North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. Gives $1 Million Gift To Texas A&M

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School has received a $1 million gift from North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. (NDBT) in support of its Commercial Banking Program.

Distributions from the endowment will be used to:

• Develop undergraduate and graduate-level courses in fields such as commercial credit underwriting, quantitative analysis and enterprise risk management;
• Assist in funding applied research to directly benefit the commercial banking industry;
• Assist in the development of a five-year combined bachelor’s-master’s degree program; and
• Support the teaching, research and professional development activities of the Commercial Banking Program department heads and directors.

The monetary gift has established the endowment to honor NDBT’s founding chairman, Bert Fields, Sr., and his successor and son, Bert Fields, Jr.

In addition, NDBT’s gift is being used to establish the “Bert Fields Excellence in Banking Award,” a monetary award given annually to one undergraduate student and one graduate student who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and academic excellence within Texas A&M’s Commercial Banking Program. Each year, the award recipients will be honored by NDBT during the “Bert Fields Excellence in Banking Award Dinner.”

“North Dallas Bank & Trust is a strategic partner and vital stakeholder of the Commercial Banking Program,” said Dwight Garey, program director. “Their bold endowment is in support of the mission and vision upon which our program was founded. We are thrilled that this North Dallas Bank & Trust gift honors and memorializes the bank’s owner, Mr. Bert Fields, and showcases more ways they are investing in the training and development of the banking industry’s future leaders.”

Eli Jones, dean of Mays Business School added, “North Dallas Bank & Trust’s partnership with Mays supports our vision to advance the world’s prosperity. On behalf of our faculty, staff and students, I want to thank the Fields estate, Larry Miller, president, Mike Shipman, chairman/CEO, and the entire team at North Dallas Bank & Trust for their tremendous investment in our program. Through opportunities like this, they are developing the next generation of commercial banking leaders.”

Miller, president of North Dallas Bank & Trust, said Texas A&M’s program has had a tremendous impact on students.

“Among the many benefits resulting from this gift is the sustainability of a high-level, industry-focused educational platform that is attracting top students, not only from across Texas but also throughout the U.S., and preparing them for a career in the commercial banking field,” Miller said. “As a member of both the Commercial Banking Program’s Advisory Board and Executive Committee, I have seen, first-hand, the great impact it has had on the participating students.”

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

At Mays Business School, we strive to advance the world’s prosperity. Our mission is to be a vibrant learning organization that creates impactful knowledge and develops transformational leaders. Mays Business School educates more than 6,400 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its programs and for faculty research.

 ABOUT NORTH DALLAS BANK & TRUST CO.

Founded in 1961, North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. (NDBT) has five banking centers located in Dallas, Addison, Frisco, Las Colinas, and Plano. Headquartered on the corner of Preston Road and LBJ at 12900 Preston Road in Dallas, NDBT is dedicated to helping people make smarter choices in business and life by offering authentic banking solutions, wealth management, and innovative online banking tools. North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. is Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. For more information, call 972-716-7100, or visit the NBDT website, or on Facebook.