Although Brian Humphreys’ father was a banker in his youth, he did not really grow up around banking. Humphreys’ family has owned and operated a chain of automotive and industrial supply stores for many years. He briefly considered joining the family business, but upon completion of his graduate studies, he instead decided to become a banker. Today, Humphreys is senior executive vice president and chief lending officer at Rio Bank in McAllen.
Path to success
Humphreys attended the University of Texas at Austin and obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Business. After working for a couple of years in the wholesale equipment leasing business, he went back to school and earned an MBA from UT-Arlington. While attending graduate school he worked in the wholesale mortgage business.
Living and working in the Metroplex made him realize he was missing his hometown as well as his family. The opportunity to help people in his community, rather than feeling that he was pushing paper around, really attracted Humphreys to community banking.
He began his banking career with Texas State Bank in 2003 as a management trainee and quickly transitioned to loan officer in his hometown of Weslaco. After Texas State Bank was sold to BBVA, he was asked to build a new Rio Bank branch in Weslaco, where he served as the banking center president for five years.
In 2013, his mentor, Ford Sasser, asked Humphreys to join the executive team at Rio Bank as the chief lending officer. Since then, Rio Bank has grown from about a $225 million bank with eight branches to a $550 million bank with 14 locations.
Humphreys has served in his current role at Rio Bank since 2014, where he manages and assists the bank’s lending staff with credit structure, financial analysis and pre-screening loan requests. His role also includes oversight of all loan operations, the special assets department and overall management of the loan portfolio.
He also serves as chairman of the Officer’s Loan Committee and Director’s Loan Committee and participates in the Asset and Liability Management Committee. He completed his studies at the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin.
In lending, Humphreys enjoys the ability to help people in the community.
“We enjoy sitting down with our customers to come up with plans and solutions that will set them up for success,” Humphreys said.
About Rio Bank
Rio Bank began operating in 1985 as Rio National Bank, serving primarily as a retail bank with a focus on the used auto business. The bank underwent a significant change in ownership in 1999 when the bank was in a difficult financial and regulatory position. Sasser became the president and CEO and transitioned the bank to a state-chartered commercial bank with an emphasis on real estate lending.
“Our mission is to be one of the main reasons that the economy of our community will grow and prosper for the benefit of those that live here,” Humphreys said.
After completing the acquisition of Elsa State Bank in August 2018, the bank’s focus has been on constructing a new 115,000-square-foot, six-story office building to house many of its almost 200 employees. They hope to move into the new headquarters in June.
In the community
One of Humphreys’ proudest accomplishments is his position as a founding board member of the Knapp Community Care Foundation, which was founded with $100 million and contributes about $5 million to the community each year to improve the health of Mid Valley families.
From diabetes and obesity research to providing access to healthcare for the indigent, the foundation will be helping local families improve their health for many years to come. While his time on the board is soon coming to an end, Humphreys is excited about the opportunity to contribute to the community in new ways. He is currently serving on the McAllen Economic Development Corp. Board and has previously served on boards of the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce, Valley Nature Center and Kiwanis Club of Weslaco.
An Emerging Leader
Last year, Humphreys was honored with an Emerging Leader Award from the Texas Bankers Foundation at the TBA Annual Convention.
Humphreys is also on the Texas Bankers Association’s Future of Banking Task Force Committee, where he has been able to see how community bankers coming together can have a real effect on the future of community banks.
“Seeing the impact we can make really opened my eyes, especially when the core providers responded to TBA,” Humphreys said. “I didn’t realize how much we could drive the future of banking with a group of Texas bankers and the good it can have on all banks. With one bank, it’s hard to make a difference, but collectively, we have a very strong voice.”
Outside the bank
One of Humphreys’ favorite getaways is to Isla Mujeres in Mexico. Having spent a semester abroad in Monterrey, Mexico, Humphreys utilizes what he calls “survival Spanish” as he and his wife, Amanda, travel throughout Mexico frequently. When he can’t get away to Mexico, the family enjoys spending time on South Padre Island. On Saturdays, Humphreys can be found on the golf course with his friends or with his wife watching their daughters participate in gymnastics or showing goats.