Texas Border Business
DALLAS, Texas – TRB Capital Markets, LLC dba Estrada Hinojosa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Texas Regional Bank (TRB), announces the expansion of its municipal sales and trading team with the hires of Bryan McCoy and Rena Connor. McCoy and Connor join TRB Capital Markets to lead key areas of the division, bringing extensive expertise in municipal bond sales, trading, and underwriting following TRB’s acquisition of Estrada Hinojosa & Co., Inc. (EH) in August of 2024.
As part of this strategic expansion, TRB Capital Markets continues to build its capabilities by strengthening its sales, underwriting, and trading teams. This effort is led by industry veterans Devin Phillips, formerly of Citi and UBS, who serves as Head of Municipal Underwriting, and Senior Managing Director Barbara Smallwood, formerly of Citi. Together, Phillips and Smallwood have assembled a group of seasoned professionals to drive key initiatives, further solidifying the bank’s presence in this competitive space.
Bryan McCoy, a distinguished leader with over three decades of expertise in municipal bond sales, trading, and underwriting, will be Co-Head of the department alongside Phillips. McCoy joins TRB from Mesirow Financial, where he led the Municipal Bond Department and served on the Capital Markets Board. His deep expertise in risk management and financial strategy has established him as a leading figure in the municipal finance industry.
Rena Connor will serve as an Institutional Sales Manager at TRB Capital Markets, bringing with her an impressive career spanning more than 20 years in fixed-income institutional sales. Connor most recently held the role of Managing Director at Hilltop Securities, where she specialized in institutional sales and cultivated a reputation for driving revenue growth and delivering exceptional client service. Her strategic leadership and demonstrated success in the industry will play a pivotal role in expanding TRB Capital Market’s footprint in municipal finance.
“The addition of Bryan McCoy and Rena Connor underscores our commitment to building a powerful Capital Markets team,” said Noe Hinojosa, President of TRB Capital Markets – Municipal Division. “Their expertise will enable us to strengthen our market presence.”
The appointments of McCoy and Connor come on the heels of TRB’s strategic acquisition of Estrada Hinojosa, a leading investment banking group specializing in municipal advisory services, bond underwriting, and trading. The acquisition expanded TRB’s reach with offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Edinburg, Miami, Chicago, Denver, and New York, while adding a talented team of 52 professionals to the organization.
“With the integration of Estrada Hinojosa and the added leadership of McCoy and Connor, TRB Capital Markets is uniquely positioned to deliver comprehensive financial solutions for our clients,” said John Tippit IV, President of TRB Divisions. “Their contributions will be instrumental as we continue to grow our Capital Markets Division and execute on our strategic plan.”
TRB’s strategic expansion through acquisitions and leadership appointments reflects its vision of becoming a full-service financial institution. With over 550 employees, 33 banking centers, and an array of specialized divisions—including Mortgage, Insurance, Capital Markets, and Trust & Wealth Management—TRB is committed to delivering tailored financial solutions to its clients.
Established in 2010 and based out of Harlingen, Texas, TRB is a privately owned, full-service, financial institution founded to bring to market a locally owned bank that serves surrounding communities through relationships not transactions.
TRB is proud to offer an unparalleled customer experience while providing exceptional financial products, including core banking, capital markets, trust and wealth management, mortgage, international banking, insurance, foreign exchange, and economic development services. Texas Regional Bank holds assets of approximately $2.67 billion as of December 31, 2023, with over 30 banking centers across the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas, Houston, and DFW Metroplex.
For more information about Texas Regional Bank, visit www.trb.bank.
