Our New President: Passing the Torch from Rich Jochetz to Spence Bridges
June 14, 2023
Throughout the first half of 2023, we conducted a thorough search for a new bank president. We are confident that we identified the ideal person to assume the role of Texas Gulf Bank president.
Today, we are announcing a transition from our outgoing president Rich Jochetz, who is retiring after more than 15 years of service in this role at Texas Gulf Bank, to our incoming president, Spence Bridges.
“Rich and I have had a great working relationship, and I am confident Spence can step into the position of president and assist us in continuing to expand the reach of our bank,” says Jimmy Brown, Texas Gulf Bank CEO. “Spence clearly demonstrated the qualities and experiences I was looking for to fill the qualifications and characteristics for our new bank president.”
Identifying the Right Successor to Rich Jochetz
The search for a new bank president began at the end of 2022 when Rich shared his intention to retire. We decided to engage Sudduth Search, a well-respected executive search firm, to aid us in identifying qualified candidates – both internally and externally.
As we conducted the search in the first half of 2023, we narrowed our primary criteria to four important traits we were looking for in a new president.
1. The qualified candidate must be someone who can work closely with CEO Jimmy Brown in day-to-day operations, as well as hiring additional personnel for both growth and succession planning.
2. The candidate must be someone who can network well with our existing team of banking professionals and leadership team.
3. The candidate must possess a strong understanding of credit and the importance of making sound credit decisions.
4. The candidate must have the qualities to deal with customers, regulators, auditors, shareholders, Board members, and any other stakeholder they might come in contact with.
We first encountered Spence Bridges as a candidate for the role when he was referred to our search firm through a retired banker who knew we were looking to hire a new president to take Rich’s place.
After meeting with Spence and other finalists, we identified Spence as the ideal candidate for the role. The decision to move forward with presenting an offer to Spence was unanimous, and we appreciated that Spence accepted the offer.
Transitioning to Spence Bridges as Texas Gulf Bank President
There are many reasons why Spence Bridges was the right choice to succeed Rich Jochetz and become the new bank president. Professionally, Spence enjoyed a 30-year career at Trustmark Bank, where he served in key leadership roles that included Senior Vice President-Commercial Real Estate Manager and Regional President – Houston.
Beyond his resume, Spence is deeply involved in the local community. He also participates in the Texas Bankers Association, the Board of Texas A&M University’s Commercial Banking School, and Mississippi State’s Banking program, where he teaches on an annual basis.
After accepting the offer to become the new president, Spence began the process of learning about our bank, customers, and local communities in May 2023, making a seamless transition. We are fortunate that Rich will continue to serve on our Board and other committees to lend his expertise in a different capacity.
Looking Ahead to a Bright Future for Texas Gulf Bank
Once the presidential transition is complete, Spence and Jimmy Brown will work closely on critical decisions for the bank. Spence will also assume many of the same responsibilities that Rich oversaw, such as Operations, Treasury Services, and Lending.
After Spence becomes more acclimated to his new position as Texas Gulf Bank president, he will have an active role in hiring additional bankers and investigating new markets where our products and services can be delivered to customers.
“I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Rich over the past 15 years. I expect to maintain a good working relationship with Rich through his continued service as a Board member,” says Jimmy Brown. “I’m thankful Spence agreed to join our team and look forward to as many successes with Spence as we have enjoyed with Rich.”
We are looking forward to Spence Bridges building on the legacy that Rich Jochetz leaves behind. Spence is well-equipped to guide our bank into the next era of providing exceptional banking support to our residential and business customers throughout the Gulf Coast region.
– Learn more about Texas Gulf Bank and how we have supported the local community for more than 100 years.
– Contact us today to discover our exceptional banking products that fit your specific needs.