Business Digest: Texas Bank and Trust leader selected for Texas Bankers Hall of Fame
Published 5:45 am Sunday, January 25, 2026
Rogers Pope Jr., chairman and CEO of Texas Bank and Trust, is one of five people who will be inducted in April into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
The Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, established by the Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking at SHSU, recognizes and honors the accomplishments of outstanding bankers who have made valuable contributions to the banking profession and pioneered the state’s banking industry.
Pope has been at Texas Bank and Trust for more than three decades. He was previously employed in the financial institutions practice group of the Dallas law firm of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP.
A Longview High School graduate, Pope received his BBA from Baylor University and his Juris Doctor degree from Baylor Law School. Later, he graduated with distinction from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.
He is also a graduate of the American Bankers Association’s National Commercial Lending School and National Graduate Trust School.
Active in professional and industry associations, Pope serves as immediate past-chairman of TIB, N.A. He has previously served as chairman of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas and the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation, and served in leadership roles and/or committees for the Independent Community Bankers of America, the Texas Bankers Association, the Southwest Association of Bank Counsel, and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Pope has received both the Chairman’s Award and the Excellence in Leadership Award from the IBAT and has been recognized on IBAT’s Wall of Heroes and Legends. Pope is also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.
Haygood named Cadence Bank market president
Cadence Bank has named Scott Haygood as market president for its Longview market ahead of its upcoming merger with Huntington Bancshares.
The merger is pending satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions.
Haygood has 22 years of banking experience, including 15 years with Cadence and its predecessor banks. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler and a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
“I am honored to serve in this role and look forward to deepening our commitment to the customers and communities we support,” Haygood said. “By staying closely connected to our clients’ goals, we can deliver financial solutions that support sustainable growth across the market.”
UT Tyler professor elected to executive board
Dr. Nael Barakat, professor and chair of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler, was elected for a two-year term as secretary for the executive board of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Education Society.
Through this role, Barakat will help promote engineering education and ensure the society’s goals globally.
A 2022–26 U.S. Fulbright Specialist in the mechanical engineering field, Barakat serves on the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, the largest national and international accreditation body for engineering programs. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, having also held multiple leadership positions within ASME and other professional organizations. Additionally, Barakat is an elected member and chair of the National Institute for Engineering Ethics. He joined UT Tyler in 2018.
He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Canada’s Concordia University and McMaster University in Ontario, respectively.
Kilgore College nursing program recognized
Kilgore College’s Associate Degree Nursing program has been ranked No. 4 in Texas by RegisteredNursing.org, a national organization that evaluates nursing programs based on factors including licensure exam pass rates and academic quality.
The college’s Associate Degree Nursing program has recorded a 100% NCLEX pass rate across multiple years.
The 16-month, campus-based program is designed to prepare students for entry-level registered nursing positions through a curriculum that combines classroom instruction with supervised clinical experiences.
“This recognition reflects the hard work of our faculty and the dedication of our students,” said Dr. Jennifer Bray, dean of Health Sciences at KC. “Our goal is to provide a strong educational foundation that prepares graduates to enter the workforce ready to meet the demands of today’s health care environment.”
According to industry analysts, employment for registered nurses is projected to grow by 17% through 2030, highlighting continued demand for qualified nursing professionals.
More information about the Associate Degree Nursing program at KC is available at www.kilgore.edu/nursing.
— Share your news: Send news of new hires, job changes, promotions, awards, training completed and other news to the Business Digest. Email: newsroom@news-journal.com.
