Rich Jochetz Retiring After 15+ Years of Exceptional Leadership as President
June 14, 2023
Today, we officially announce the retirement of Rich Jochetz, who has served as the president of Texas Gulf Bank for the past 15 years. We want to take the time to recognize what Rich has accomplished during his time as president helping create tremendous growth for our bank.
Rich Jochetz Led the Way in the Growth of Texas Gulf Bank
Rich provided exceptional guidance for our bank, leaving behind an outstanding legacy of serving our customers throughout the Gulf Coast community. Specifically, Rich executed a strategy to expand beyond our core customer base in Brazoria County to reach new customers in the Houston/Harris County/Galveston County markets.
Under Rich’s leadership, our bank more than tripled in size over the last 15 years through organic growth alone. The bank also grew its expertise and offerings over that same time frame to offer both our business and individual customers banking products they need.
The impact of this initiative was far-reaching throughout the communities where we have a presence. Texas Gulf Bank provided capital and banking expertise to the markets we serve, allowing a multitude of businesses and individuals to reach their financial goals and dreams.
Our bank also supported the communities we serve with charitable efforts and community involvement that made a positive difference in people’s lives.
“I have been a banker for 43 years, and it’s hard to believe that I have been with Texas Gulf Bank for over 15 years. It’s by far the longest that I have worked for any one organization,” says Rich. “We have accomplished a lot over that time period, but still have a lot more to accomplish.”
We are grateful that Rich is staying on with the bank in the capacity of a Board member and committee member as we transition to a remarkable new bank president, Spence Bridges.
How Rich Jochetz is Supporting the Transition to Spence Bridges
After participating in the banking industry for more than four decades, Rich decided at the end of 2022 that it was time to step aside and let someone else carry the torch.
Throughout the first half of 2023, Rich played an integral part in helping find the right replacement and allowing for a seamless transition. Rich’s focus was to find an experienced person and well-rounded banker who would not be disruptive to our current team.
“I wanted my replacement to command respect within the bank and out in the community,” says Rich. “The new president needed to be a strong leader and be someone that could orchestrate a growth initiative and generate excitement within the Texas Gulf Bank team.”
Rich was involved with helping Texas Gulf Bank CEO Jimmy Brown review candidates that seemed to be a good fit. Rich was also involved in the initial interviewing process after we identified top candidates.
Rich then stepped back to allow the current management team and Board to become comfortable with the candidates they felt best met the criteria the bank was looking for in our new president. The healthy process led to the bank identifying Spence Bridges as the best candidate for the future of the bank.
“Spence brings experience and expertise that I feel aligns with the needs of the bank for this position,” says Rich. “He is excited for his new role which is important and will provide encouragement to the existing team without upsetting the strong culture we have as a bank.”
What Lies Ahead for Rich Jochetz Following His Retirement
We are eager to continue leaning on Rich Jochetz for his expertise as part of the Board and various bank committees. However, Rich has many other wonderful plans in store for his retirement season.
“I love being a banker, but I think I am going to love not being a banker every day,” says Rich. “I have grandkids to spend more time with and several hobbies that I am not very good at but hope to get better at with a bit more attention. I am sure my wife has many other ideas for my retirement, but we do plan to travel while we can.”
When participating in Texas Gulf Bank business, Rich will be ready to assist Spence Bridges with the transition and future challenges ahead so that he is successful in the new role as bank president.
“I fully expect Spence to contribute to the future success of the bank,” says Rich. “I appreciate the support that I felt in my time here from Jimmy Brown as the CEO, the Board of Directors, and all of the employees at the bank over the last 15-plus years. It has been a good ride, and I look forward to watching the ride continue. I will just be in another seat!”
We sincerely appreciate Rich’s dedication to Texas Gulf Bank and our customers during his time as president. He led the way for a new era of growth and helped create tremendous opportunities for the bank to continue growing under Spence’s leadership.
– To our current customers, we appreciate your continued partnership with our bank. We look forward to helping you continue to reach your growth goals.
– If you are not a current customer, we encourage you to consider starting a new banking relationship with Texas Gulf Bank. It’s an exciting time to be part of our bank as we transition from one first-class president to the next.