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Business news: FirstBank Southwest named among 2024 Best Banks to Work For

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Business news: FirstBank Southwest named among 2024 Best Banks to Work For

FirstBank Southwest named one of American Banker’s 2024 Best Banks to Work For

FirstBank Southwest (FBSW) has been named one of the 2024 Best Banks to Work For. According to a news release, American Banker has partnered with Best Companies Group to identify banks that excel at creating positive and supportive workplaces for employees.

The two-step award process consisted of evaluating each participating bank’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics, worth about 25% of the total evaluation; and employee surveys aimed at assessing the experiences and attitudes of individual employees with respect to their workplace, for 75% of the evaluation. The combined scores determined the final ranking.

“FirstBank Southwest is truly honored to be selected as one of American Banker’s 2024 ‘Best Banks to Work For’,” said Andy Marshall, President and CEO of FirstBank Southwest. “All members of the FBSW Family work diligently to take care of our customers, take care of each other, better our communities , and live our values in all that we do. We have distilled our value system into the overarching precept of ‘Faith. Family. Bank’. To us, those words aren’t simply some tagline to be bandied about. On the contrary, they’re the primary theme of our working lives.”

For more information about FBSW, follow them on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, or visit their webpage at www.fbsw.com.

Atmos Energy joins Utilities United Against Scams to educate and protect customers

This week, Atmos Energy joins Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) to support International Fraud Awareness Week and recognized the ninth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day on Nov. 20, an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers and exposing the tactics used by scammers. This year’s theme was “The face of fraud is changing: Collaboration is more important than ever.”

“We are thankful to join UUAS – a consortium of more than 150 U.S. and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utilities and their respective trade associations – to reveal crooked scammer tactics so our customers can better shield their financial and personal data,” said Michael Gonzales, Atmos Energy manager of public affairs. “Our customers personal safety is our top priority. In addition to online and telephone scams, beware of impostors demanding payment at your door.”

One way Atmos Energy carries out its vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services is by striving to protect its customers from the harmful effects of a utility impostor scam. Numerous utility customers have reported situations of in-person scammers falsely claiming they were with a utility company and needed access to the residence for reasons such as equipment inspection, testing, and treatment. These scammers might have intended to gather personal information for identity theft or even to attempt an immediate or future burglary.

As a reminder, utilities will never ask for payments using a pre-paid debit card, gift card, cryptocurrencies, or third-party digital payment mobile applications, and they will provide multiple notices before any service interruptions are implemented. Always ask for an employee’s identification badge, which displays name, photograph, and Atmos Energy logo. If you suspect an impostor, call the Atmos Energy customer service number at 888-286-6700 immediately to verify the employee’s identity and contact local authorities.

Customers who suspect fraud or who feel threatened during contact with a scammer should contact local law enforcement authorities and Atmos Energy Customer Service at 888-286-6700, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time. For more information, visit Atmos Energy’s website at atmosenergy.com/scams or the UUAS website at www.utilitiesunited.org. Follow UUAS on X and Facebook, and join the conversation by using #StopScams. Customers can also visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/.

RHAIA adds temporary additional parking at airport during holidays and construction

With the holidays approaching and a construction project in progress, the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (RHAIA) is providing additional parking now through Jan. 6.

“Overflow parking will be available due to a construction project and the anticipated increase in travelers due to the holidays,” said the city of Amarillo’s Director of Aviation Michael Conner. “The construction project will impact parking spots in the outdoor parking lot, so we wanted to provide travelers with additional parking options.”

Overflow parking will be available as adjacent parking areas become full. Signs are posted at the airport to guide the public to additional parking. Parking fees for all parking areas remain the same. For more information go to: www.fly-ama.com/parking-transportation/general-parking In addition, a map is provided for overflow parking areas.

For more information, contact City of Amarillo Communications Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

Xcel Energy names new media relations representative for outlets in Texas, New Mexico

Kaley Green has joined Xcel Energy in the role of Senior Media Relations Representative for Texas and New Mexico. She succeeds Wes Reeves, who was named senior community engagement manager for Xcel Energy’s Wildfire Mitigation program in July.

“Our regional news outlets serve a vital role in the community and are an important way our customers find information about their energy resources,” said Brad Baldridge, director of Customer and Community Relations for Xcel Energy in Texas and New Mexico. “Kaley grew up in the Texas Panhandle and worked as a journalist in the area, preparing her well to serve the needs of our news outlets in Texas and New Mexico.”

Most recently, Green served as a marketing and communications specialist at BSA Health System in Amarillo. While there, she created social media content and internal and external communications for the company, in addition to working with local media. She previously worked as a journalist, anchoring and reporting the news for several years at KAMR-TV in Amarillo.

Green graduated from high school in Sunray and earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism at West Texas A&M University.

In his new role at the company, Reeves is coordinating outreach and education on the company’s ongoing wildfire mitigation programs in communities across Xcel Energy’s Texas and New Mexico service area. Reeves joined the company in 1997 as a communications consultant specializing in media and employee communications. He later coordinated Xcel Energy Foundation grant programs and the company United Way campaign before taking the position of senior media relations representative for Texas and New Mexico in 2006.

AgriLife Extension offers educational programs Dec. 3-4 at Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer two days of educational programming during the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza Ballroom, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo.

The Amarillo Farm Show CEU Workshop will be on Dec. 3 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Registration is $40 and will include a lunch; an RSVP to Megan Eikner, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Potter County, at megan.eikner@ag.tamu.edu is requested, but not required. (Checks must be payable to the Potter Ag Committee and participants must show their current Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA, applicator cards during registration.) Five TDA continuing education units will be available. The program will feature discussions including a laws and regulations update, soil related topics, AgriLife Extension cooking demonstrations and more.

A Beef Quality Assurance Training program with Jason Smith, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and Department of Animal Science assistant professor, Amarillo, as guest speaker will be held 1-5 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Hospitality Room. Registration for this training is available through the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association at education@tscra.org or 800-242-7820.

The Texas Wheat Symposium and Amarillo Ag Appreciation Luncheon, hosted by the Texas Wheat Producers Association and the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Ag Council, will be held 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 4. The free Amarillo Ag Appreciation Luncheon will be at noon, with keynote speaker Michelle Miller, The Farm Babe. After the luncheon, a Wildfire Mitigation Program begins at 1:30 p.m. with Wes Reeves, Xcel Energy senior community engagement manager, leading the discussions. A Ruminant – Cattle, Sheep and Goats – General Health Overview will follow from 2:30 to 4 p.m. with area veterinarians.

The IDEAg Amarillo Farm & Ranch show provides farmers and ranchers a place to network, learn and grow, with about 500 exhibitors showcasing agricultural products, services and technologies, Dec. 3-5. For the full schedule of events, visit https://www.ideaggroup.com//amarillo/schedule-of-events .

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