Tom Sellers named chairman of IBAT

AUSTIN, Texas—The Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) is proud to announce that Tom Sellers, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Sulphur Springs-based Alliance Bank, has been elected chairman of the IBAT board of directors for 2021- 22. He officially accepted this position during the association’s 47th annual convention held Sept. 18-21 in Austin.

With a banking career that spans more than 42 years, Sellers has served Sulphur Springs and the surrounding community at Alliance Bank for 33 years. Prior to his time at Alliance Bank, he was a county supervisor at the Farmers Home Administration and vice president and senior leading officer at the Federal Land Bank at Tyler. Sellers has selflessly given to the community banking industry for years, serving as chairman of the IBAT Education Foundation, as well as being a member of the IBAT board and executive committee. He is also on the federal delegate board for the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Sellers is extremely active in his community as well, currently serving as president of the Sulphur Springs Economic Development Corp., a board member for CHRISTUS Hopkins Health Alliance and stewardship chair for First United Methodist Church. Previously, he was president of the Sulphur Springs ISD board of trustees and served on the boards of the Texas Tech University Alumni Association, Rotary Club of Sulphur Springs and NETSEO Trails Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

Sellers received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from Texas Tech University and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He and his wife, Pam, have two grown children and two grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his grandchildren and watching Texas Tech University sports.

IBAT’s 2021-22 elected officers are Chairman Tom Sellers of Alliance Bank in Sulphur Springs, Chairman-Elect K. Kyle Irwin of Western Bank in Gruver, Secretary-Treasurer Christopher Doyle of Texas First Bank in Texas City, Immediate Past Chairman Brad Tidwell of VeraBank, N.A. in Henderson, IBAT Education Foundation Chairman Hazem Ahmed of Independent Financial in Houston and IBAT Leadership Division Chairman Justin Steinbach of Frost Bank in Dallas.

New additions to the IBAT board include John David “J.D.” Baker of Llano National Bank, Thom Canfield of Mason Bank, Mike Fernandez of Texas National Bank in Abilene, Tracy Harris of National Bank & Trust in La Grange, Sloan Kuehl of First National Bank of Central Texas in Waco and Reed Williams of Brady National Bank.