july 23, 2018 | volume 153, number 4 | bankersdigest€¦ · search, analysis and strategic...

O K L A H O M A King Hired as Commercial Lending Executive Vice President at Grand Savings BankIn July, Grove, Oklahoma-based Grand Savings Bank announced the hiring of

BOB KING as executive vice president of commercial lending, according to a report from the Arkansas-based Talk Business & Politics website. King has nearly 40 years of

banking experience, including serving as an executive at The Bank of Fayetteville since 1999. He served as executive vice president of lending operations there from 2004 to 2015, when he was appointed the bank’s top executive in the Northwest Arkansas market.

Founded in 1980 and sold to a group of investors in 2013, Grand Sav-ings Bank has 11 locations in Northwest Arkansas, the River Valley and North-east Oklahoma. •KING

T E X A S

Texan Bank Welcomes Raney to Leadership Team, Lovell to Advisory BoardHouston-based Texan Bank recently expanded its leadership team with the addition of ROBERT RANEY as executive

vice president–chief lending officer. He comes to Texan Bank with more than 17 years of commercial lending experience, most recently having worked at The Bank of River Oaks in

Houston, where he was one of the original seven founding bankers. Raney holds a BSM degree in finance from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.

“I firmly believe that local commu-nity banks are uniquely suited to best serve the needs of clients by offering a more personalized banking relation-ship,” Raney says. “It wasn’t hard for me to get behind the Texan Bank mission because I agree with and understand the importance of doing the right thing, the right way.”

The recent leadership growth at Texan Bank also includes the election of KELLY LOVELL to serve as an advisory director. She is executive vice presi-dent of United Valve, a board member and vice president of the Friendswood Independent School District Education Foundation and serves on the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County Ports.

Purchased in 2011 by Friendswood Capital Corp., Texan Bank operates four locations in Houston, Sugar Land, Clear Lake and Friendswood. •

RANEY

J ULY 23, 2018 | VOLUME 153, NUMBER 4 | BANKERSDIGES T.COM

PUBLISHED E VERY MONDAY E XCEP T THE FIF TH MONDAY OF THE MONTH

T E X A S Southside Bank Announces Little as Senior Vice President of Private BankingTyler-based Southside Bank recently announced that GILBERT LITTLE has joined the company as senior vice

president–private banking for the North Texas region. He joins the team to help expand and develop new private banking relation-ships in the Dal-las-Fort Worth area and throughout

Texas. With more than 30 years of experience working with high-net-worth families and individuals, his background includes commercial and personal banking in smaller communities as well as with Fortune 100 companies.

“Gilbert brings tremendous knowl-edge, experience and contacts working with high-net-worth individuals and corporate executives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and across the Southern United States,” says JOHN JETT, South-side Bank’s managing director–private

banking. “We know his work ethic and commitment to service will help grow and develop the bank’s private banking segment. Our goal is to be the go-to fi-nancial institution in this community for private banking, and we are so pleased to have someone as experienced as Gilbert join Southside.”

Little previously served as a private banker for BBVA Compass Global Wealth where he acquired high-net-worth relationships resulting in $100 million in new deposits, investments and trust accounts.

He also launched the Hal Sutton Foundation in 2001, which led to the establishment of Sutton Children’s Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana. The hospital opened in 2006.

Southside Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Southside Bank, has approximately $6.5 billion in assets and operates 59 banking locations in East, Central, North and Southeast Texas. The bank was established in 1960. •

LITTLE

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M I S S I S S I P P I Rhea and Cooley Promoted at Community BankJON PAUL RHEA has been named senior vice president at Forest-based Commu-nity Bank. He recently served as the

bank’s vice presi-dent and has been in the banking and insurance industry for 13 years, with the past five of those at Community Bank. In his new role, he will continue to grow

loan and deposit relationships.Rhea is a graduate of Mississippi

State University with a bachelor of sci-ence degree in business and commerce. He also graduated from the Mississippi School of Banking. Active in his com-munity, Rhea serves on the boards for Lee County Mississippi State University Alumni Association, Tupelo Parks and Recreation and Take a Swing at Cancer.

In other Community Bank news, SCOTT COOLEY was recently named vice president. He previously served as

assistant vice president and has been in the banking industry for 12 years. In his new role, Cooley will oversee consumer and commercial lending. He is a graduate of the

University of Southern Mississippi and currently is attending the Mississippi School of Banking.

Community Bank has 47 locations in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Tennessee. It has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Mississippi” by the Mississippi Business Journal and included in the “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker magazine. •

RHEA COOLEY

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Study Shows Americans Overestimate Their Financial Knowledge, Many Are Open to More Education

RECENT RE SE ARCH FROM ILLINOIS-BA SED R ADD ON reveals that Ameri-cans are generally overconfident in their financial acumen and the vast major-ity have never attended a financial education program, although many think

such a program would be extremely or very valuable.

The Financial Literacy: Prosperity Begins with Knowledge study from Raddon, a provider of innovative re-search, analysis and strategic guidance to banks and credit unions, explores consumer perceptions of their finan-cial acumen versus the reality of their knowledge, as well as the impact of financial programs on consumers’ rela-tionships with their financial institutions.

While nearly half of study respon-dents (44 percent) self-report that they are extremely or very financially literate, when asked to take a financial quiz, few-er than half achieved a passing score, and only 6 percent scored an “A” grade of 90 percent or better. Given these findings, and the fact that 84 percent of U.S. consumers have not attended a financial literacy program, there is significant opportunity for financial in-stitutions to help grow their customers’ financial knowledge.

“Financial institutions have a pow-erful role to play in developing finan-cial literacy today,” says DAVID IRWIN, Raddon’s president. “A majority of customers who participate in a financial education program find value—and in a market that is intensely experience- and relationship-driven, providing financial education can help institutions to stand out and build depth with their customers.”

Generational considerations are also important. Typically, financial literacy improves with age and income, as does reported financial confidence. A notable exception in the survey are members of Generation X, who ex-hibit less confidence in their financial literacy than millennials, perhaps due to their life stage during the dot-com bust of the early 2000s and the 2008 recession. The impact of these events personally and professionally sets them apart from the rest of the study

respondents in that they are less likely to be overconfident about their financial knowledge, and their financial goals are more likely aimed at recovery and stability than other generations.

Understanding current consumer attitudes toward financial literacy is key to the success of financial education efforts. For example, more than half of consumers (51 percent) feel that understanding financial concepts and financial products is required only on a need-to-know basis, or if they are in need of a certain financial product.

This means that education efforts should be focused on the most impact-ful areas, including money management, retirement and investments. More than a third of respondents (38 percent) said this type of financial literacy program would be extremely or very valuable, with higher numbers among millennials (55 percent) and major bank customers

(47 percent). Those who said they had attended a financial literacy program scored higher on the Raddon financial quiz, indicating positive impact. In addition, 18 percent said that such a program would influence their decision to bring more business to the institution hosting the program.

“Imagine the benefits for both cus-tomers and institutions if this model played out,” Irwin says. “Banks and credit unions can provide the insights their customers need to thrive and their customers’ financial success will, in turn, lead to deeper financial institution relationships.”

Practical suggestions for financial institutions are to offer educational pro-grams for consumers at a younger age, create programming with wide appeal and make programs ongoing to help people build on their knowledge.

The research data was compiled from 1,200 online surveys completed during fall 2017 from a randomly drawn sample of a nationally representative on-line survey panel of U.S. adults ages 18 and older. A preview of the study is avail-able at raddon.com/Financial-Literacy and a blog post highlighting key findings is at raddon.com/raddon-report/ financial-literacy-it-worth-investment. •

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A R K A N S A S Magby, Whitley, Anthony, Krauss and Henderson Expand Southern Bancorp Bank’s Hot Springs TeamLittle Rock-based Southern Bancorp Bank’s Hot Springs team has grown by five with the recent additions of Ron Magby, Blake Whitley, Jordan Anthony, Mandi Krauss and Chris Henderson. All five will be based in Hot Springs at the bank’s 4138 Central Ave. location.

RON MAGBY has been named Hot Springs market president. He comes to Southern Bancorp with 25 years of

banking experience and a background in market management, commercial lending and private banking. Magby received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Arkansas Tech University in 1993

and graduated from the Arkansas Bankers Association Lending School in 1995. He is active in the Hot Springs community, serving as a board member and past president of the Lake Hamilton Optimist Club, president of the Miracle League of Garland County and a board member of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.

BLAKE WHITLEY has been named West Region division president. He has worked in banking for 27 years, with

roles ranging from executive vice president to loan review officer to state bank examiner. He received his bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from Henderson

State University in 1990, and has attended numerous banking schools and seminars. Whitley is currently a trustee for the Olds Foundation and serves on the board of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership for Economic Development.

With 14 years of banking experi-ence, JORDAN ANTHONY has been hired as senior vice president of commercial lending in Hot Springs. He received a

bachelor in business management degree and MBA degree from Henderson State University. Anthony has also attended Arkansas Bankers Association Commercial Lending School.

MANDI KRAUSS is the bank’s new senior vice president of business and community development. She has 20

years of banking experience and a background in bank marketing, business development and treasury manage-ment. A Hot Springs native, Krauss received her bachelor’s degree in

marketing from Louisiana Tech Universi-ty. She is the treasurer for the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Garland County.

CHRIS HENDERSON has been named vice president and credit analyst. He has worked in the banking industry for

the past 10 years and is a graduate of Henderson State University, where he received both his undergraduate degree and an MBA degree.

“Not only are these individuals

bringing a wealth of banking experience to Southern, they’re also bringing a pas-sion for helping everyone in the commu-nity,” says BILL WRIGHT, the bank’s West Region CEO.

Founded in 1986 by political, busi-ness and philanthropic leaders who were concerned about the economic decline of rural Arkansas, Southern Bancorp Bank is one of the nation’s larg-est rural development banks. With $1.2 billion in assets, the company has 46 locations in Arkansas and Mississippi. •

MAGBY

WHITLEY

KRAUSS

HENDERSON

O K L A H O M A

Hines Named Branch Manager at First Fidelity Bank in MacArthurOklahoma City-based First Fidelity Bank has promoted JOSH HINES to banking officer and branch manager of the

company’s MacAr-thur branch. He brings more than five years of banking experience to his new position where he will be responsi-ble for client retention, business development and

staff oversight while managing the overall operations of the MacArthur branch. Hines has been with First Fidelity Bank as an assistant manager for the past two years.

Founded in 1920, First Fidelity Bank operates 29 locations across Oklahoma and Arizona. •

O K L A H O M A

Tramell Promoted at Kirkpatrick BankCHEYANNE TRAMELL has been promoted to operations assistant manager at Edmond-based Kirkpatrick Bank. She

joined the bank three years ago, having previously served as a person-al banker at another bank. She began her career with Kirkpat-rick Bank in the customer service department, where

she worked as a wire transfer clerk and handled debit card fraud investigations. She also spent time in the credit department before rejoining the customer service department.

Founded in 1970 as American Bank and Trust, Kirkpatrick Bank has loca-tions in Edmond and Oklahoma City, as well as Colorado branches in Denver and Colorado Springs. •

HINES

TRAMELL

ANTHONY


T E X A S

Prominent Attorney Joins Jefferson Bank BoardSan Antonio lawyer HENRY B. GONZALEZ III has been appointed to serve on the board of directors for Jefferson Bank,

also based in the Alamo City. Gonza-lez is a founding partner of Gonzalez Chiscano Angulo & Kasson PC. Over the course of more than a decade, he has been recognized repeatedly as a

“Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly magazine. Also, Scene in SA magazine has named him one of “San Antonio’s Best Lawyers” nine of the past 10 years.

Gonzalez has been active with KIPP San Antonio Public Schools, part of the national KIPP network of free, open-en-rollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. He also assists other nonprofit charitable organizations with missions directed toward children.

Independent, locally owned Jef-ferson Bank operates locations in San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels. •

T E X A S

Charter Bank Names Williams SVPThe board of directors for Corpus Christi-based Charter Bank recently

promoted DEBBIE WILLIAMS to senior vice president of commercial, industrial and real estate lending. She has more than 36 years of banking experience and has been with Charter

Bank since 2015.Founded in 1962, Charter Bank

serves the Corpus Christi and Rockport markets. •

GONZALEZ

WILLIAMS

L O U I S I A N A First National Bankers Bankshares Announces Memphis Capital Markets Office and Hiring of New StaffIn July, Baton Rouge-based First National Bankers Bankshare, Inc. announced the opening of its FNBB Capital Markets office in Memphis, Tennessee, with a team of fixed-income professionals in place to serve customers. The Memphis team includes STEVE WEISMAN, senior vice president; JOHN LORINO, senior vice president; JAMIE MOORE, senior vice president of fixed income trading;

JP ZDANCEWICZ, senior vice president; and CHRISTIE JOHNSON, vice president of business development.

FNBB Capital Markets is a division of First National Bankers Bank, a subsidi-ary of First National Bankers Bankshares Inc. It was chartered in 1983 and has offices in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkan-sas, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee. •

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L O U I S I A N A Fendley Joins First Guaranty BankHammond-based First Guaranty Bank recently hired TERRY FENDLEY to the lending team to represent the Lafay-ette and Acadiana markets. He brings 33 years of lending and management experience in the financial industry, in-cluding nine years at Capital One Bank. Fendley also received Omega Perfor-mance training for business banking (commercial loans and small business)

and financial ac-counting for lenders.

First Guaranty Bank, a Louisiana state-chartered bank founded in 1934, operates 27 branches through-out Louisiana and Texas. •FENDLEY

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A R K A N S A S Banking Exchange Magazine Recognizes Citizens Bank’s Starnes with ‘20 Under 40’ AwardIn July, Banking Exchange magazine named SANDY STARNES of Bates-ville-based Citizens Bank as a recipient

of its inaugural “20 Under 40” Award. Starnes, who is one of only 20 winners nationwide to be honored, is vice president of emerging products and services for Citizens Bank.

Banking Exchange magazine describes Starnes as “a noteworthy example of an up-and-coming banker who will help banks thrive in the next decade.” She was selected by a group of four judges, including two bank CEOs, the head of a graduate school of bank-ing and the magazine’s publisher.

In creating its new “20 Under 40” list, Banking Exchange magazine says its recipients “have already made an impact not only in their respective institutions, but also in their commu-nities, and often in their states. These young bankers are pushing for changes and already have brought about change

despite the relatively early stage of their careers.”

Earlier this year, Starnes was pro-moted to her current position over-seeing and managing the expansion of Citizens Bank into new customer service opportunities. During her 10 years with Citizens Bank, Starnes has been instrumental in the development of an orientation program for new employees, the bank’s Leadership EDGE program and the creation of a student board of directors. She currently is guiding the development of a business model rede-sign team for the bank.

Last year, Starnes was appointed to the American Bankers Association Emerging Leaders Advisory Board. She also is a member of the Arkansas Bankers Association Emerging Leaders Council.

Starnes holds a bachelor of busi-ness administration and marketing degree from Arkansas State University and is a graduate of the Barret School of Banking.

Founded in 1953, Citizens Bank has approximately 180 employees and more than $750 million in assets. •

STARNES

T E X A S

Texas Mortgage Bankers Association Honors Coke for Distinguished ServiceThe Texas Mortgage Bankers Associa-tion (TMBA) recently honored AMY COKE of Polunsky Beitel Green LLP with the

2018 Larry E. Temple Distin-guished Service Award, based on her leadership and service to the association and the mortgage banking industry.

Coke is the busi-ness development director for Polunsky Beitel Green, one of the nation’s top providers of closing services for resi-dential mortgage lenders.

She has served on the TMBA board since 2011, and served as co-chair of the association’s convention this year. She has been the program director for the Dallas Mortgage Bankers Associ-ation since 2016, after serving as the group’s president in 2014.

Polunsky Beitel Green LLP has offic-es in San Antonio and Dallas. •

O K L A H O M A

Williams Joins Oklahoma Fidelity BankLUKE WILLIAMS was recently hired as vice president–commercial banker at Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Fidelity

Bank. With 16 years of banking experi-ence, he will develop new business relationships and provide existing lending customers with working capital solutions and credit. Williams graduated

from the University of Central Oklahoma with a BBA degree in finance.

Oklahoma Fidelity Bank has eight lo-cations serving Oklahoma City, Edmond and Moore. •

COKE

WILLIAMS

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T E X A S SouthStar Bank Opens New Branch in GeorgetownMoulton-based SouthStar Bank has opened its newest full-service branch at 4535 Williams Dr. in Georgetown. The bank, which specializes in residential mortgage, real estate and construc-tion lending, operates 15 full-service branches, including five additional Austin-area locations.

The established team includes KEVIN KELLY, senior vice president and branch executive; CURTIS WREN, senior vice president and chief credit officer; JEFF PAREJA, vice president; and MARY MOJICA, loan assistant. They are joined at the Georgetown location by SouthStar

Bank’s newest team members: KATHLEEN BRUNING, senior mortgage loan officer; TINA ZANDER, branch operations manager; RENAE WHITE, custom-er service represen-tative; and KATHERN ALLISON, customer service representative. Combined they offer an impressive 150 years of experience in the financial industry. •

T E X A S Vantage Bank Texas and Inter National Bank to MergeIn July, San Antonio-based VANTAGE BANK TEXAS announced that it had filed applications to merge with McAl-len-based INTER NATIONAL BANK, with the resulting combination to be named Vantage Bank Texas. The merger is expected sometime during the fourth quarter of 2018. If approved, the combined entity would hold $1.9 billion in total assets and create Texas’ 42nd largest bank.

Plans are to maintain all 24 com-bined branches across the company’s footprint. The combined banks will pro-vide expanded products and services to San Antonio and South and Central Tex-as, as well as El Paso and international clientele. “Our intention [is] to place as many of our current associates as we can in meaningful roles in the combined organization,” Vantage Bank reported in a fact sheet issued about the merger. Inter National Bank employed 394 and Vantage Bank Texas had 89 employees as of March 31.

“[Inter National Bank has] a long history of serving the international mar-ket and we are pleased to offer those international products and services to our Vantage Bank Texas customers,” says GUY BODINE, Vantage Bank Texas’ chairman, president and CEO.

SAM MUNAFO, president and CEO of Inter National Bank, will assume the role of president and CEO of the com-

bined bank at the time of the merger. Bodine had previously announced his retirement, but will stay with the bank through the merger to assist with the transition. Other leadership positions have yet to be announced.

Although Inter National Bank is the larger of the two companies, the Vantage Bank Texas website states:

“Executives consider that the Vantage Bank Texas name more broadly con-nects with the strategy to serve the communities, businesses and people of Texas, while better serving international clients through expanded products and markets.”

According to the San Antonio Ex-press-News, the merger has been in the works for more than a year. In spring 2017, the family of James W. Collins purchased—or, more appropriately, re-purchased—100 percent interest in Inter National Bank from Grupo Financiero Banorte of Mexico, having sold the bank to Grupo Financiero Banorte in 2006. The Collins Family Trusts already owned a controlling interest in Vantage Bancorp, the parent company of Vantage Bank Texas. The family acquired the remaining shares in Vantage Bank Texas in April, setting the stage for the merger.

The board of the merged bank will be comprised of members of the Collins family, along with business leaders selected from the bank’s markets. •

T E X A S

Charis Holdings Acquires Justin State BankCHARIS HOLDINGS INC., a Dallas-based bank holding company, completed its acquisition of JUSTIN STATE BANK on May 18. Based in Justin, the 111-year-old bank has one location serving the Justin community and surrounding markets.

“We look forward to continuing those community traditions while committing to further enhance the client experience through new product offerings, technol-ogy and client service,” says BEN RATH-JEN, president of Charis Holdings.

“We are excited to find great part-ners who recognize the value of the Justin State Bank franchise and the im-portance of Justin and the surrounding communities,” says CURTIS TALLY, the bank’s former chairman. “This partner-ship will provide JSB with the opportu-nity to better serve our customers and market, while continuing our focus on community banking and local decision making.” Tally will remain on the board of directors of Justin State Bank.

Charis Holdings was advised by COMMERCE STREET CAPITAL LLC as finan-cial advisor and ALSTON & BIRD LLP as legal counsel. Justin State Bank was ad-vised by KLIMKO LAW FIRM PLLC as legal counsel and obtained a fairness opinion from SHESHUNOFF & CO. INVESTMENT BANKING LP. •

SouthStar Bank’s Georgetown team: Renae White, Kathern Allison, Tina Zander, Kevin Kelly, Mary Mojica, Curtis Wren, Kathleen Bruning and Jeff Pareja Sr.


N A T I O N W I D E Troubled and Problematic Banks Drop Below 100 for First Time Since 2007Florida-based BAUERFINANCIAL INC., a leading independent bank and credit union rating firm, has newly released bank and credit union star ratings based on March 31 financial data. Star ratings are assigned on a scale of zero to five stars, with five being the stron-gest and reflecting the overall financial strength of the institution.

There are 99 banks rated two stars or below, thereby relegated to Bauer’s

“Troubled and Problematic” reports. This marks the first time in more than a decade that the list of low-ranking institutions fell below 100.

“It’s really a testament to the prog-ress our financial institutions have made since the Great Recession,” says KAREN L.

DORWAY, president of the research firm. “In the past 10 years, we have lost more than one-third of our nation’s banks—many to mergers, but all too many to failure. What we have left, for the most part anyway, are strong survivors. They have gone the distance and come out the other side stronger and with better policies and procedures than ever.” •

T E X A S

Texas is the Nation’s Top State for Business, According to CNBC StudyIn mid-July, business news network CNBC unveiled the results of its 12th-annual list of “America’s Top States for Business,” with Texas taking the top position. Since the study was introduced in 2007, Texas has placed in the top five every year and is the only state to be named a four-time winner.

This year, the state had top-10 finishes in five of the 10 categories of competitiveness, including two spots at the top. Texas added more than 350,000 jobs in the past year and had solid economic growth—including a 5.2 percent state GDP increase in the fourth quarter—putting the state in first place for the economy category, up from № 25 last year. However, the state had some of the same weaknesses it had the last time it finished on top, taking the № 31 spot for quality of life and № 37 for education this year.

CNBC’s study ranked all 50 states based on their scores in 10 categories of competitiveness. The methodology rates the states based on the attributes that matter most to business. To do that, CNBC scores every state’s economic development marketing materials to see what they are pitching to businesses.

Rounding out the nation’s top five states for business are 2) Washington, 3) Utah, 4) Virginia and 5) Colorado.

For analysis of how Texas claimed the top spot, as well as the rankings for all 50 states, visit topstates.cnbc.com. •

A R K A N S A S Bank OZK Celebrates New Name, Ticker Symbol and Logo at Nasdaq Stock MarketOn July 16, Little Rock-based BANK OZK, formerly Bank of the Ozarks, celebrated the first day of trading under its new name and ticker symbol, OZK, marking the occasion by opening the market at Nasdaq. GEORGE GLEASON, Bank OZK chairman and chief executive officer, was joined by executives from through-out the company to ring the opening bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square.

According to a statement released by the bank, “the company’s name change from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZK reflects our continuing evolution from an Arkansas community bank into a much larger regional bank with national lending businesses.”

“Today marks the beginning of a new journey—one that illustrates our

bank’s evolution in a changing industry,” Gleason says. “Our new name reflects our rich history and our commitment to being a leader in technology and in-novation as we continue our expansion across the United States.”

The Bank OZK name and new logo now appear on the bank’s website, mobile banking, branch interior signage, correspondence and documents. Ex-terior signage with the new name and logo will be installed at Bank OZK’s 253 banking offices and ATMs over the next 90 days.

Bank OZK operates 253 locations in Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, South Caroli-na, New York, California and Mississip-pi. The bank had $22.2 billion in total assets as of June 30. •


T E X A S

WestStar Bank Breaks Ground on High-Rise Project in Downtown El PasoWESTSTAR BANK, along with real estate and infrastructure firm Hunt Companies Inc., recently celebrated the ground-breaking of a landmark project that will bring the first high-rise office building to downtown El Paso in almost 40 years. At 312 feet, the 19-story WestStar Tow-er will be the tallest building in down-town El Paso, dramatically changing the area and reshaping the city’s skyline. Plans indicate that WestStar Tower will open during summer 2020.

WestStar Bank will consolidate its four downtown facilities to the new office tower, which will serve as its corporate headquarters. With a ground floor commercial bank operation and three additional floors, WestStar Bank and its affiliates will have approximate-ly 260 employees in the new location. Additionally, the building will serve as the Hunt Companies’ corporate head-quarters, with about 175 employees occupying three floors of the building.

Occupying a full city block, WestStar Tower will convey world-class architec-ture, state-of-the-art office space and beautiful views to commercial tenants in the heart of the city.

WestStar Bank is a locally owned community bank with assets of more than $1.7 billion. It serves the Borderplex region—El Paso; Las Cruces, New Mexi-co; and areas of Northern Mexico. •

N E W M E X I C O Albuquerque Journal Names Pioneer Bank a Winner of the New Mexico ‘2018 Top Workplaces’ AwardOn June 14, Roswell-based PIONEER BANK was awarded a “2018 Top Workplaces” honor by The Albuquer-que Journal. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, a leading provider of technology-based employ-ee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution and connection.

“We’ve always been a company where our team members get actively

involved,” says CHRISTOPHER G. PALMER, president of Pioneer Bank.

“Top Workplaces is more than just recognition,” says DOUG CLAFFEY, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows or-ganizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover and are better equipped to deliver bottom line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture.”

Founded in 1901, Pioneer Bank has 16 branches and mortgage loan offices in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. •

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L O U I S I A N A BauerFinancial Rates First Federal Bank of Louisiana Five Stars and a ‘Best of Bauer Bank’CHARLES TIMPA, president and CEO of Lake Charles-based FIRST FEDERAL BANK OF LOUISIANA, announced recent-ly that BauerFinancial, a premier bank rating firm, has given the bank its high-est rating, five stars, for the 25th year in a row. A five-star rating indicates that First Federal Bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability and asset quality, as well as several other factors.

First Federal Bank has also procured a “Best of Bauer Bank” designation, which is reserved for banks that have main-tained Bauer’s highest rating consis-tently for the past 25 years.

“This…supports our culture of strong compliance and consistent financial management of our bank,” Timpa says.

First Federal Bank of Louisiana has 16 branches serving 10 communities. •


A R I Z O N A

Branches

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reports that FIRST NATIONAL BANK TEXAS, based in Killeen, Texas, has applied to open a branch at 1380 W. Elliot Rd. in Tempe.

T E X A S

Mergers and Acquisitions

The Texas Department of Banking (TDB) reports that ALLEGIANCE BANK, based in Houston, has applied to merge with and into POST OAK BANK NA, based in Houston.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reports that INDEPENDENT BANK GROUP INC., based in McKinney, has applied to acquire 100 percent of GUARANTY BANCORP and, indirectly, GUARANTY BANK AND TRUST CO., both in Denver, Colorado.

Branches

The OCC reports that it has approved an application by ICON BANK OF TEXAS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, based in Houston, to open two branches: 5253 Hollister St. in Houston; and 27200 FM 1093 Rd. in Fulshear.

The OCC reports that ZB NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has applied to open a branch at 7930 Gulf Frwy., Ste. 300, in Houston.

The OCC reports that WOODFOREST NATIONAL BANK, based in The Woodlands, has opened a branch at 2801 E. Whitestone Blvd. in Cedar Park.

The OCC reports that JPMORGAN CHASE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, based in Columbus, Ohio, has withdrawn an application to establish a branch at the northeast corner of Woodall Rodgers Frwy. and N. Pearl St. in Dallas.

The OCC reports that THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MOODY, based in Moody, has withdrawn an application to establish a branch at 19494 S. Interstate 35 in Bruceville-Eddy.

The TDB reports that FIRSTBANK SOUTHWEST, based in Amarillo, has applied to open a branch at 600 S. Tyler St. in Amarillo.

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TWO RECENT MERGERS have put a hole in my schedule. Call 832/418-0643 for top-quality affordable loan review services.

NEED AN IT AUDIT? Many banks have recently brought their information technology functions in-house. When this is done, new and different kinds of risks arise from both an operational and regulatory standpoint. We can provide you with exactly what you need to assure your IT operations are controlled adequately and in a manner prescribed by your regulator. Need FDICIA or SOX assistance? Call Bryan Kendrick to discuss at 210/413-4134 or e-mail [email protected].

P O S I T I O N S A V A I L A B L E

COMPLIANCE OFFICER WANTED for $750M East Texas bank to administer the bank’s robust compliance management system and ensure proactive regulatory compliance, with emphasis in lending. Please contact Charles Hassell at 903/683-2277 or send résumé to [email protected].

PRESIDENT: Community bank just outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area is looking for a president or senior banker with 10-plus years experience in all aspects of operating a retail bank. Work with the current president during transition. Send résumé to [email protected] or call Anthony Potenti 214/515-7609.

SENIOR COMMERCIAL LENDERS: DALLAS, HOUSTON AND AUSTIN: Texas bank looking for senior commercial lenders in Dallas, Houston and Austin with five to 10 years’ experience originating C&I, CRE, SBA and deposit relationships. Could move into a leadership role. Prefer credit trained, currently producing in the their market. Base salary 125–200k+, progressive incentive plan. Send résumé to [email protected] or call Anthony Potenti at 214/515-7609.

BANK SEARCH AND PLACEMENT: We specialize in officer-level searches requiring high degrees of confidentiality and personal, in-market interaction. Simply better service. Mark Mitchell, Lone Star Search, 972/335-9009, [email protected].

EXPERIENCED, ABLE LOAN OFFICER: Locally owned and operated, $750-million, A+ Rated community bank (by Weiss Ratings) located in East Texas seeks loan officer. Applicant should have experience in all lending areas and must understand loan regulatory requirements and the importance of outstanding customer service. Primary duty will be generating new loan business with secondary responsibility being servicing existing customer relationships. Salary is commensurate

with qualifications. Submit résumé to [email protected], with

“MAY-1” in the subject line.

LOAN ADMINISTRATION MANAGER–CENTRAL TEXAS: Understanding of all types of loan documentation criteria and lending-related policies and procedures, including compliance. Knowledge of commercial, consumer and mortgage loans is preferred. Management experience is preferred, but not required. [email protected] 214/515-7606.

PRESIDENT: Looking for senior CRE lender/manager for president role in central Texas with $700-million bank. Strong builder construction development lending with strong credit skills. Please call or email [email protected] or 214/515-7606.

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L O U I S I A N A MidSouth Bank Supports Elderly and Disabled in Mesquite, TexasIn July, Lafayette-based MIDSOUTH BANK presented $1,000 to the City of Mesquite, Texas, to assist with its ongoing efforts to provide minor exterior repairs to the homes of elderly and disabled people in the community. The city’s initiatives are making the homes a safer place for the residents to live. Some improvements include repairs to sheds, build-out of accessi-bility ramps and removal of debris. Founded in 1985, Mid-South Bank has 42 locations in Louisiana and Texas and assets of $1.9 billion as of March 31. •

Yolanda Wilson, City of Mesquite manager of neighborhood vitality (third from left), accepts the MidSouth Bank donation from bank employees Kay Carlise, Brad Wenzel, Tammy Rowan, Judy Trammell and Stacy Monroy.

july 23, 2018 | volume 153, number 4 | bankersdigest€¦ · search, analysis and strategic...

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