In support of Mays Business School’s Commercial Banking Program, the funds are being used to establish an endowment and annual awards program

DALLAS (February 13, 2020) – NDBT, a 58-year-old community bank with five banking centers located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, has committed $1 million in support of the Commercial Banking Program at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School.

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

In addition, NDBT’s monetary 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.”

“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,” said Larry Miller, president of NDBT. “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.”

“NDBT is a strategic partner and vital stakeholder of the Commercial Banking Program,” said Dwight Garey, director of the Commercial Banking Program at Texas A&M. “Their bold endowment is in support of the mission and vision upon which our program was founded. We are thrilled that this NDBT 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, Ph.D., dean of Mays Business School added, “NDBT’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 NDBT for their tremendous investment in our program. Through opportunities like this, they are developing the next generation of commercial banking leaders.”

ABOUT NDBT

Founded in 1961, 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. NDBT is Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. For more information, call 972.716.7100, or visit online at www.ndbt.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NDBTMarketing/.