Investing in South Dallas: Lubbock Smith on Vista Bank’s Expansion and Community Impact
Vista Bank’s decision to establish a new banking center in Fair Park, South Dallas, is a significant milestone in its journey of community-centered growth. With roots dating back over a century in West Texas, Vista Bank began expanding into the Dallas market in 2017 with a loan production office. This expansion led to the opening of a full-service location in Preston Center and a subsequent headquarters relocation in 2020. However, Vista Bank’s vision for Dallas went beyond the city’s northern areas. Recognizing the unmet financial needs in the southern Dallas region, the bank committed itself to making a difference, driven by a passion for creating positive impact through financial empowerment and community partnerships.
Lubbock Smith III, Senior Vice President and Director of Community Development and Vista Outreach, joined Vista Bank as a volunteer before moving into his current role. His connection with Vista Bank’s leadership, particularly with President & CEO John Steinmetz, was rooted in a shared vision to uplift the South Dallas community through financial literacy, investments in local schools, and tailored banking services. Reflecting on their initial meeting in 2020, Smith recalls the alignment between Steinmetz’s heart for service and his own passion for empowering underserved communities. This alignment catalyzed the bank’s commitment to South Dallas and led to the development of a strategic plan that focuses on more than just traditional banking. Check out our exclusive Q&A with Lubbock Smith at the new Vista Bank South Dallas location below.
Can you share more about Vista Bank’s decision to establish a new Banking Center location in Fair Park, South Dallas, and what inspired the commitment to serving this community?
With over a century of West Texas roots, the Bank expanded its footprint into Dallas in 2017 with a loan production office (LPO.) Vista would eventually open a full-service location in Preston Center, where the headquarters were relocated in early 2020.The board and bank leadership saw the need to serve the southern Dallas/South Dallas community early on, committing time and resources to a task force, the Dallas South Initiative Committee, aimed at innovating in this space, in which I started out with Vista Bank as a volunteer. After introducing the Bank to opportunities to serve and create impact in Oak Cliff, South Dallas, and other areas of the metroplex, Vista Bank soon hired me full-time as Director of Community Development and Vista Outreach; and now I serve as Senior Vice President & Director of Community Development and Vista Outreach. Vista Bank has always had a heart of providing a hand-up to the community through the vision of Vista Bank CEO, John Steinmetz, so it was “vision meets action” when John and I met and started our friendship and business relationship. From our initial encounter in 2020 at Lucky’s Restaurant, Vista President & CEO John D. Steinmetz and I shared a vision to engage South Dallas community leaders, invest in area schools and student athletes, and provide financial literacy training as well as bank products and services to the under-championed region. Overall, our commitment is to teach the community “how to fish” while providing a quality pond for the community to “fish from” and putting them on a pathway towards a “yes” for a qualifiable, traditional loan. And the way to do that is through financial literacy education.
As Senior Vice President & Director of Community Development and Vista Outreach, what initiatives have you spearheaded or been involved in to engage with the South Dallas community, particularly in the realm of financial literacy and empowerment?
Prior to our South Dallas location opening, we’ve done the following partnerships and programming:
- Camp Exposure, title sponsor three years in a row
- David W. Carter High School Partnership
- Vista Bank Leadership Academy
- Financial Literacy Sessions
- Invested TouchPro Screen and new Football tunnel
- Fed Varsity football team along with coaches, staff, teachers, and other student orgs before home games in 2022-2023
- Dallas ISD Career & Technical Education (CTE) partnership, teaching financial literacy and banking career at numerous Dallas ISD high schools
- Dallas Cowboys HS Student-Athlete Career Combine
- 2023 Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Gala
- Financial Literacy with Girl Scouts
- Financial Literacy & Holistic Development Partnership with TCU Athletics, TCU Men’s Basketball, and TCU Football Alumni Program
- Getting’ to the Green | Financial Literacy & Golf Clinic with Cedar Crest Golf Course & I AM A GOLFER Foundation
- Scaling in Southern Dallas Through Collectives
- Social Networking Events at The Tower Club, The Network Bar, and Dahlia
Since the grand opening of our South Dallas location, we’ve held four programs, one podcast, one event at our new location in partnership with local community organizations/business owners:
- “Winning Season” | Financial literacy session with BOSOE (Bishop Omar School of Entrepreneurship)
- “Banking on Beauty | Financial literacy session Flewellen’s International Beauty Salon & Flewellen’s Foundation
- Program with Women In Real Estate (W.I.R.E.)
- Career & Professional Development program with Project 16 (nonprofit founded by Lady Jade)
- Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for their new office suite and incubator space
- COSIGN Podcast Interview with Lubbock Smith III @ Vista Bank South Dallas (Financial Literacy Center)
Additionally, we provide one-on-one financial literacy education and resources to help clients and community members reach their financial goals while provide products and services that best serves their financial needs.
The press release mentions Vista Bank’s sponsorship of Camp Exposure and the installation of a digital board at Dallas Carter High School. How have these initiatives contributed to the bank’s mission of providing financial literacy and support to the community?
Vista Bank is committed to helping teach our community “how to fish” while providing access to a quality pond. By partnering with Camp Exposure, Carter HS, and other orgs, we’ve reached over 20,000+ individuals through financial literacy, business coaching, resources, and impact that has helped transform the people of this community. Always working towards finding a way to say ‘yes,’ we believe that investing specifically in financial literacy for entrepreneurs and small business leaders, alongside incredible partners like the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Southern Dallas Progress, Foundations EDC, and the South Dallas/Fair Park Innovation Center, will impact the region and ultimately create a sustainable and thriving economy. This is a 20 year plan and we are only four years in, but empowering individuals to start, own and operate their own business puts them on a trajectory towards building generational wealth.
I co-sign Cathy Landtroop. She's our CMO (Chief Marketing & Communications Officer) at Vista Bank. She's co-signed me since the moment I met her. Always has cheered me on, challenged me, pushed me beyond my limits, and has supported me exceeding all expectations. We need more people like her in the world and I'm honored to call her my sis/colleague and co-sign her.
What role do you see the new Fair Park location playing in furthering Vista Bank’s outreach and impact in South Dallas, especially with the addition of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and SDFP Innovation Center?
We believe South Dallas/Fair Park has the opportunity to produce the next generation of entrepreneurs that will build the small businesses that strengthen the local economy and overall quality of life for all of our residents. Offering financial literacy training, access to capital for qualified borrowers, connections, tools and resources we will help equip these businesses to scale and thrive. Overall, South Dallas/Fair Park has the potential to be an example for the country of what a community given the right education and partners can do, and we hope to play a small role in seeing that become a reality. It’s important for us to collaborate and learn from existing orgs in the South Dallas community because they’ve been doing the real work for years. We’re simply coming alongside to help add value and best serve as a community partner to create the results and outcomes the community has historically needed. The challenges are significant and we can’t do this alone – not even for South Dallas, more less other communities. We hope to learn from our mistakes and partners and build a roadmap that can be replicated with other financial institutions and partners.
Looking ahead, what are Vista Bank’s future plans and goals for its involvement in the South Dallas community, and how do you envision continuing to make a positive difference in the region?
While we are mindful of the many challenges within South Dallas, we know that we cannot solve for all of these issues, many of which are outside our industry and expertise. That said, inspiring, equipping and ultimately banking tomorrow’s entrepreneurs should lead to new and thriving businesses in the region. We see the potential in South Dallas and its residents and are committed to serving this community with love, tools, and resources, offering a hand up approach, not a handout. Elevating the region and overcoming the challenges will take all of us. Can’t emphasize enough how important it is for us to collaborate with other orgs in South Dallas, chiefly with our internal partners that we have with us inside of our facility: the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and South Dallas Fair Park Innovation Center. We envision by partnering we’re helping entrepreneurs get access to capital along with the education, tools, skills, resources, and opportunities that will allow them to not only scale and grow through business but create sustainability for them, their families, and communities. It’s also important to partner with external orgs like Forest Forward, Urban Specialists/BOSOE, African American Museum of Dallas, Behind Every Door, Queen City Historic Neighborhood Association, Pointe South Revitalization Committee, South Dallas/Fair Park Innercity Community Development Corp., Cornerstone Baptist Church, Viola’s House, St. Philip’s School & Community Center, and other orgs in the South Dallas community we’re developing relationships and partnerships with to further reach the community and provide the services, products, and overall impact they need.
For new entrepreneurs, what is one piece of advice you would give them from the expertise you’ve gained throughout your career and with working with so many high level executives and entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is an honor and privilege but it’s a choice – one you make daily through the good and bad seasons. You do not have to be an entrepreneur but you get to be an entrepreneur and you need to remember that when the sacrifice hits because it will take everything you have. So take this very seriously and make the most of every Relationship, Opportunity, and all Information, which is the TRUE R.O.I. (Relationships. Opportunities. Information.).
2023 Community Leader of the Year at COSIGN, what does recognition like this mean to you not only by publications but by your peers who co-sign you?
It honestly means more than I can express. I remember being nominated in 2022 and losing to Lady Jade (who rightfully deserved it more than ANYONE). I remember congratulating her and she said to me “next year it’s yours.” So to have won it that next year and been celebrated by my peers and other business and community leaders who inspire and encourage me to continue the work I’m doing, is humbling and remarkable. And it also encourages me to know that we have so many amazing people and things happening in Dallas, I’m very confident that we/Dallas are going to change the world.
Last but not least, who does Lubbock Smith co-sign and why?
I co-sign Cathy Landtroop. She’s our CMO (Chief Marketing & Communications Officer) at Vista Bank. She’s co-signed me since the moment I met her. Always has cheered me on, challenged me, pushed me beyond my limits, and has supported me exceeding all expectations. We need more people like her in the world and I’m honored to call her my sis/colleague and co-sign her.
Is there anything else you’d like the community to know about you, your role, and the new Vista Bank location in South Dallas?
Come bank with us. We’re eager to serve and to do our best to help create the change we want to see in the world and there’s no better way to do that than in your own very neighborhood. Which I believe is vital to change your community; you need to do these 5 things:
- Live there.
- Work there.
- Serve there.
- Worship there.
- Fellowship there.
Given that I live in South Dallas, work there by leading our new Vista Bank South Dallas banking center, our largest footprint and significant investment, I serve in our community, I go to church and worship there at Social Dallas, and I fellowship and congregate there with my community, neighbors, and friends. If we all did this together, we’d see the change we want to see in South Dallas, a place I not only call home but what I believe will be the epicenter for changing the world for the better.
