As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition November 2012
Alma Ortega Johnson, who has been serving as the Wells Fargo Community Banking President in McAllen, has been named Area President for the newly created South Texas area of Border Banking, effective Oct. 1. Ortega Johnson will lead 38 banking stores and more than 600 team members in the South Texas area, which includethe six Community Banking districts that center on Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Alice.
Since 2007, Ortega Johnson had led nine stores and more than 200 team members in the Upper Rio Grande Valley, where her teams consistently met or exceeded their financial goals and improved productivity year-over-year.
“In addition to helping her teams grow in all these measurable ways, Alma paid close attention to the personal growth of her team members,” said Suzanne Ramos, Border Banking Region President. “I am pleased that she has accepted the position and am confident she will continue to exceed our expectations.”
Ortega Johnson has an outstanding record of community involvement in her region, including being named “Woman of the Year” by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, “La Estrella de Tejas” (Star of Texas) by the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas and Financial Services Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“Alma serves as a model for engaging with our communities,” said Chip Carlisle, Region Banking Executive for the Southwest. “She brings the same level of energy to engaging with our communities that she shows while managing her team.”
She joined Wells Fargo in 1999 and managed Wells Fargo’s Patrimonial Banking along the U.S.-Mexico border, from San Diego, Calif. to Brownsville, Texas. Before joining Wells Fargo, she held a similar position with Banco Bital in Chihuahua, Mexico. She also worked as a business banking director and branch manager in Mexico.
In McAllen, Ortega Johnson has been active as a community and civic leader, including service as a board member and incoming chairman of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of Leadership McAllen, serves as a board member for United Way of South Texas, and is a past president of the International Museum of Art and Science.
She has served on the advisory boards of the ENCORE Program of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation, South Texas College and the University of Texas – Pan American. Other civic memberships include Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, International Women’s Board, McAllen Citizens League and the National Hispanic Professional Organization.
She completed a degree in public accounting at Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, in Chihuahua, Mexico and completed the Executive Program at Tecnologico de Monterrey. She and her family – husband Wayne Johnson, son Kevin and daughter Kayla – reside in McAllen.
August 22, 2012 the City of Hidalgo and the Casa de Arte y Cultura of Reynosa celebrated a bilateral event called “Faces of Texas” which included anaward ceremony and an exhibition of oil paintings.
During the exhibition the works of artists like Victor Ivan, Mario Vite, Mabus and Donato Berlanga were exhibited using the City of Hidalgo City Commissioners chamber. These artists created beautiful paintings of great altruistic people from the Valley, which included Alma Ortega Johnson.
Arturo Garciadirector of Casa de Arte y Cultura said, “Culture enriches and it is humanity’sheritage and we are taking this opportunity to recognize and rewarddeserving citizens.”  The organizers distinguished Alma with a unique bilateral award whichis a sculpture representing the hands of God holding a human Heart. According to Garciathis award is given to personalities that have given so much of their time to their communities and represents the highest merit of service by an individual.
This special ceremony calledFaces of Texas and takes place once a year. Casa de Arte y Cultura marked its 12thyear celebrating this event. To date, morethan 250 personalities have been recognized and received this award. TBB
Affiliations:Â
- United Way of South Texas – Board Member since June 2009
- McAllen Chamber of Commerce – Board Member 2010-2014. Chairman 2012.
- International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) – Executive Board and Past President (2011-2012)
- First United Methodist Church- Finance Committee since 2008, Board of Trustees since January 2010
- University of Texas Pan American- Advisory Board College of Business Administration (2012-2015)
- South Texas College –Banking Advisory Board 2011
- ENCORE Program of Texas Valley Communities Foundation –Advisory Board 2011
- Hispanic Women Network of Texas, International Women’s Board, McAllen Citizen League, and National Hispanic of Professional Organization -member
- RGV Diabetes Association and Women’s Business Center of Edinburg – Committee member for fundraising/business events
- Leadership McAllen –Â Graduated from Program 2009 Class XXVIII
Personal Recognition:
- Attended four National Recognition Awards within Wells Fargo (Vegas, Cancun, and Orlando)
- “Rostros de Texas” by City of Hidalgo –August 2012
- Community Partnership Award by the Women’s Business Center in June 2012
- “Woman of the Year” by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce in November 2011
- “La Estrella de Tejas” (Star of Texas) by the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas in October 2011
- Financial Services Champion of the Year Award by SBA April 2010
- Nominated by Wells Fargo for REACH Award in 2000 (YMCA El Paso Del Norte)
