Named Vice-Chairman of the holding company Vista Bancshares in 2018, John D. Steinmetz is laser-focused on continually increasing shareholder value.

Serving as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Vista Bank, Steinmetz oversees all commercial and retail functions and was noted for transforming the Bank’s digital experience at a time when clients needed it most. The first non-family member appointed to Bank CEO, the 111-year-old company was a West Texas bank domiciled in Ralls, headquartered in Lubbock, and focused primarily on agricultural lending when Steinmetz took the helm. Leading the charge on a rebrand that would encourage urban market expansion with small business and middle-market companies, John Steinmetz grew the Bank’s capital and influence, raising $40mm and expanding the footprint into the Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and most recently Palm Beach, Florida markets.

Since taking the helm, Steinmetz has ensured responsible, disciplined organic growth surpassing 700% in the last decade, breaking the top 100 Banks in Texas by asset size list in 2018. Listed among North Texas’ Top Commercial Banks since 2020, Vista recently ranked #10 out of 606 banks between $1-5 billion asset size nationally by CB Resource, Inc.  

In the wake of the global pandemic, Steinmetz made certain the Bank was on the front lines of the CARES Act, participating in an exclusive community bank DC roundtable with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and rising to Dallas entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s challenge helping minority-owned businesses better access the Paycheck Protection Program.

When other bank leaders tapped out during the Main Street Lending Program, Steinmetz ensured Vista was one of just thirteen original Texas banks to participate. Processing 80 loans at over $775mm, Vista Bank was Texas’ largest Main Street lender and the second-largest lender nationwide, positioning Texas businesses to lead the way forward.