LEGEND BANK ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS
DECEMBER 20/BOWIE, TX: Legend Bank, a community bank serving North Texans for over 132 years, is pleased to announce the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors: Matt Brown, East Regional President, EVP; Jeff Brooks, Chief Lending Officer, EVP; John Lee, Chief Credit Officer, EVP; Jodie Payne, Chief Operations Officer, EVP; Mike Rigby, South Regional President, EVP; and Bret Meekins, West Regional President, EVP. All the new board members are members of the Legend Bank executive team and they join Jay Bearden, Legend Bank President and CEO, Todd McMurray, Legend Bank CFO and Toni Lucky, Legend Bank Chief Retail Officer on the Legend Bank Board of Directors.
“We are grateful to have these dedicated bank executives serving as Directors on the Legend Bank Board. Their experience with Legend Bank and our customers, employees and communities is crucial to help us fulfill our mission of enriching the lives of our stakeholders by providing Legendary financial services and resources.” said Dr. Fred Renfro, Legend Bank Board Chairman.
Matt Brown has been in banking for 20 years and has been serving Legend Bank customers for five years. As the East Regional President, EVP, Matt is responsible for overseeing the lending in Sherman, Bonham, Cooper, Whitesboro, Whitewright and surrounding locations. He is a graduate of Austin College and has his MBA from the University of North Texas. He is also a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and obtained a Wharton Leadership certificate.
Jeff Brooks has been in banking for over 28 years and has been serving Legend Bank customers and employees for 16 years. As the Chief Lending Officer, Jeff oversees commercial and mortgage lending for all 13 Legend Bank locations. He is a graduate of Baylor University and the Texas Banking Association (TBA) Lending School.
John Lee has been in banking since 1990 when he began his career as a National Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). He continued his career as a senior credit officer and commercial lender in multiple North Texas banks. He has been with Legend Bank for over 12 years and oversees credit analysis, consumer lending, loan and mortgage operations, loan review, Compliance/BSA/CRA, audit and enterprise risk management. John received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.
Jodie Payne has been in banking for over 40 years and has been with Legend Bank for eight years. She began her banking career as a teller and has spent the majority of her career overseeing deposit and account operations providing a plethora of experience and firsthand knowledge that has been extremely important to improving service to Legend Bank customers and increasing internal efficiencies. As the Chief Operations Officer, she is responsible for deposit operations, customer care, electronic banking, core systems, information technology and fraud loss prevention.
Mike Rigby, a Texas Bankers Hall of Fame Honoree and the 2022 Tarrant County Bankers Association Banker of the Year, has been in banking for over 47 years and has served Legend Bank customers since 2017. He is the Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Board of Directors and also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Council of the Federal Home Loan Banks in Washington, D.C. Chairs. He has previously served as Board Chairman of the Texas Bankers Association and is a member of the Past Chairman’s Council. He is responsible for overseeing the lending at the Legend Bank Tarrant County branches in North Richland Hills and Fort Worth.
Bret Meekins has been with Legend Bank for 35 years and has provided specialized experience in Montague County and surrounding areas. His knowledge of the communities we serve, and his strong agricultural background has helped Legend Bank achieve the honor of being one of the largest cattle lenders in North Texas. As the West Regional President, EVP, Bret is responsible for overseeing the lending in Bowie, Alvord, Decatur, Henrietta, Wichita Falls, Nocona and surrounding areas. He is also responsible for shareholder relations.
“The appointment of these Legend Bank executives to our Board of Directors is so important to the future of our community bank. Each of our board members helps guide and direct the organization to accomplish our vision to enrich our communities with legendary culture, character and innovation,” said Jay Bearden, Legend Bank President and CEO.
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| Brett Meekins, West Regional President, EVP | Jeff Brooks, Chief Lending Officer, EVP | John Lee, Chief Credit Officer, EVP | Jodie Payne, Chief Operations Officer, EVP | Mike Rigby, South Regional President, EVP | Matt Brown, East Regional President, EVP |
About Legend Bank
Legend Bank N.A. has 13 locations throughout North Texas with total assets of over $952 million. Legend Bank serves the people and businesses in and around Bowie, Alvord, Decatur, Henrietta, Wichita Falls, Nocona, Whitesboro, Sherman, Bonham, Cooper, Whitewright, Fort Worth and North Richland Hills and is one of the largest cattle lenders in North Texas. Legend Bank has proudly served its communities for 132 years and remains focused on the philosophy that banking is, first and foremost, about the people you serve, and that serving others is a privilege.
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