Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Koncaba.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Kristi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My husband and I made the decision we wanted to start a new bank in early 2010. This was not a regulatory friendly timeframe to form a new bank charter, so we felt our best bet was to find a bank to purchase. We identified Bank of Fort Bend and started the process of obtaining regulatory approvals and raising $12 million in capital for the purchase. We successfully achieved both, and in March 2011, we completed the acquisition of the $30 million in assets, Bank of Fort Bend, and shortly thereafter renamed the bank to what we are known as today – Texan Bank.
Since that time, we have had several subsequent capital raises totaling $29 million to continue organically growing the bank to approximately $265 million in assets today. I am involved with several other volunteer activities in addition to being a Board Member, President and Chief Operating Officer of Texan Bank. I have been appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors. I also serve on the following Board of Directors: Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (Executive Board starting in October 2018), South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce, Bay Area YMCA Advisory Board (Chairman), and Innovative Alternatives (a local non-profit that provides counseling services for victims of violent crimes).
Texan Bank was named a Best Place to Work in Houston in 2016 and 2017 by the Houston Business Journal and Best Place to Work in Texas in 2018 by Texas Monthly Magazine. In May of 2018, we were honored by Texas Bankers Association with the Cornerstone Award for our Kidz Harbor service project.
Growing up, my dad was an air conditioning repairperson and my mom was a homemaker and church volunteer. I was the youngest of 5 children. Our parents taught us all the value of working hard and that we could do anything we wanted if we dedicated ourselves to achieving it. My mom and dad loved each other very much and when my mom passed away in March of 2015, we told my dad, and for the first time ever, we saw tears. He never spoke again and died of what I think was a broken heart 6 weeks later. I was a rambunctious teenager who loved being social and reading. School came easy for me, so I had to get focused in college.
Speaking of college, with 7 family members and only my dad working, we were at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. I had to work full-time throughout my college career, which took me 11 years to obtain my undergrad and graduate degrees, but I persevered. I was never bitter about this. I was honestly very proud because it was not always easy. The work and academic experience I achieved was very beneficial and helped me to move quickly through my career path which included jobs in administration, accounting, information technology, contract negotiations, human resources, etc. It all paved the path to where I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Starting or purchasing a bank is not an easy task, nor is it without its risks. However, in my opinion, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. My husband and I had to make the decision to work on this project full-time without other employment. In addition, the process of starting a new bank is very costly, with multiple legal, accounting, and professional fees adding up to nearly seven-digit figures.
Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that we would raise the needed capital or obtain the required regulatory approvals, so there is risk of being liable for the bills and not having a bank. Of course, you can just imagine all of the special challenges of being married to your business partner as well as having a young child to consider. It was through a lot of prayers, hard work, sweat, and tears that we pulled it off. All in all, we are extremely blessed that we were successful.
Running a bank has its challenges, too. The regulatory, political, interest rate, and economic environment makes managing a bank like a juggling act, where you have to be very flexible and always on the ball. This is our passion, though, and we would not trade it for anything.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Texan Bank is a community bank that is invested in our community. Local ownership and local decision makers, along with our own active involvement in the day-to-day bustling of the surrounding communities and businesses we serve, pave the way for more efficient and more effective business. Texan Bank’s focus on servant leadership sets us apart from other banks.
The way we look at servant leadership is a 3-prong approach: internal, external and community. First of all, we serve each other as co-workers internally. We literally love each other! What I mean by that is that we love in the Greek agape form, meaning unconditional love rooted in behavior towards others without regard to their due. In my opinion, the best leadership characteristic of a true leader is one that puts their own needs and wants aside and chooses to do what is best for someone else.
Secondly, we serve our external customers. Customer interactions must emphasize ALL of the servant leadership characteristics such as integrity, kindness, respect, patience, active listening, etc. Even if certain employees do not have actual interaction with our customers, they still think of them in all the decisions they make. Who are we if we don’t have customers?
Our final prong is community servant leadership. I have experienced the biggest hearts here at Texan Bank. Our employees have brought me to tears as I have witnessed the kindness and generosity they have demonstrated towards helping others in need. Whether it is a fellow co-worker or a child they have never seen or met… their generosity is profound.
Our employees continue to spread this goodness and joy to our community by including their significant others, children, and grandchildren in building legacies that will carry on for generations. This is the essence of servant leadership!
What I am most proud of is our commitment to a group foster home named Kidz Harbor. Texan Bank started its intentional shift to community servant leadership and was seeking a local charity with which it could support in a big way. We found a local group foster home that houses up to 60 to 80 resident children at any time named Kidz Harbor. Kidz Harbor’s mission is to house and help the abused and abandoned children of Texas with a specialty of keeping sibling groups together.
The home is located in Liverpool, Texas and has short-term and long-term care, with some residents staying for only a few months to others staying several years like an orphanage. Kidz Harbor provides a safe harbor for these children while attending to their medical and physiological needs. Texan Bank’s employees have made a big difference since their involvement with the home by building closets for the boy’s rooms, organizing a back-to-school drive for backpacks and school supplies, a Winterfest with real “snow” for the children to play in, duffle bag drive so that no child will have to leave with their belongings in a trash bag, and more.
In addition, the bank has organized two Splash Into Summer Bash festivals, which are a full day of summer fun (slides, swimming, an obstacle course, snow cones, painting, face painting, games with prizes, etc.) for the children, where we also raised more than $21,000 total in cash and in-kind donations. Through my connections on the Bay Area YMCA Advisory Board, I raised funds to provide on-site group swimming lessons for the children this past summer. This is an invaluable skill that builds confidence and prevents the potential for a drowning incident.
Unfortunately, the long-term care facility at Kidz Harbor also fell victim to the flooding as a result of Hurricane Harvey. We organized a group of 100+ plus volunteers, including a 20 person professional construction crew who donated 100% of their services, to clean out and muck the 6,000 square foot building within a day. Finally, I am part of a committee who organizes the annual gala to raise funds for Kidz Harbor. At one point in our marriage, Kenny and I were foster parents and we understand the needs of these children. We feel so blessed to be able to serve these beautiful children on a regular basis.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes. The Houston economy is dynamic, diverse, and growing.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12941 Gulf Freeway Suite 100 Houston, TX 77034
- Website: www.texanbank.com
- Phone: 281-276-1800
- Email: ebank@texanbank.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texanbank/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTexanBank/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/texanbank
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