Texas Commercial Banking
Our Texas Commercial Banking team has combined experience well over 350 years, so we know a thing or two about helping businesses succeed. Here at WaFd Bank we offer help with real estate projects, working capital needs, equipment finance, business acquisition, treasury services, and more. Each year our team finances an average of over $1 billion in commercial loans for Texas clients. From construction to manufacturing, we have you covered with unmatched service and know-how. Give us a call and experience the difference WaFd Bank can make for you.
Meet our Texas Commercial Team
Tony is a seasoned banking professional with more than 30 years of banking and lending achievements specializing in regional management and commercial lending. With a proven track record of high-level production contributions and in-depth relationship management, Tony leads WaFd's Texas region in commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, energy, mortgage, and commercial lending as well as all facets of retail banking.
Commercial Real Estate Team
Commercial Real Estate
A seasoned banking professional, Pete has experience with credit, production, derivative and management experience, and more. His career in banking and financial services extends over 22 years in the Dallas and Fort Worth Metroplex. Tasked with the management and growth of WaFd's Texas Commercial Real Estate portfolio, Pete and his team have a focus on income producing properties, including multi-family, industrial, office, retail, and medical projects. He takes a consultative approach with clients to address their needs and helps to navigate credit markets so that he can learn how best to guide them. Raised in the Dallas area, Pete still resides nearby with his family. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, attending sporting events, and supporting the Dallas Mavericks and his TCU Horned Frogs.
A seasoned commercial real estate lender, Jeff has over 25 years of lending experience in the Houston market. His primary focus is investor-owned commercial real estate lending, including multi-family, retail, office, and industrial projects, as well as single tenant NNN properties. As a native Houstonian, Jeff has experienced Houston's tremendous growth and diversification over the last 25 years and is excited to see it continue as a significant target for commercial real estate investment. Jeff enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, hunting, and fishing.
Will has worked in commercial banking since 2008 with a focus on financing and managing commercial real estate lending relationships. Transaction experience is concentrated in multifamily, industrial and office. He works closely with WaFd clients through every step of loan origination and serves as an ongoing resource to ensure all needs are met. When not working, Will enjoys running and the outdoors, traveling and spending time with his family.
Wendy Valentine
Commercial Relationship Manager
737-207-3492Austin Branch
3800 N Lamar, Suite 135
Austin, Texas 78756
Wendy has been in the banking industry for 30 years, with 22 years in commercial lending. Her primary focus is building and maintaining productive relationships with new and existing clients. Outside of work she enjoys travel, outdoor activities, family, and the wonderful ever evolving Austin live music scene. Wendy's motto is “If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life.”
Jeremiah Bush
Director of Commercial Banking
512-213-5572Austin Branch
3800 N Lamar, Suite 135
Austin, Texas 78756
Jeremiah Bush has over 20 years of experience in the banking industry, serving in leadership roles such as Director of Commercial Banking, Business Banking Manager, and Director of Business Banking. Now at WaFd Bank, Jeremiah leads the bank's efforts in the Austin market as Director of Commercial Banking. A proven leader in both the banking sector and the Austin community, Jeremiah excels at managing relationships with banking partners to deliver seamless, integrated experiences. He provides strategic solutions for growth strategies, treasury solutions, and financial operations. Jeremiah also serves on various charitable boards, demonstrating his commitment to community service.
Commercial & Industrial Team
Commercial LendingA seasoned banking professional, Pete has experience with credit, production, derivative and management experience, and more. His career in banking and financial services extends over 22 years in the Dallas and Fort Worth Metroplex. Tasked with the management and growth of WaFd's Texas Commercial Real Estate portfolio, Pete and his team have a focus on income producing properties, including multi-family, industrial, office, retail, and medical projects. He takes a consultative approach with clients to address their needs and helps to navigate credit markets so that he can learn how best to guide them. Raised in the Dallas area, Pete still resides nearby with his family. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, attending sporting events, and supporting the Dallas Mavericks and his TCU Horned Frogs.
Mike is part of the WaFd C&I Lending team in Dallas. His responsibilities include new business development, growth strategy execution, and relationship management. Previous experience includes Managing Director for CFO Partners, Relationship Manager, Business Development Manager, and a team lead role.
Previous banking experience includes roles as team lead for a Technology & Life Sciences industry lending group, Middle Market loan officer and credit administration officer. In these roles he developed senior debt term sheets for a range of credit facilities and directed the related credit underwriting and financial statement analysis. Mike has built a strong network and has a proven track record of exceeding business development goals in addition to managing client, referral, and investor relationships.
Homebuilder Finance Team
Commercial Real Estate
Brice is a veteran of the commercial banking industry with over 25 years of lending experience. His primary area of expertise and focus is homebuilder finance, including homebuilder lines of credit and acquisition and development financing. Brice is a Baylor university graduate and enjoys travelling and spending time with his family when away from work.
Energy Team
Commercial Lending
Rusty founded the Energy Lending Team for WaFd Bank in the fall of 2016 and has more than 20 years of energy lending expertise. Graduating with a degree in Business Management from the University of Oklahoma, he also graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Law. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife of over 20 years and their two children. He also serves on various boards in his free time and is a coach for little league sports through the Arlington YMCA, among other volunteering activities.
Tyler has been in the energy banking industry for more than 9 years. Prior to joining WaFd Bank, Tyler spent five years at another financial institution where he helped to facilitate debt financing for exploration, development and production oil and gas companies. He earned his degree in finance with a minor in accounting from Oklahoma State University.
With a broad level of experience within the energy industry and capital markets, Larry also has more than 40 years of banking experience, providing financing to energy, commercial and industrial, real estate, and agriculture businesses, with both asset based and project financing platforms. Larry has experience originating both domestic and cross-border transactions. Larry's breadth of experience includes originating and managing transactions in the energy sector which included companies engaged in upstream, midstream, downstream refining and petrochemical process industry sectors. He earned his degree from Kansas State University with an emphasis in finance, and his master's in graduate studies at Oklahoma State University. A member of the industry association of ADAM Energy Forum, Larry also currently serves on the Finance Advisory Board for the Department of Finance at Kansas State University.
Treasury Management
Treasury Management
Boasting more than 30 years in the banking industry, Martha has a broad range of experience including lending, portfolio restructure, customer migration, product, and treasury management sales. Her focus is partnering with clients to find the right solution to assist with accounting automation, fraud prevention, and working capital management. The WaFd Treasury Team works closely with relationship managers to build a comprehensive understanding of each client's needs. Martha lives by the mantra, “great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people.”
With more than 20 years of sales experience, Stephanie has been in the banking industry for over 4 years. Her focus is partnering with clients to find the right solution to assist with accounting automation, fraud prevention, and working capital management. Stephanie currently serves on the Board for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and is the Chair of the Ambassador Committee for the NDCC, as well as serving on the Board for Girls on the Run DFW. When not working, she enjoys crafting and monogramming gifts for friends.
Shelli has enjoyed a career of over 20 years in the Senior Living industry as an Executive Director of multiple communities. Ranging from independent living, assisted living, and memory care, Shelli says it was a true joy to serve our senior population while learning many life lessons along the way. She joins WaFd to continue helping and serving our communities.
A Texas girl through and through, Shelli has spent all but one year of her life living right here in Texas. Growing up in Abilene, she also attended Navarro College there before moving around Dallas and traveling. Shelli is an avid reader and movie watcher, and although she lives on the lake is not much of an angler. Her family means the world to her, and she spends as much time as possible with her children, grandchildren, and granddogs.