Pub. 15 2018 Issue 3

24 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 BANKERS ON THE MOVE Wells Fargo Promotes McGrath to Business Banking Manager Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Wells Fargo Bank has named Ryan McGrath business banking manager for its New Mexico and Texas/Mexico border region. He will lead an 80-member team serving business customers in the region, succeeding Bruce Beebe, who recently retired. Mc - Grath previously was the business banking area manager for the border and Southern New Mexico. McGrath has a BA degree in accounting and a BA degree in banking and finance from Mississippi State University. He is a board member of the Borderplex Alliance and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Easton Named Century Bank Branch Manager Karen Easton recently joined Santa Fe-based Centu - ry Bank as vice president and branch manager to serve the Los Alamos community. She has more than 25 years of banking experience in management, private banking and wealth management. Easton graduated from Port - land State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos and the Los Alamos chapter of 100+ Women Who Care. First National 1870 Creates Specialized Busi- ness Banking Team in Santa Fe Denver, Colorado-based First National 1870 has hired two executives to create a new business banking group in Los Alamos and Santa Fe. Tara Block-Archuleta, vice president/business banker, brings more than 20 years of banking experience, with a background in business banking, consumer lending and branch management. She is also a licensed real estate professional. Block-Archuleta was most recently a business development officer for a community bank in Santa Fe. She has a bachelor of applied science degree in psychology from the University of New Mexico. Randy Lucero, assistant vice president/business banker, has more than 15 years of experience in financial services. Most recently, he was a business relationship manager/ commercial lender in Santa Fe for a national bank. Lucero has been an advisor on the Small Business Advisory Coun - cil of the Santa Fe Business Incubator since 2014. Century Bank Welcomes Wagnon In early July, Paul Sowards, president and CEO of Santa Fe-based Century Bank, announced the hiring of Frank Wagnon to the bank’s commercial lending team as a senior vice president. With 36 years in the banking industry and a background in correspondent banking and commercial lending, Wagnon will work with community banks in Texas and New Mexico to assist with their credit needs. His specialties will include over-line participation loans, bank stock loans, and mergers and acquisition financing up to $10 million. Wagnon graduated from Texas A&M Univer - sity with a BBA degree in finance. He will take office at the Century Bank’s Southlake location. Las Cruces Banker Top Student at Banking School On June 15, Brandy Darden, senior vice president and commercial lender at Western Heritage Bank in Las Cruces, was awarded the 2018 Gayle Earls Academic Achievement Award, an honor bestowed each year at the Western States School of Banking at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo - rado. The award recognizes Darden as the school’s top-per - forming student. Darden has been with Western Heritage Bank since 2017. She is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where she received a bachelor’s of agriculture economics degree and a master of agriculture economics degree and a master agriculture economics degree with an emphasis in finance. She has been in the banking industry for 22 years. Four Corners Community Bank Welcomes Thompson and McNeill to its Board After 18 years with its original director-ship, Farmington based Four Corners Community Bank recently added two members to its board of directors. Both are longstanding bank shareholders. Paul Thompson is a registered professional engineer in New Mexico and president of Walsh Engineering in Farmington. He is a 35-year member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and is a current member of the New Mexico Amigos. He previously served as president of the API Chapter and the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico, was a member of the Farmington Planning and Zoning Commission and past president of the San Juan Country Club. Thompson holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from New Mexico State University. Dr. John McNeill owned a private oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in Farmington for more than 30 years until retiring in 2010. He received his DDS degree from Georgetown School of Dentistry, did his general dentistry residency at Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, and his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of California. McNeill is a current member of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Initiative, both for the City of Farm - ington. He is a past adjunct instructor at San Juan College