Birmingham, Alabama-based ServisFirst Bank is opening a Houston office, marking its first brick-and-mortar presence in Texas, the lender said Monday.
The bank also named Christopher Dvorachek as its inaugural regional CEO for Texas. Dvorachek comes to ServisFirst from Woodforest National Bank, where he last served as executive vice president and managing director for commercial banking, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“We are thrilled to officially launch ServisFirst Bank in Texas under Chris's leadership,” Tom Broughton, the bank’s CEO, said in a release. “His deep experience, strong business acumen and proven ability to build successful markets make him the ideal person to establish our footprint in Texas.”
The $18 billion-asset commercial lender launched correspondent banking services in the state in 2023 and is working with a tenant representative to identify permanent offices, it said.
The move further bolsters Texas’ status as among the most coveted markets for banks to expand. Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Bank, for example, dipped into the market twice this year to ground itself in the Lone Star State – first acquiring Dallas-based Veritex Community Bank in a $1.9 billion deal, then proposing a $7.4 billion purchase of Cadence Bank, which counts Houston among its dual headquarters.
As the Trump administration retook office and observers predicted relaxed regulations and a more robust backdrop for mergers and acquisitions, Texas – and the 300 banks based within the state – was projected early on to be a hub of activity.
Smaller banks sought access to Houston, and Houston banks took aim to expand elsewhere in the state. National players like Huntington, and later Fifth Third, picked up some of the state’s larger lenders, while regional banks such as Montana-based Glacier made their own multimillion-dollar moves.
Texas is hardly the only market with fervent expansion activity in 2025. Banks have focused elsewhere in the Sun Belt. North and South Carolina – particularly, markets like Charlotte – have seen a swell in activity as lenders like U.S. Bank, Citi, Huntington, Fifth Third, First Horizon and, most recently, Royal Bank of Canada subsidiary City National have moved to expand or put down roots there.
“Texas has a remarkable economy with exceptional opportunity,” Dvorachek said Monday. “We have assembled a highly talented team of commercial bankers, portfolio managers and treasury professionals who are dedicated to delivering the efficiency, responsiveness and client-centric approach that ServisFirst Bank is known for.”
That team includes Steven Taylor, Lori Christian and Michael Reyes as senior vice presidents and commercial banking officers; Dena Chapa as a senior vice president and portfolio manager; and Lorena Chavez as a vice president and treasury management sales officer.
The buildout of the Texas team wasn’t ServisFirst’s only announcement Monday. The bank also named Hal Clemmer, previously ServisFirst’s regional CEO for Georgia, as its chief banking officer.
“To my teammates and clients over the past 35 years — thank you for the relationships, support and memories that have shaped my career and enriched my life,” Clemmer wrote Tuesday in a LinkedIn post. “This opportunity is especially meaningful because it brings me back to my hometown. I’m grateful for the journey and excited for what lies ahead.”
