Tom Meinecke

VITAE - TOM J. MEINECKE

Tom Meinecke, a fifth generation Texan, was born in La Grange and graduated from high school and junior college in San Antonio, and received his BBA degree from the University of Texas in Austin with honors in 1962, while working his way through college. He lettered in track in both high school and junior college, and his senior year in high school, was selected an All Star basketball player in the San Antonio Recreational League. He received a graduate degree in banking from The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU in Dallas in 1975. He also graduated from The National Commercial Lending School and the National Installment Credit School, with honors, both from the University of Oklahoma in 1982.

He joined the Texas Air National Guard his last year in high school and served for six years being awarded the Air Force Rifle Marksmanship Medal in basic training. He completed his military service after graduation from college being offered a 2nd. Lt. commission, but declined due to career obligations with a transfer out of state.

Tom's work career began by being recruited in college to join Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as an executive trainee in Houston upon graduation. His picture with his college resume standing in front of the Tower of the University of Texas in Austin was the cover of Bell System's Magazine for the June/July 1962 issue as he was chosen to represent the issue's theme, "People With a Purpose".

After only one year, he was promoted to Manager in Newport, Arkansas, managing fourteen telephone exchanges in Northeast Arkansas, at age twenty-three, and promoted to Manager in Little Rock, two years later at age twenty-five. While he was told he was on the fast track into upper management, he longed to return to Texas and did so in 1968 to enter the personnel field at Trunkline Gas Company. One year later in 1969 he was recruited to be Personnel Director of Ada (now Adams) Oil Company and the Houston Oilers professional football team.

He was recruited into the banking industry as Assistant Vice President and Personnel Director for Houston Citizens Bank and Trust in 1971 (the fifth largest bank in Houston at that time),and rose to the rank of Senior Vice President, Administration in six years. Two years later was promoted to Senior Vice President - Executive, Installment and Indirect Lending and New Accounts at the bank that had grown to over a $Billion at that time. It was there as a member of the Executive Committee he met the later to be President, George H. W. Bush, who was a director.

Tom was recruited to become President and CEO of Texas Commerce Bank - Champions Park that opened April 15, 1983. After growing that bank to one of the major banks in Northwest Houston, he left to join Century National Bank as President, CEO and part owner of the bank and new bank building. With his involvement in the community, he helped form the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce as Vice-Chairman. In 1987, he joined as Commonwealth Savings Association as President for Retail Lending for the entire state of Texas. In 1989, he was appointed, after a referral by President George H.W. Bush to join The Resolution Trust Corporation with the first group of bankers to attack the Savings and Loan problems in Texas. He took over Columbia Savings and Loan from the state conservator, renamed Columbia Federal Savings and Loan as Managing Director.

After a year of cleaning up the loan portfolio and placing the institution in a condition to be sold, he left to join a newly formed Pacific Southwest Bank, F.S.B. Holding Company as Senior Vice President to help consolidate human resources functions in the twelve institutions over the state that formed the new bank. When the bank decided to move the headquarters to Corpus Christi, he decided to stay in Houston.

He then become a financial advisor which he did for the next seventeen years being associated with Aetna, Lincoln Financial and MetLife Financial winning several trips and awards for his annuity and other insurance production. He retired December 25, 2009, to spend more time working with his real estate investment holdings, and checking off the things he always wanted to do on his "bucket list".

Tom was elected President of the Houston Personnel Association in 1974, the youngest president and first bank president of this highly regarded organization. He holds a lifetime certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Also he holds a lifetime Distinguished Toastmaster Certification (DTM). He earned the degree of Master Mason in 1996, and is a Scottish Rite 32nd. Degree Mason and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine in Arabic Temple of Houston. He also was ordained a Deacon in the Presbyterian Church in 1980.

He has been a member of the Sons of the American Revolution since 1997, and was President of the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49 of the TXSSAR in 2008. That same year he traveled to Tennessee to find the grave of his Revolutionary War ancestor near Sparta, TN He found the grave and tombstone and contacted the Tennessee SAR to arrange a Grave Marker Dedication which he coordinated with the Lt. Wm. Quarles Chapter of Cooksville, TN and was held on May 23, 2009.

He worked for two years to have another SAR Grave Marker Dedication that was held on March 20, 2010, in Bellville, Texas to honor Count Joseph de la Baume, who came from France to fight with Marquis de La Fayette in the Revolutionary War. De la Baume later came to Texas and was friends with Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston and other early Texas hero's. De La Baume died near Bellville in 1834, at the age of 103. A Marker was authorized by the TXSSAR in 1971, but was never followed up on until Tom took up the quest in 2008. Tom is also a member of the Alexander Hodge Color Guard. He has received several SAR awards including the Meritorious Service Award on July 27, 2010.

In 1998, Tom was commissioned a Colonel in the Texas Army by then Governor George W. Bush, and remains active in this original Army of Texas formed in 1836. On May 12, 2011 Texas Governor, Rick Perry, commissioned Tom as Admiral in the Texas Navy. He has also been accepted as a member of The General Society of Colonial Wars, The General Society of the War of 1812, The Sons of the Republic of Texas, The Sons of the Confederate Veterans, and the First Families of Tennessee.

Tom began his writing career with his memoir, The Last 880-Yard Runner published in 2007, recalling how he overcame his tragic early childhood to an epiphany, in running and winning his first 880 - Yard race as a sophomore in high school that gave him courage and tenacity to obtain self-esteem and life success. His latest book published July, 2010 titled Arms of God - From Prussia to Texas to Death in the Brazos River, is a historical novel detailing his ancestors journey from Prussia to Austin County, Texas in the mid 1840's and the drowning of the two youngest sons in the Brazos River on 8 June 1858. He traveled to where his ancestors lived back to 1530 A. D. in Prussia/Germany, and spent two years of research for this latest book. In 2013 he published Destiny at Calf Killer River.

Tom and his lovely wife, Sandy, live in Sugar Land, Texas. They enjoy frequent cruises to different parts of the world as well as travel within our United States of America. They have a son, two daughters and one grandson.