Ex-House Speaker named president of OKC’s Bank2
An Oklahoma Citybased bank has announced the addition of two new members to its leadership team.
Former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives T.W. Shannon was named president of Bank2 by the by the bank’s founder and CEO Ross Hill. Senior Vice President and head of mortgage lending, Gene Watson, has been promoted to the newly created COO position, Ross said in a statement.
Ross will retain his role as CEO.
Ross said the new members of the leadership team will bring vision and steady management as the bank continues to grow. He said the bank has grown its assets from $7.5 million to $140 million since 2002 and ranked in the top 15 percentile of community banks in the nation last year by Seirfried and Brew LLC.
“I am confident that with T.W. Shannon’s management and vision for the future, Bank2 will continue to grow and fulfill its mission of helping people build better lives,” Ross said.
Shannon, a Lawton native and member of the Chickasaw Nation, led the investment banking division of Premier Consulting before coming to Bank2.
He has also worked as the chief administrative officer for Chickasaw Nation Enterprises and was elected to the legislature in 2006.
“I’m excited to join the team at Bank2, an institution with a strong commitment to its mission of serving Chickasaws, Native Americans and fellow Oklahomans,” Shannon said in a statement.
Bank2 is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation and a full-service, community bank. It ranks as the largest Native American home loan lender in Oklahoma and claims customers in 42 states.
Watson has been with Bank2 as the head of retail mortgage lending since 2013 and has more than 19 years of experience in the mortgage industry, according to the release.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job has always been helping people build better lives, to fulfill the dreams they have for their lives and find financial security for their families,” Watson said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to do the same work as the chief operating officer of Bank2.”