Texas Border Business
Brownsville, Texas – Bertha Garza announced her retirement as first vice president and marketing director on March 3rd, marking her 20th anniversary at IBC Bank-Brownsville. Garza will officially step down at the end of March. Karen R. Peña will succeed Garza as marketing manager.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank IBC Bank for the platform afforded to me and my team, which enabled IBC Bank-Brownsville to become one of the top banks in the Valley,” said Garza. “IBC Bank is truly a unique and incredible organization driven by our outstanding leadership and the dedication and passion of putting customers first. It’s been my deepest privilege to serve IBC Bank-Brownsville and its customers.”
Garza is an established leader in the Brownsville community with more than 48 years of experience in banking. During her tenure, she supervised all marketing efforts for 12 IBC Bank branches in Cameron County, and was responsible for coordinating donation requests, along with the completion of public relations campaigns, event planning and representing IBC Bank-Brownsville in the community. Garza was also accountable for a large portfolio of IBC Bank customer accounts.
“Bertha Garza has been fundamental to the success of IBC Bank-Brownsville, and we are appreciative for her commitment to the bank,” said Al Villarreal, IBC Bank-Brownsville president and CEO. “While we will certainly miss Bertha and her contributions, she has developed strong leaders who are prepared to continue her commitment to the community at IBC Bank-Brownsville.”
In addition to 48 years of banking experience, Garza has proudly spent those years working on the progress and development of the Brownsville community. She has attended and graduated from leadership programs including Leadership Brownsville, Leadership Texas and Leadership America. Garza has held leadership positions in several organizations, including March of Dimes, Friends of ARCC, the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts and Project Space. In addition, she has participated in the Founder’s Circle of United Way.
Garza is also the founder of Women, Money & Power, an organization empowering women in the Brownsville community, and has lead fundraising events such as El Rebozo Atravez del Tiempo, La China Poblana and most recently Give Cancer the Boot.
Education plays an important part of Garza’s community involvement. She was recognized by Brownsville ISD with the Heart of the Community Award for making a difference in students’ lives, and was awarded the LIFE award by the Texas Bankers Association and the Community Impact Award by the American Bankers Association for her leadership role in financial education. This year, the Zonta Organization in Brownsville named Garza their 2018 Woman of the Year Recipient, a recognition held annually to award a woman who has helped promote the status of women through her contributions to the community.
In 2017, Garza spearheaded the formation of a new nonprofit organization Building Financial Coalition Capacity (BFCC), whose goal is taking financial education in Brownsville and Harlingen to a higher level.
Garza is a graduate of Texas Southmost College. She and her husband, Gonzalo, have three children and two grandchildren. Upon her retirement, Garza plans to spend more time with family.
