Management

Mr. Franklin serves as our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and has served as a director of the Company and the Bank since 2013. Mr. Franklin joined the Company in 2013 in connection with our merger of equals with VB Texas, Inc. From June 2013 until January 2014, Mr. Franklin served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank. In January 2014, he became Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and the Company. He became Chairman of the Bank in January 2015 and Chairman and President of the Company in December 2015. Mr. Franklin began his 40-year Houston banking career working for a small community bank in Houston upon graduation from the University of Texas. He then moved to a large, regional bank before gravitating back to his primary interest of community banking. He became President of American Bank in 1988 where he served until the bank was sold to Whitney Holding Corp. in early 2001. Mr. Franklin and his team then joined Horizon Capital Bank, where Mr. Franklin raised sufficient capital to match the bank's existing capital and took the position of President of Horizon Capital Bank. He served as President until the bank was sold to Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. in 2005. Mr. Franklin then started VB Texas, Inc. in November of 2006 as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, serving until a merger of equals between VB Texas, Inc. and the Company in 2013. Mr. Franklin graduated from the University of Texas in 1977 with a B.B.A. in Finance. He is currently serving on the Board of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and previously served on the Board of the Texas Bankers Association. Mr. Franklin has actively served various charitable organizations over the years, along with serving on the board of a local private school. Mr. Franklin adds financial services experience, especially lending, oil and gas expertise and asset liability management to our board of directors, as well as a deep understanding of the Company's business and operations. Mr. Franklin also brings risk and operations management and strategic planning expertise to our board of directors, skills that are important as we continue to implement our business strategy and acquire and integrate growth opportunities. 

 

Mr. Parsons serves as Vice Chairman of the Company and the Bank. Mr. Parsons was one of the original founders of the Company and has served as a director of the Company and the Bank since 2007. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from 2007 until 2013. Mr. Parsons also served as the Bank's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2007 until 2013. From June 2013 until January 2014, Mr. Parsons served as the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. In January 2014, he became Chairman of the Bank and President of the Company. In January 2015, Mr. Parsons was named Vice Chairman of the Company and the Bank. He began his banking career in 1973 with First City National Bank of Houston as a Management Trainee and has served in various capacities at numerous commercial banks within our market areas, including Community Bank & Trust, SSB, as President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1992 until its sale to Texas Regional Bancshares, Inc. in 2004, Mr. Parsons oversaw Community Bank & Trust's expansion, through organic growth and five acquisitions, to over $1.1 billion in assets and a network spanning 15 Southeast Texas communities. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Lamar University Foundation. Mr. Parsons earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Lamar University in 1971 and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Houston in 1973. With more than 45 years of experience working in the banking industry in Texas and serving as chief executive officer of several institutions, Mr. Parsons brings significant leadership skills and a deep understanding of the local banking market and issues facing the banking industry to our board of directors. 

Mr. Pigott serves as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and of the Bank. He also serves as an advisory director on the boards of directors for the Company and the Bank. He served as Chief Financial Officer and a director of VB Texas, Inc. and Vista Bank Texas from 2010 to 2013 and was appointed to his current positions with the Company and the Bank in 2013 following the Company's merger of equals with VB Texas, Inc. and Vista Bank Texas. In his capacity, he oversees all finance activities, including accounting, financial reporting, investments, and interest rate risk management. Mr. Pigott has over 35 years of financial services experience, having served as Chief Financial Officer for both privately held and publicly-traded institutions in the Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin and McAllen, Texas markets, including Texas Regional Bancshares, Inc. He also spent six years in public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co., a national accounting firm. Mr. Pigott graduated from the University of Mississippi, with a B.B.A. in Accounting, in 1976 and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Mr. Long has more than 19 years of legal experience representing financial institutions in a wide variety of corporate, regulatory and securities matters. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Long served as a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP from 2016 to 2019 where he represented financial institutions in corporate and regulatory matters, including the Company’s initial public offering. Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Mr. Long was a partner at Bracewell LLP where he represented financial institutions in corporate and regulatory matters. Mr. Long received a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Texas and graduated from The University of Texas School of Law.