Morris has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry. After receiving his BBA degree in accounting and finance from the … Read more
The Texas Bankers Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Texas Bankers Association, presented the annual Cornerstone and Leaders in Financial Education (LiFE) awards to banks at a special virtual video presentation on December 3. The Cornerstone Award recognizes excellence in community involvement by Texas banks. The following banks were honored with the 2020 Cornerstone Award. … Read more