Texas bank with nearly $5B in assets targets Tampa

TAMPA — The Woodlands, Texas-based Woodforest National Bank, with nearly 750 branches in 17 states, is expanding to the Tampa region.

Woodforest, in entering Tampa and the Miami area, named Willy Gomez regional president-commercial banking for their Florida market, according to a statement. Gomez has 35 years' Florida banking experience, including 30 years in management, the release adds. He will spearhead the opening of Woodforest's new commercial banking offices in Miami and Tampa, with plans to hire about 25 bankers for fulltime positions.

"We are pleased to have Willy on board as a key addition to the Woodforest team,” Woodforest National Bank President-Commercial Banking Derrick Ragland says in the statement. “With his many years of commercial banking experience Willy will play an integral part in the bank's growth throughout the state of Florida."

Woodforest National Bank has three other Florida offices, all in the Jacksonville area. The bank was founded in 1980. It has 743 branches and had $4.8 billion in assets through September, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.