On June 3, the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) announced that Shay Iacoponelli has been elected president of the IBAT Education Foundation by the association’s board of directors. The IBAT Education Foundation helps “build better bankers” by offering education programs for community bankers at every stage of their career. IBAT’s education opportunities include IBAT’s Annual Convention, Bank Operations Institute, regional forums and seminars, and more. The foundation also fosters bankers’ community involvement through projects like Senior Crimestoppers.
Iacoponelli has more than 17 years of experience in the banking industry and another decade in information technology. She joined IBAT in January 2021 as associate director of growth and development and served in that role until her recent appointment to lead the IBAT Education Foundation. In her new role, she will oversee industry training for bankers across the state of Texas, as well as work closely with fintech companies to distribute products through IBAT’s new Performance Division.
Prior to joining IBAT, Iacoponelli served as chief development officer for TrustTexas Bank SSB in Cuero. She was also a member of the bank’s board of directors. Her responsibilities included identifying opportunities for corporate growth and development, marketing, and training and development of new employees, in addition to heading all retail functions. Prior to her time at TrustTexas Bank, she held roles as president of SBI Solutions, global education coordinator for BMC Software, sales coordinator for Marriott Corp. and customer briefing center coordinator for IBM Corp.
Iacoponelli holds a BA degree from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree from Houston Baptist University and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.
Formed in 1974, the IBAT represents Texas community banks. The Austin-based group is the largest state community banking organization in the nation, with membership comprised of more than 4,600 banks and branches in 700 Texas communities.