Joni Wilson, Banking Center President – Arlington, Susser Bank

Joni Wilson, Banking Center President Arlington of Susser Bank, spoke with Invest: about the bank’s role in the city of Arlington, and how it helps clients with the financial products the bank offers. She also spoke about her personal connection to the region, and how she and Susser Bank give back to the community to help it grow and thrive.

What have been some successes for Susser Bank in the past year?

Susser Bank was chartered in 1969 and is based in Dallas, TX. Since the Susser family purchased the majority ownership in July of 2018, the bank has grown almost 300% and added locations in Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio Corpus Christi (Loan Production Office) and Houston to the existing location in Arlington, Bedford, Garland and Round Rock. Given the long-standing presence in Arlington, we have a wonderful relationship with many long-term legacy clients. I’ve been in banking in the Arlington and Dallas-Fort Worth area for 42 years, and I’ve been at Susser Bank for 16 years. Over the past year, we have focused on remaining well capitalized with ample liquidity to continue our growth throughout the state. This growth has all been organic to date and centers on referrals from our current customers and their centers of influence We’re committed to building relationships and partnerships in the community. Having lived in Arlington for 60 plus years, I’m totally committed to giving back to Arlington what it has given to me.

How are you working to help local businesses and local entrepreneurs?

Susser Bank is community-driven, and we are involved in each market in which we have a presence. As an example, I am the incoming Chair of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. In taking a leadership role, I have the advantage of knowing the city well, knowing the people, and understanding the business environment. The city and region have grown tremendously and there are opportunities for businesses of any size to flourish here in the middle of one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Susser Bank is well connected with organizations like the Greater Arlington Chamber, the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the newly formed Economic Development Corporation. These relationships help us to meet with new and existing businesses to learn and understand their needs and goals and refer them to the resources they need even if it’s not a banking need. As a bank, a large part of our value is knowing who to call when our clients have a need 

What sectors in Arlington are poised for growth, and how does diversity of the community play a role?

Arlington’s entertainment district garners attention and a lot of headlines, but the city also has thriving sectors beyond entertainment. The community has become highly diverse with a wide range of cultures and ethnicities, reflected in the local school district. This diversity strengthens Arlington’s identity as a growing and inclusive city with a “can-do” attitude. Also, the University of Texas at Arlington is a Tier One Research Institute that attracts some of the best talent in the country to the heart of our city. We are seeing a great deal of development around the Rangers and Cowboys Stadiums and will open a new Medal of Honor Museum early next year that sits adjacent to these world class attractions.  

What makes Arlington an ideal location for businesses to thrive and grow?

We’re in the middle of a large prospering metroplex. Arlington is 20 minutes from DFW Airport and 40 minutes from Dallas Love Field Airport. Everything is at our fingertips. Vacant and is limited in the city; therefore, the focus has been on redevelopment. The Economic Development Corporation has been instrumental in spurring the redevelopment efforts and as a result, I believe we will continue to see more and corporate headquarters moving to Arlington. 

Are there any specific programs Susser Bank offers to promote the financial health of businesses in the region?

The bank has invested heavily in technology so our customers can easily manage their personal and business activities with the latest technology. Having grown from a startup 65 years ago, to a bank that covers each major market in the state, we understand the challenges businesses face in raising capital and managing their business. We know the lifeblood of a community is the small business owner and our philosophy is client focused. We sit down with each client and help them find the right products based on their specific needs. We have a dedicated Small Business Administration banking team that specializes in custom solutions as well as bankers that work in what we call the middle market and even the larger corporate sector. We will find the team member to meet their needs regardless of the size.  

How is Susser Bank helping clients through current economic uncertainties?

We have seen some clients hold back on their plans due to two primary factors. One, interest rates are high, and they anticipate them coming down. And two, it is an election year. We are now getting numerous phone calls from those who want to move forward with their business plans due to the evolving forecast on interest rate reductions that may be lower, but time will tell. Current rates, while high compared to recent history since the pandemic, are relatively normal and manageable in a long-term context. Rates today really are in line with historic rates when you look at the history of the Fed Funds or WSJ Prime history over the last 40 years.

What is your view of the current talent pool in Arlington? How are you attracting and retaining top talent for Susser Bank?

The talent market in Arlington and across the state is competitive. When I started at Susser Bank, we had 13 bankers, and now we have 30 bankers throughout the state. We are seeing some talent from recent consolidation especially as it pertains to the operations side of the bank, and I suspect that will continue as banks consolidate in the coming year. With our motto of Build to Last, Not to Sell, it resonates well with potential hires and those that work here now. They like the idea of a bank that is laser focused on being here for generations.  

Are there any specific technology products you use to create efficiencies and better serve your clients?

As I mentioned before, we have taken a long-term view on building shareholder value, and this translates to investing heavily in technology. During the pandemic, we moved our core banking platform to Jack Henry because it fit our customer base better and is proving to be a great move. Additionally, we converted our online banking and treasury platform to Q2 which we believe and their continued adoption among the top tier banks, has validated our decision to move to them. Both of these are examples of technology spends we did not have to do but it was the right thing to do for the long term. We also implemented Salesforce a few years ago and it helps us track customer service response times as well as client feedback. Finally, just as an example, we invested in a new technology that allows us to open a personal account online and in real time. We are proud of our technology and our customers are routinely amazed at our capabilities even when they come to us from the largest banks in the country.

What are some of the ways Susser bank engages with the community and gives back to the city of Arlington?

There are many community outreach programs we participate in. One of our largest is what we do to support MD Anderson’s mission across the state. We have an annual golf tournament, and all the proceeds go directly to them. We play a small part in their fight against cancer, but it is important and touches every family in every community. At the city level, I am personally involved in the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and I will chair its board starting in October 2025. You may know this but already the Chamber goes to great lengths to support the community with work force development, educational programming and collaboration for our schools and various other local outreach programs that help citizens and businesses through the region. I’m active on the Tarrant County College Foundation Board, raising money for scholarships for students. Powerful Purses Inc.is a board I serve on, where we help raise scholarship money for women to support their college education and career development. The bank is also involved in various food banks, Habitat for Humanity, and local programs like the Taste Project, a restaurant that provides free meals to those in need and or maybe the less fortunate. At the end of the day, we spend a lot of time and resources helping what is important to our customers and their communities locally and across the state. We take pride in this and it’s what keeps us motivated and excited to work hard on their behalf.   

What is your outlook for Arlington and for Susser Bank in the next two to three years? What are the bank’s top priorities for growth?

Our goal is to grow organically and expand our existing and build new relationships in the community. We believe in meeting people where they are, listening to their needs, and offering tailor-made financial solutions. As the community grows and succeeds, we grow and succeed as a bank. 

We get asked all the time if we will be in the market to make acquisitions and the simple answer is maybe. If it makes sense for the bank and our stakeholders, we will. The nice thing about our outlook is we are building this for the long term. If you go to our website, you will immediately see we are Built to Last, Not to Sell. I take comfort in this, and I believe my clients do as well. I have lived in this community my entire life. I’ve also raised my family here. It’s a wonderful place to call home and work with a bank that believes in my core values and is written on the back of our business card: Our Reputation is Everything. Thank you for your interest in how we are building the next great Texas bank. I could not be more excited.