Pub. 16 2019 Issue 3

18 O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S BANK NEWS “John Anderson Named to the Best Lawyers in America” John Anderson, executive vice president of the New Mexico Bankers Association, has been selected by his peers to be included in the 26th edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Banking and Finance Law. He has been included in this select publica - tion since 1995. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprising confiden - tial evaluations by top attorneys from around the United States. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers has been regarded by both the profession and the public as the most credible and definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. The Best Lawyers in America is one of the most visible peer-review publications in the legal profession. They part - ner with many of the highest circulated publications in the world, including ‘The Wall Street Journal,” “The New York Times,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The Washington Post,” and “The Chicago Tribune.” AimBank Announces Planned Acquisition of FNB New Mexico Littlefield-based AimBank recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Clayton, New Mexico-based FNB New Mexico. Once the acquisition is finalized, AimBank is expected to have more than $1.7 billion in total assets. With approximately $254 million in assets, FNB New Mexico currently has banking offices in Angel Fire, Clay - ton, Logan, Raton, Santa Rosa and Tucumcari, as well as one location in Dalhart, Texas. AimBank currently main - tains 18 full-service locations in the Panhandle, South Plains, Permian Basin and Big Country regions of Texas. This acquisition is instrumental in AimBank’s vision of expanding its footprint into Eastern New Mexico. “This is a natural fit for AimBank and provides us an ample opportunity to serve more markets,” says Scott Wade, CEO of AimBank. “The advantages of this expansion for our existing cus - tomers are exciting,” noted Craig Reeves, CEO of FNB New Mexico. “AimBank will bring technology enhancements, increased lending capabilities, and a wider trade area. I look forward to my new endeavor with AimBank, serving as the Northeast New Mexico regional president and join - ing AimBank’s executive management.” Texas Tech School of Banking Honors Profes- sionals at 46th Annual Graduation The Texas Tech University School of Banking recently completed its 46th annual session, which saw record en - rollment. Seventy-nine banking professionals from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas traveled to Lubbock to participate in this year’s program. Established in 1973, the school offers a blend of tra - ditional academic coursework and interactive lecture sessions hosted by industry experts and Texas Tech University faculty. To graduate from the program, partici - pants must attend for two years, each year consisting of an intense weeklong session. This year, 31 bankers completed the program. Included in the Texas Tech University School of Banking Class of 2019 are: • Courtney Hodges, Citizens Bank of Clovis; • Jordan Stone, First National Bank, Alamogordo; • Gina Torres, Western Bank, Artesia Forbes Names Best-In-State Banks To gauge which banks in the U.S. have the most satisfied customers, Forbes magazine has partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 25,000 con - sumers about their banking relationships. The result is the publication’s second annual list of the “Best-In-State Banks and Credit Unions.” National financial institutions with branches in at least 15 states were excluded from the final rankings. Overall, 149 banks qualified. Consumers were asked 20 questions about their financial dealings. The banks and credit unions were rated on overall rec - ommendations and satisfaction, as well as five subdimen - sions: trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services and financial advice. The “Best-In-State Banks and Credit Unions” listed for New Mexico: 1. New Mexico Bank & Trust, Albuquerque 2. Pioneer Bank, Roswell 3. Bank of Albuquerque Enterprise Bank & Trust Announces Investments To Help Respond to Critical Community Needs Enterprise Bank & Trust recently announced its collec- tive investment of nearly half a million dollars to seven New Mexico nonprofit organizations through the Enterprise Bank & Trust Foundation. This commitment provides resources directly to the Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Albuquerque com - munities over the next three years. The investment is being made in addition to the commitments previously made by