Melanson to lead Commercial State Bank

David Melanson

David Riedel Melanson, following in the footsteps of his grandparents and father, was recently elected president, chief executive officer and vice chairman of the board of directors of Commercial State Bank.

Melanson was elevated to the new position Jan. 30.

His father, J. Robert Melanson, was elected as senior executive vice president and will remain as chairman of the board.

Eddie L. Pool Jr. was promoted to senior executive vice president and chief financial officer.

David Melanson follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Arthur J. Riedel, grandmother, Florence B. Riedel and his father as president of the bank. He is the 10th president to oversee Commercial State Bank operations since it was founded 87 years ago.

"I'm very excited about it. I've wanted it since my grandparents were in charge of the bank, and I'm looking forward to carrying on the tradition," he said.

His father is equally as pleased.

"I'm proud to see my son being able to follow in my footsteps and his grandparents' footsteps, and I think he'll do a great job," J. Robert Melanson said.

The new bank president graduated from the Colorado School of Banking at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. He serves on the Community Bank Council of the Texas Bankers Association and is on the Lower Colorado River Authority Basin Committee. A long-time supporter and participant of the Wharton County Youth Fair, he currently serves the organization as first vice president.

Melanson's election served as good reason for bank officials to take a look back at the financial institution's history.

According to the original minutes of the bank the founders were "W.J. Hefner, E.H. Koch, R.H. Hancock, A.E.J. Steves, M.L. Reinhardt, C.C. Isaacson, P.C. Frick, George P. Willis, Sr. and R.B. Wallace.

"The new bank purchased Banking House, land on which it was situated, the fixtures therein, formerly owned by the Citizens State Bank from the Insurance and Banking Commissioner of Texas in February 1921. The price being Eleven Thousand Dollars for said building and land and Two Thousand Five Hundred dollars for the said fixtures: to be paid for in cash."

The minutes went on to read, "W.J. Hefner was the first president and served without compensations. Floyd E. Appling, Sr., was appointed assistant cashier. The Commercial State Bank opened doors to the public for transactions of business on Monday morning February 7th, A. D. 1921, at the hour of 9 o'clock A. M.

"The bank was founded with a Capital structure of only $50,000.00." Today the capital and surplus is in excess of $11 million and deposits in excess of $135 million.

The original bank occupied the building on the northwest corner of East Monseratte and North Washington (which is

State Bank

now a CPA office) for 43 years, moving in 1964 into the present location at 401 N. Mechanic. Today the bank currently has two branches, one in the City of Angleton and one in the City of Fulshear, with headquarters still in El Campo.

In 1960 Arthur J. Riedel and his wife Florence B. Riedel purchased the Commercial State Bank from Floyd E. Appling, Sr. and others. Mr. Riedel became president in January 1963, serving in that position until 1973 at which time his wife took the reigns and served until 1979. In 1978 the bank formed El Campo Bancshares, Inc. and became a member of the one bank holding company.

Since the founding of the bank, R.B. Wallace and J. Robert Melanson are tied for the record of 24 years each as bank president.

Directors of Commercial State Bank are J. Robert Melanson, chairman of the board, David Riedel Melanson, vice chairman of the board, Diana Riedel Melanson, Julie Melanson Fuechec, Jeffery S. Fuechec, D.B. Lundy, William E. Rioux, L.G. Raun Jr., Richard Ottis and Eddie L. Pool Jr.

Consultants include Melvin A. Parker Jr., Leon Cranek and John Moritz.