PlainsCapital Bank announced that Jorge Vernaza has joined its Houston lending team as Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Loan Officer.

As Senior Commercial Loan Officer, Vernaza will focus on building and managing relationships with commercial clients to address their business and financial needs. He will work to expand existing client relationships, develop new relationships and enhance commercial portfolios. Vernaza has a strong background in both Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) with former clients across various sectors and sub-sectors of the economy. In the C&I space, he has specialized in industries such as Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing and Healthcare, focusing on businesses with annual revenues of up to $200 million.

“Jorge’s impressive background and deep understanding of the Houston market make him a valuable addition to our team,” said Danny Schroder, Chairman of the Houston Region. “His commitment to building strong client relationships and his proactive approach will greatly benefit our clients as we work together to achieve their goals.”

Vernaza has more than 24 years of experience in financial services. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Lending Officer at Bank OZK, where he focused on business development and managed a diverse commercial portfolio. His career also includes roles in commercial lending and relationship management at Independent Financial, First Citizens Bank, Mercantil Commercebank, BB&T, Wells Fargo and The Vanguard Group.

“I’m excited to join PlainsCapital Bank and work with such a dedicated team,” said Vernaza. “I look forward to helping our clients navigate their financial needs and grow their businesses.”