Walter E. Johnson: An Amazing Life

ABOUT ME AND MY FAVORITES 399 About Me and My Favorites Walter E. Johnson Place of birth: Fort Worth, Texas Birthday date: February 19, 1936 Age: 84 Occupation: Entrepreneur What words do people use to describe you? • Clever • Curious • Focused • Entrepreneurial • High energy • Savvy What do people say about you behind your back? • Hard working • Has accomplished a lot • A man of integrity with a high moral compass What is the proudest moment of your life? • Getting married to Yvonne • Accomplishing milestones in my life • Graduating TCU in three years • Building two great banks • Creating new profitable enterprises in the rail industry

400 AN AMAZING LIFE What are your hobbies? • Boating • Hunting • Fishing • Working What hobbies would you like to have? • Playing the piano My strengths are: • Perseverance • Tenacity • Persuasiveness • High energy My weaknesses are: • Being impatient What gives you energy? • A new challenge of any kind • Doing things that are creative • Building things • Seeing people and companies succeed • Accomplishments that help others • Mentoring young people Nobody knows I: • Grew up poor. Favorite vacations I have been on: • Captiva Island in Florida with the family • Boating in the Bahamas • Boating in the San Juan Islands If I could travel anywhere, I would go to: • La Porte, at our Bay house. I have been to many countries, but nowhere is a more important place to me than my Bay house.

ABOUT ME AND MY FAVORITES 401 What is your dream job/career? • Contractor What is one thing you would change about you or your life? • Having resources earlier in life to help more people and charities. I wish I had more time for: • Sitting on the patio and enjoying the view from our Bay house. Where would you like to live besides where you live now? • The Florida Keys Who are your heroes? • Scott McLean • Harris Simmons • David Stevenson • Steve Stephens • Joe Argue • Randy Meyer What frustrates you? • People who do not do their best, do not think outside the box, are happy with routine, and are not advancing themselves • Lack of time in the day I have little or no patience for: • Incompetence What makes you happy? • Seeing the success of the people I care about When do you relax and how? • When I am reading

402 AN AMAZING LIFE Favorite foods: • I am mostly a vegetarian • Peaches • Tomatoes, especially the ones I grow Favorite cuisine: • Italian Favorite indulgence: • Peach cobbler— when I want to sin! Favorite drink(s): • Ice tea Favorite type(s) of fruit: • Peaches • Bananas Favorite cookie: • Oatmeal Favorite candy bar: • Baby Ruth—from when I was a kid. Favorite restaurant(s): • Cleburne Cafeteria, the freshest food in Houston What foods do you prepare at home? • I eat a lot of cereal, granola with fruit • I enjoyed grilling outside for the family • Vegetables, especially squash Favorite color: (list top three colors or more) • Yellow • Brown • Blue Walter’s tomato garden at the Bay house.

ABOUT ME AND MY FAVORITES 403 Favorite music: (genre or song) • I like to listen to: Josh Groban, Enya, Cher, Adele, Celine Dion, George Winston, Sarah Brightman. • The songs I hum a lot that I cannot get out of my mind are all Baptist hymns such as Onward Christian Soldier. Favorite car(s): • Ford 150 Raptor, jacked-up two inches, white. Favorite clothes: • Blue jeans The best books I ever read: • Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage • Undaunted Courage • Many history books The current book I am reading: • I am reading a lot of my memoir chapters right now! • Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America (2006) by Les Standiford • Enduring Patagonia (2002) by Gregory Crouch. The book is about living on the edge, endurance, and perseverance. Newspapers I read every day: • The Wall Street Journal • The New York Times • The Houston Chronicle • The Economist (weekly) Favorite TV shows: • M*A*S*H • The Golf Channel My wheels

404 AN AMAZING LIFE Favorite participatory sports: • Fishing • Hunting Favorite spectator sport: • Football, especially NFL Favorite sports team • Houston Texans Favorite movie: • Pretty Woman Favorite celebrity: • Tom Hanks Favorite place to shop: • Jos. A. Bank Favorite board game/card game: • 42-Dominos • Gin Favorite college: • TCU • University of Houston Favorite charities: • Star of Hope • United Way Favorite animal (think Africa): • Cape Buffalo Favorite sayings, quotations, or motto: • Necessity is the mother of invention. • We don’t know what we don’t know!

ABOUT ME AND MY FAVORITES 405 Favorite letter of the alphabet: • A Favorite date of the year: • New Year’s Day What is your horoscope symbol? • Pisces—May 5, 2020: An increased focus, clarity of mind, and a sense of concentration could lead to success in career matters and increased income, Pisces. Intuition can provide practical guidance to help you advance. A friend might give you some good advice concerning savings plans, investments, or more efficient uses of resources. This could be a fruitful day that opens new doors for you. Make the most of it! • But I prefer to be known as an Aquarius—May 5, 2020: The opportunity to collaborate, perhaps with friends or a group you belong to, could come your way today, Aquarius. Discussions with others could lead to the confirmation of practical arrangements for problems you are trying to solve together. You might also seek to advance your education, as your intellect is especially active now. Whatever new experiences come your way could lead to new paths, interests, and opportunities. Do not let doubts or fears get in your way. Do you prefer morning, afternoon, or nighttime? • Morning Favorite day of the week? • Friday What is your favorite temperature for outside? • 70 What is your favorite season of the year? • Fall Favorite holiday: • Christmas, being with family

406 AN AMAZING LIFE What I want for Christmas: • An end to the Coronavirus! Moon or sun? • Sun Ocean or mountains? • Ocean Sunrise or sunset: • Sunrise Are you a dog or cat person? • Dog Which do you prefer, a circle or a square? • Circle—it is simple, uncomplicated What is your philosophy of life? • Be curious and learn, to excel in life Is the glass half full or half empty? • Half full—progress. Life is not a dead end; you have a place to go. If I could say one thing to myself 40 years ago it would be: • Learn to fly What is on your bucket list? • Fly my own plane. • My goal is to live to be 100 and stay healthy.

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 407 Memories and Musings from Colleagues, Friends and Family Contribution by Harris Simmons, Chairman and CEO, Zions Bancorporation While at Harvard Business School, I spent the summer of 1979 working on a project that involved traveling around the country meeting with and interviewing the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of a number of the high-performing banks at the time. This project took me to Houston where I met Ben Love as well as a few other bankers in Houston. Though I did not visit with the leaders of Allied Bancshares, the bank’s reputation as a standout financial institution fascinated me. The following year, in 1980, I received my MBA and began interviewing with several large banks, seeking a position where I could learn more about banking. My two brothers lived in Houston and knew the management team at Allied. My older brother, Matt, was good friends with Kent Anderson, an Executive Vice President at Allied, so I arranged to visit with Kent. I was so impressed with what he shared with me about Allied. I was intrigued with their organization, their culture and what made them so successful. Allied had never done any recruiting from Harvard and in the interview it was mentioned that all new Allied employees go through their training program. That was fine by me so I accepted a position in the credit department, starting at $18,000 a year. There I met Joe Argue who became a lifelong friend. I learned a lot about banking from Joe as well as Kent Anderson and Walter Johnson. One of the most impactful experiences of my short stay with Allied was when I went on a call to visit a prospect with Walter. I wish I could have bottled it up and saved it to show everyone I know. He taught me in one hour how to sell. He was better at this than anyone I have ever seen. To Walter, everyone is a prospect. I recall one story I heard where he was having a surgery and before going under he asked his doctor, “Where do you bank?” He is a great salesman in the most genuine and respectful way. He can look someone in the eye and make a commitment, and he keeps it.

408 AN AMAZING LIFE He does what he says he will do. It is very powerful to watch him with a prospect or customer. It gets back to his integrity. He stands by customers in tough times, and that is one of the true marks of an outstanding banker. During that year at Allied, I also had another experience that taught me more about Walter. A major defalcation (misappropriation of funds) occurred at Allied in the International Department and I was asked to help clean that up, giving me the opportunity to spend more time with Walter. I learned quickly that he utterly despises disloyalty. He is as loyal and honest as the day is long, and he expects the same of those he works with. I had intended to be in Texas with Allied for five years, wanting to learn more about energy banking before I joined the family business at Zions Bank. I was convinced that Zions needed to have more knowledge in this area and felt that my time at Allied would help me understand this area better. Instead, I was with Allied Bancshares for just one year, working in several different capacities. In the spring of 1981, I got a call from the CFO of Zions who was moving on to another career opportunity. He asked me, “Why don’t you come and work with me? I’m going to be leaving soon and I think you should succeed me.” I went back and worked with him until he left. In late 1981, I was promoted to CFO of Zions. My brothers, L.E. and Matt, living in Houston, became very close to the management team at Allied over the years and formed strong friendships. Allied and Zions executives shared various conversations regarding best practices, strategy and vision of our companies. When Walter moved to Southwest Bank / Amegy, Zions’ leadership continued its friendship with him and his new leadership team. When Paul Murphy was CEO of Amegy, he called to discuss our potential interest in buying Amegy. Because of our longtime relationship with Walter and others at his bank, I had a high degree of confidence and comfort that a deal with them would be highly successful. I came to appreciate Walter even more after Zions acquired Amegy Bank, admiring his philosophy, management style and leadership abilities. His integrity and hard work are exemplary and produced in him the confidence needed to build a great business. He is scrappy, full of energy and leads by example. And he is always focused on creating lasting relationships with customers. Walter loves teaching and mentoring young people. I should know as he was a great mentor to me. He has mentored so many bankers with whom he shared his experiences to help them. One thing I asked our Houston

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 409 folks to do was to produce a video in which we interviewed Walter, talking about his life, his career and philosophy so we can show this to younger bankers for years to come. Walter cares deeply about others and that is evidenced in the way he spends his time. Over the years, I have come to know that Walter, like so many great bankers, cares deeply about his community, and is a highly service-oriented person. He wants to do what he can to help other people. He has raised tens of millions of dollars for a variety of charities. I encourage all our people to get involved in their communities like Walter has. I have also seen that Walter’s marriage is the most important thing in his life, and he and Yvonne are inseparable. Yvonne has been right by his side throughout his career, working and supporting him and all his endeavors. That is a real testimony to a hard-working and focused couple. I have always wanted to thank Walter for being an extraordinary teacher and mentor, and for agreeing to partner with Zions. I remember when we came down to the final points of negotiating the acquisition of Amegy. He held out for the best price for his shareholders, pressing for the last $.25 per share he could wring out of us. It’s what I would have expected, and one of the things I admired about him. He represented his shareholders very well in that transaction. Contribution by Scott McLean, President and COO of Zions Bancorporation After graduating from SMU and Northwestern, I started my banking career in 1979 with Texas Commerce Bank, which, over the years, became J.P. Morgan Chase. I served in a number of roles, including president in Dallas, chairman in El Paso and president in Houston over a 23-year period. I first met Walter Johnson while on a business trip. We were both with our wives at a dinner in Monterrey, Mexico where we sat together. My first impressions were very positive, both he and Yvonne were delightful. Southwest Bank of Texas, Walter’s bank, was a top competitor for Chase so I decided to take a page out of Walter’s playbook. I had heard so many stories of how Yvonne and Walter entertained employees and customers over spaghetti luncheons at the bank. I told Walter that night in Monterrey, “Walter, I have heard about your famous spaghetti luncheons for employees and customers. I’m not flat-footed, Anna and I have now done the same in our home!” As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

410 AN AMAZING LIFE In 2002, Walter and Paul Murphy brought me on board as Executive Vice President of Southwest Bank of Texas with no direct reports, telling me my first tasks were to bring business to the bank, launch the bank in Dallas and generally be of support to the executive team. With nothing but a small office, a computer and a telephone, I took up the challenge. It was fun from the get-go and has been ever since. I was promoted to President of Amegy in 2003 and CEO of Amegy in 2009. In 2014, I became President and COO of Zions. I currently serve on the board at Zions and as chairman of Amegy Bank. Walter’s most significant influence at Amegy can be found in his ability to lead by example and continuously think about business development. He is such a force and remains steadfast in growing the bank and building deep customer relationships. Our motto for business development is: “Everyone’s a Prospect,” based on Walter’s zeal for bringing everyone he meets to the bank as a new customer. What I also think is so unique about Walter is that the destination, the end result, and success, are important to him, as they are with most people… but Walter never gets there. There is no endgame with him because he always pushes out the horizon—that next project, the next potential customer, the next fund-raising challenge, the next problem to fix. He never reaches a final destination where he can say, “I have arrived.” The journey is far more critical to Walter than any momentary feeling of accomplishment. He gets the passengers on board, tells them where they are going, and when the train gets to the destination, he will pass the station, wave to the people on the platform, and just keep moving down the tracks. It is not a singular occurrence, as the next destination will be far better… and never-ending. He is focused and intentional in moving forward to the next great destination down the road. For him, the long game is what matters, a perpetual journey for excellence and to achieve success after success, and never stop. Leaders, by just their sheer will, cannot create sustainable organizations. What does create sustainable, successful organization is the culture. Walter takes his beliefs, leadership skills, and values and infuses them into his co-workers so they can build a culture that allows many to grow, lead and attract others. He has created an enduring culture that keeps moving from good to great. A culture makes the institution and the culture Walter has created at Amegy has allowed the bank to stand taller than the competition. He continues to find the right people and then mentors them to

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 411 become better. Walter has always been a mentor to our younger colleagues. He would arrange breakfasts with 20 young co-workers a month, investing time in developing relationships with them. He also freely shares his extensive knowledge and wisdom he has acquired over the years. It just amazes me how he focuses on helping others. One thing he likes to teach all who will listen is that in both good and challenging times, always do the right thing. He always provides honest feedback to those around him. He is an outstanding listener, asks a lot of questions, his curious mind is always delving deep, and is willing to change his mind if presented with a strong enough argument. In whatever Walter does, he involves others, wanting others to be a part of the success. Clearly, he has a deep-seated orientation to people. One of the cornerstones of Amegy’s culture is: “Everyone Counts.” As well, he is the ultimate team player. When a decision is made, to him the play has been called. Even if he disagrees, he is ready to break the huddle, never second guessing the play. He is always ready to go execute the play with his teammates. Two other enduring qualities that really push Walter ahead of the pack are his work ethic and curiosity. Both go hand-in-hand. No one can outwork Walter Johnson. Many at the bank work hard but his passion and drive are simply unmatched. He has a sense of urgency about him, as if there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish everything he wants to do. As well, he is passionate about continuously learning. This passion is fed by his curiosity. He has a thirst for knowledge and uses that knowledge to help his employees and customers be successful. In the past, there have been legends in the banking industry, today there are far fewer. The exception is Walter. He is an enduring leader—a legend—and his durability and sustainability will be recognized for generations to come. What sets Walter apart is his long-term vision for Amegy. Few founders are willing to plan for their succession and step back from daily operations. Founders typically are unwilling to release the reins of control, often a major misstep in planning for an organization’s future. This was not the case with Walter and in 2001 he began planning for his succession, a big risk for Walter and the bank. His thoughtful guidance and clear vision once again highlighted his outstanding leadership at the bank.

412 AN AMAZING LIFE Funny Stories Walter took up golf at the age of 70 because he was taking a customer to Scotland to play. To learn the game, took a zillion lessons and performed relatively well on the trip, considering he was three months new to the game. After that experience, he had the golf-bug, and that summer he ordered 144 golf balls from the pro at his course in Houston. Mid-way through the summer he ordered another 144 golf balls. His pro in Houston told him, “Walter, you might want to slow down on this golf thing.” Another time I recall including him in a four-some with some customers. At the 19th hole, I asked him, “How did you play?” He replied, “Not that great but it was such a beautiful day and I saw such great wildlife. I wish I would have had my shotgun with me to get some of the wonderful animals I saw.” Saturday morning, Walter called and said, “It’s raining like crazy, bad Hurricane Ike hit Houston on a Friday night in 2008. At 6:30 a.m. • winds.” I asked, “You okay?” He replied, “Yes.” I then asked, “Where are you?” He answered, “I’m at the bank. We had two windows blown out and they are flooding two of our floors. I’m here fixing them.” I hurriedly said, “I’ll be there.” He responded, “That would be great. I got a trailer full of plywood and tools here yesterday… just in case we lost any windows.” Our timeline was very tight and Hines worried that we, not them, would When building the new Amegy Tower, we involved Hines Real Estate. • be unable to keep to such an aggressive schedule. They told us, “Our biggest concern is that you will not be able to make decisions quickly.” Walter told them, “Don’t worry. It will not be a problem. We will be your first customer that will not miss a beat.” Our internal Amegy team met every Friday morning, setting a fast-paced cadence to respond quickly and decisively to Hines. Finally,

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 413 Hines realized they could not keep up with us! They told us that they had never had an owner so thoroughly and quickly make decisions with such detail. That is Walter in a nutshell. companies. Walter worked with this well-known company that I knew Our plan was to lease some floors in the Amegy Tower to other • would be very difficult when it came to negotiating the lease price. This owner had told Walter, “You are such a nice fellow, but I can tell you are not going to do well when we start negotiations.” But Walter has a huge “likeability factor.” He closed that deal quickly and without any exhausting rounds of negotiations. Great Mentors There are a lot people who say, “My mentor is my best friend,” or “My • mentor is like a father to me.” Rarely do any of us have more than a couple of mentors or great friends. Walter is unique in that he probably has 20 or 30 people that would say that about him. I am very fortunate that he has mentored me, and he is at the top of my list of great mentors in my life. In closing, I want to thank Walter for taking a chance on me. When I mis-stepped or made a mistake, he never lost confidence in me and was always there to have my back and build me up. Without his support, trust, mentorship and advocacy, my life would have been wildly different. For that, and most especially. . . his friendship, I’m very thankful. Contribution by Steve Stephens, CEO, Amegy Bank After graduating from the University of Houston, I went to work for Texas Commerce Bank, and eventually became Executive Vice President of lending for the Texas region. In 1987, while Walter was leading Allied Bank, we had a common customer, Jerry Moore. Walter mentioned to Jerry that he was looking for a good banker to hire so Jerry arranged a lunch with Walter and me. Though his pitch was sound, I saw no reason to leave Texas Commerce at that time. Those were difficult times with the economy in decline, but I had confidence

414 AN AMAZING LIFE in Texas Commerce and felt a larger banking institution was in a better position to ride out the storm. In March 1989, when I read the article that Walter was leaving Allied to join Northwest Crossing Bank, I remember thinking to myself, “That’s very risky.” About two months later, Water called me, saying, “Let’s have lunch.” I was flattered by his offer to join-up with him and impressed with Northwest Crossing’s board as well as its influential investors. Walter’s pitch that day did get me thinking. Now I had to re-evaluate my career plans at Texas Commerce, something I had not planned on doing. This agitated me somewhat; I had a good future at Texas Commerce so did I really want to make a move to a smaller, start-up bank? I talked with Jack Fields, my boss at Texas Commerce, and his comments were sound, “I recommend you give this some serious consideration. Walter Johnson is the real deal.” I also talked to a few of my customers. One had a bay house near Walter’s and gave him high marks. The other banker, who was from Allied Bank, also spoke highly of Walter. One thing about Walter is that he never gives up, so he kept the pressure on. He even had his wife, Yvonne, call me one day. She said, “Steve, when you come aboard, you will need furniture for your new office, so go ahead now and pick out some nice furnishings.” Man, I couldn’t believe it. Walter Johnson Comments: I knew I had to have Steve. Without a doubt he could be a game changer. I was not about to ease up on the pressure. Maybe what finally drove him to say “Yes” was when I invited him to go on a weekend duck hunt in Louisiana with me on Berdon Lawrence’s property there. Like me, Berdon is a very persuasive person and he too provided the necessary pressure. Together, Berdon and I “hot boxed” Steve for about 30 hours. And, we got the job done! It just might have been one of my best deals to close! Two other considerations affected my decision. With the Houston economy in a severe slump and Texas Commerce loans too concentrated in the oil / gas and real estate sectors, I knew it was going to be a long and difficult process to work-out those upside-down loans. Secondly, Texas Commerce had been bought out by Chemical Bank in 1987 and now it was run by out-of-towns with little knowledge of Houston or Texas. What

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 415 really torqued me was when powers that be at Chemical thought I needed additional training—can you imagine?!! I could have taught them a thing or two! So, they sent me to a training class in New Jersey; I think their real purpose was to see if this cowboy from Texas could measure up against their blue-blood, Ivy League types. Pox on them! When I finally went back to tell Jack Fields that I was strongly considering leaving Texas Commerce, his response shocked me. He said, “Steve, you know you have a great career here, but Walter Johnson is highly respected. I would recommend you seriously consider his offer.” And, that did it. I finally agreed to come aboard and join Walter’s team at Northwest Crossing Bank. Needless to say, it was the best business decision I ever made. I soon learned that Walter wanted his team to work as hard as he did, though we all know that few can match his tireless work ethic. As an example, Walter encouraged me to recruit top talent from Texas Commerce, especially to beef-up the credit analysis group. I brought aboard this one gentleman and he was a rock-star. He didn’t last long though. When he saw all of us putting furniture and filing cabinets together, he took one look at us bankers-turned-movers and said, “I didn’t go to college to move furniture.” Walter heard about his comment and he was gone the next day. When I came aboard as EVP, Walter was in the process of raising $12 million in additional equity to enable the bank to increase its loan portfolio. He was $6 million short so together we went to work seeking both new customers and investors. With a list of my top Texas Commerce customers in hand, I began to visit with them and relay our plans—we were a Houstoncentric bank, customer focused, a different bank not run by some colossal institutional bank from the East Coast. Our story resonated with many and some were even willing to become investors in the bank. They believed because we believed. It was not a hard sell; we just spoke to our prospects and they believed in us and our path forward. Of those former customers from Texas Commerce Bank that I visited, about 50% of them became Northwest Crossing customers, and some invested with us also. One was Trees, Inc., a utility line tree cutting company run by Charlie Bench. I took Walter along for this customer visit. No one is better at closing business than Walter; his passion, vision and sincerity cannot be matched. Charlie is old school and Walter and he connected quickly. Charlie soon responded to our presentation by saying, “I hear you’re selling stock in your company. If so, I might be interested.” We confirmed we were and then Charlie said to his assistant, “Mary, bring me my check book.” His $100,000

416 AN AMAZING LIFE investment in our bank’s stock turned into a cool $3.6 million profit. On top of that, he transferred all his banking to Northwest Crossing. Upon departure he said, “And I’m going to recommend you to all my friends and business associates to do the same.” That’s how we grew. Others like Charlie followed. I took another former customer duck hunting. He had been reading about our bank’s success and said, “I’ve read up on your bank. I have a lot of questions about your bank but… seems like things are not good.” I told him about his friend who had just invested $300,000 in our bank. He then responded, “Well, he’s a lot smarter and richer than me. But if that’s that case, I’m in for $300,000.” I always knew that Walter would do the right thing for his team and the bank. Everyone trusted him implicitly. His passion and perseverance encouraged us all to be the best we could be. If we did that, then success was sure to follow. As the tough economy in Houston continued to challenge the banking industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a significant shortfall of bankers developed as few bankers remained in the industry. This shortage of talent is what led Walter to start a training program. After beginning our training program in 1993, we quickly filled the talent gap. We also took steps to ensure our smart and talented new hires would absorb our culture—a foundational cornerstone to our success. We are very proud that Southwest Bank was the first Houston bank out of the ashes during that prolonged market downturn. Our timing was perfect and in 1989, we caught the wave of success. The current Amegy building, completed in 2017, is the result of 30 years of successful banking. In many ways it’s a remarkable building, a wonderful testimony to all the hard work of so many dedicated employees, and certainly to the master visionary—Walter. After our IPO was launched in 1997, we determined the timing was propitious for the bank to begin acquiring small community banks, allowing the us to scale further and expand our branch banking network. We focused on acquiring indigenous local banks with heavy deposits and ingrained in their communities. Many were owned by aging investors who sought a pay-day. Our timing was spot on. As we proceeded to expand our branch banking network through acquisition, Walter wanted to lessen the risk of our rapid growth by separating our loan portfolio into two separate groups: real estate and all other business loans. Many of these smaller community bank portfolios were heavy in real

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 417 estate loans, which he put a lid on so as to not over-expose us. We wanted those local bankers to become part of our family. Many stayed though some departed as they preferred real estate lending. Our eight acquisitions added to our significant growth and continued to perform above expectations. It has been a wonderful ride and I’m excited and encouraged about our future of Amegy. The foundation initially laid, built on passion, doing what is right for our customers, and the diligence of all our employees at the bank, cannot be understated. First and foremost, it all started with one person who lead the charge—Walter Johnson. Contribution by Laif Afseth, President, Amegy Bank I first met Walter 16 years ago when I joined Amegy Bank. Prior to that I was at Texas Commerce Bank in their investment banking division. When Texas Commerce planned to move their investment banking division to Chicago, the timing was not good for me so I started looking around. I called up a few of my friends who were working at Southwest Bank of Texas and they were so fond of the bank I decided to check it out. I interviewed with Joe Argue and Walter Johnson. Meeting Walter was a bit unsettling as he was such a legend in Houston; yes, I was nervous. They quickly sold me on the culture, the vision, and the community bank focus of the bank and I joined Southwest Bank in 2003. The bank was growing and adding new business groups so I was brought on to work in the syndicated finance group as a vice president working for Preston Moore. As well, I did a lot of business development. Walter is a force of nature! I must say learning from Walter has been such a great experience. His wealth of information, his vision for growth, his skill in taking care of customer, and his ability to develop such deep relationships are all foundational elements that make a great bank, and a astute banker. He is always a client advocate, thinking about how to help a customer. He is known for being empathetic and listening to the customer’s needs. He and Joe Argue are “character lenders,” they will make the loan if they believe in the person, his values, a gut feel for a person and his company—is the person of solid character and will they pay back the loan no matter what. Whether you are at the bank one day or 30 years, to Walter, one’s opinion matters. The executive floor does not have a monopoly on the best ideas. He always makes himself available to listen to any one’s ideas

418 AN AMAZING LIFE concerns and questions. He especially enjoys mentoring young bankers to help them advance their career. Walter is a man with strong character values. Integrity is so important to Walter. He believes and models the importance of being honest and doing what you say you will do. He also has a remarkable work ethic, working incredibly hard on any project he undertakes. No one can outwork him. He is results-oriented and holds all accountable. He has this innate drive to be successful. He would be disappointed in a meeting when everyone was not “all in,” not working in a collaborative way, or where there might be discord. He does not like to be disappointed because he holds all with high expectations, as he does himself. He sets the highest bar for himself and expects us all to be 100% supportive when a decision is made. This also is evident in his philanthropic efforts. Walter is such a positive contributor to the community and the greater Houston business community. If the Mayor of Houston were handing out a key to the city, he would have to give Walter a large key ring because he deserves many more than just one! bank and its culture. He sets the tone for who and what we are at Amegy. I am most grateful that Walter’s character and values permeate our • I want to thank him for the opportunity he has given to all of us at Amegy. Secondly, I want to thank him for his leap of faith to move from Allied to Amegy. Thirdly, I want to thank him for his friendship and mentorship. Finally, thank you Walter for this contribution to Houston and the State of Texas. Contribution by Johnny Johnson, Director, Amegy Bank, and friend Beth Robertson and I have been friends since junior high school. A Houston native, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to be involved in developing several banking and real estate concerns. We both now serve on the advisory board of Amegy Bank. In 1981, Beth and her brother, Corbin, secured a bank charter and organized two banks—Northfield and Northwest Crossing. She raised $2 million in capitalization and I invested, becoming a founding member of the board of directors.

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 419 Beth recruited a stout board of directors: W. Donald Brunson, Ernest H. Cockrell, Roy W. Cullen, Joe A. McDermott, IIII, Eugene Mitchell, Wilhelmina R. Morian, Don Mullins, Tom Soriero and me. All had many significant relationships in Houston. My connections were in the oil and gas industry, running Permian Mud, a Midland/Odessa based oil field service that had been around since the 1940s. We brought aboard Don Brunson from Heights State Bank to lead the bank. With the charter secured in 1982, Northwest Crossing opened its doors. Don had a lot of relationships and began soliciting his former customers. It did not take long for our portfolio of loans with new customers to increase rapidly. The fascinating thing was the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) sent us a notice that we were growing too fast and we had to raise another $1 million. The Houston downcycle in 1982 forced us to pull back on growth and scrutinize loans more forcefully. Our careful and conservative approach, along with a more diversified portfolio, enabled us to survive this downturn. We had approximately $40 million in total assets, but we felt like we needed some help. Enter Walter Johnson Seeking to strengthen our leadership team, Don knew Walter Johnson and went to see him about joining us. Walter was well known for his stellar reputation, eminently fair and honorable. He’s a commanding figure, expecting people to work as hard as he does. When he turned Don down, Eugene Mitchell and other board members decided to go see him. We told him we really needed him and convinced him to join Northwest Crossing in 1989. We promised that he could use Northwest Crossing as the foundation for the bank he envisioned, and he would have the freedom to lead without restriction. Walter’s work ethic, relationships and high moral compass set the bank on a new trajectory. Eugene Mitchell and he set out to raise an additional $12 million in capital that would enable us to compete against the bigger banks in Houston and also increase our loan limit. In February 1990, the new bank was launched with one branch, 20 bankers and $50 million in assets. Walter changed the bank’s name to Southwest Bank of Texas. By the 1990s, Houston’s economy had recovered, and we continued to build on our strength as a community-minded bank with enough heft to expand. During this time, Walter brought his management ability, his

420 AN AMAZING LIFE passion and intense energy to expanding the bank’s success. As well, he assembled a marvelous team. A Relative? No. After the bank recapitalized and set sail in the early and mid-nineties, there were a number of people around town that thought Walter and I were related since we shared the “Johnson” surname. As the bank gained momentum and became a factor in the community banking scene in the greater Houston area, I never attempted to correct that impression. I was proud to be associated with Walter in any way, including being thought of as a relative! IPO Houston’s entrepreneurial spirit continued to accelerate and by 1997, we were in the right place and right time with the right people. We seized the opportunity to go public with our first IPO. Our major goals of our IPO were: 1. Advertising—building the brand 2. Raised more capital 3. Achieve a return for the shareholders Merging with Zions Bancorporation By 2005, the board of directors at Amegy decided to take a big step and merge with another banking institution with shared values and cultures. Walter had a relationship with Harris Simmons and through our investigation, we realized that Zions Bancorporation would be an ideal partner. We liked the people at Zions, its culture and our bank’s management was comfortable with their leadership that included sound ethics and vision that would not handicap Amegy’s natural flow of business and our high Celebrating Southwest Bank IPO announcement. Left to right: Unknown, Paul Murphy, Janis Murphy, Walter, Yvonne, Randy Meyer, Unknown, Unknown

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 421 expectations for growth. We had other suitors but, in the end, Zions was selected, and we merged with them in July 2005. Since that time, Amegy Bank has grown stronger and greatly benefitted from being part of one of the nation’s premier financial services companies. But we also constantly remind our selves that we must stay close to our customers and collaborate with them to grow their businesses. Relationships are still important, and we want to continue to build those long-term connections as they transition their business into the future. Walter’s strong leadership and guidance have made Amegy a top-tier banking institution in the state. I am thankful that he agreed to come aboard with us so many years ago and I am proud to have been a part of Walter’s vision. Contribution by L.E. Simmons, friend and investor I grew up in the banking business, the second of four boys. My father, who rose from being a bank teller to chairman of Zions Bancorporation in Salt Lake City, taught us that upholding high ethical standards, doing the right thing, and accomplishing worthy goals were a better way of measuring success than just looking at financial success. My brothers and I all earned our MBAs at Harvard Business School. After Harvard, I continued my education, attending the University of Utah and the London School of Economics. I then spent two years at First Chicago establishing a corporate finance department that focused on the offshore oil and gas industry. In 1974, my older brother Matt and I founded Simmons & Company, a small investment banking firm in Houston that specialized in the oil field service industry. Simmons & Company would eventually become a global leader in providing research, corporate finance, advisory and investment banking services to hundreds of oil service companies. I first met Walter Johnson in 1975 when he was at Allied Bank. He and Kent Anderson called on us at Simmons & Company. This initial meeting was the start of a life-long friendship with Walter. Though we did not directly borrow any money from Walter at that time, he and his banks have now been our relationship banking partner for over 45 years. Because of his character and high moral standards, as well as his success, I have introduced Walter to many potential prospects. What first impressed me about Walter was his positive can-do attitude. He was always thinking, “How can I make this customer successful?”

422 AN AMAZING LIFE Helping companies and people succeed is what motivates him. He takes great pride in seeing his customers, his employees, and his bank progress and have success. He wants to win, succeed, and achieve accomplishments for others. As we built our relationship, I came to depend on Walter’s sage advice. He’s straightforward and always took the role of devil’s advocate, presenting the angle of why I should not do a deal. He consistently provided deep knowledge based on his many years of experience. He always wanted to do whatever he could to help me improve and be more successful. He’s a great reader of people, listens intently, and can read and understand financial statements better than anyone. Walter’s character values are beyond reproach. He values trust, consistency, and continuous improvement. I cannot imagine him doing something that is not aligned with his character values. And he expects others to be the same way. It upsets him when someone is not genuine, or someone tells him one thing and does another, or someone promises something and does not deliver on it. In 1980 when my younger brother, Harris, was graduating with his MBA from Harvard, I asked Walter if he would allow Harris to come and work for him so that he could learn about Texas banking. Harris joined the Allied Bank training program in July and Walter took him under wing. They made calls together and Harris got to know key people who did business with Allied. He learned a lot and was very impressed with the culture of the bank. When Harris returned to work for our father at Zions Bank, Allied Bank became his correspondent bank in Houston. I have always admired Walter’s interests in so many things. His curious mind enables him to get involved in so many hobbies and achieve excellence in those interests. We share a common interest in carpentry and construction; however, his talents vastly eclipse mine. He wants to know everything he can about plumbing, insulation, electrical, design, engineering—nothing is too small or too complex for his active mind to learn and accomplish. This attention to detail and his desire to learn has helped him in the banking arena—to figure how what works best and find a way forward to accomplish his—and the banks’—goals. When Walter is passionate about a charity, he gets involved, not just to do a favor, but going all in to make a difference. He exceeds expectations versus just getting involved and showing up. He wants to make a difference and help in a significant way. He encourages those around him

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 423 to get involved as well. He got me involved in the Boy Scouts as a donor and eventually I became a Director of the Sam Houston Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a position I’ve now held for a number of years. Walter has always been focused on creating and cultivating a winning culture at his banks that values relationships. Banks are considered to be critical institutions, but they all do essentially the same thing. How they differentiate themselves really has to do with the culture they create. What often gets lost in times of economic prosperity is how important culture is to an organization. When times change during a downcycle, many banks will take a different direction and change their culture. Those with a culture that is truly focused on long-term relationships with their customers will continue to maintain and cultivate those relationships regardless of the changing economic conditions. In 1987, I would expand my horizons to start SCF Partners, a private equity fund. Walter would go on to join Northwest Crossing National Bank in 1990 and lead it as it was transformed into Southwest Bank of Texas. During this time, we maintained our friendship and I continued to watch as Walter grew his bank, creating a culture that allowed it to rise above the rest. In late January 25, 2005, Southwest changed its name to Amegy Bank of Texas. Harris, by that time, had been Chairman, President and CEO of Zions for 15 years, growing Zions by purchasing banks in neighboring states all around Utah. He had remembered his time with Walter at Allied and had followed what Walter was doing with Amegy. In the summer of 2005, Zions Bancorporation, the bank my father founded in Utah, bought Amegy for $1.7 billion in cash and stock. Everyone at Amegy was pleased with the acquisition. They liked Zions and Harris. They liked Zions’ banking strategy and they liked Harris personally. Both Zions and Amegy shared a foundational belief and profound passion that culture, the right culture, is what makes an exceptional bank. After the sale, Walter continued to be involved with the bank, helping Zions further improve its culture. To Walter, a company’s culture is not just found in mere words. It must be in the company’s DNA and should influence every action and decision. It is important to maintain a great culture and treat your customers as partners. Relationships are key. He wants his bankers to visit prospects and customers frequently to further build upon their knowledge of their company and continue to build lasting relationships.

424 AN AMAZING LIFE I always tell new employees that they are fortunate to be working at Amegy. It is the best place to learn finance and they will have the opportunity to grow and learn for a long, long time. I also tell them that the corporate culture at Amegy is second to none—largely thanks to Walter’s leadership—and it will prove instrumental in their growth and development, impacting their lives both professionally and personally. I have always wanted to thank him for the consistency of his values, his judgment and friendship over nearly half a century. He is top-notch! Contribution by Beth Robertson, Amegy Bank Director I n the late 1970s, there was a flurry of de novo bank charters being processed, that is, new charters for banks not acquired through purchase. My brother, Corbin Robertson, and I decided it would be an excellent time to start a new bank and subsequently submitted the required paperwork to start Northwest Crossing Bank. It was around this time that I became acquainted with Walter Johnson. When we attempted to apply for a state banking charter, Allied Bank, led at that time by Walter E. Johnson and Walter Mischer, Sr., blocked our attempt, proclaiming to regulators that a new statewide bank was unnecessary and redundant as there were amply banking institutions with state charters. We persevered and in 1982 we opened our doors in a building developed jointly by Joe McDermott and the Cullen family. It wasn’t long after Northwest Crossing opened that the Houston and the Texas economies crashed. The oil crisis of the early 1970s had kicked off an unprecedented boom in oil exploration, with Houston being at the epicenter. Between 1970 to the mid-1980s, the Texas population grew tremendously as more people moved there in search of opportunities. This fed a boom in real estate development, with many capitalizing on the buying of real estate and the construction of single-family homes, apartments, retail centers, offices and industrial space. When oil prices declined in 1981-1982, development slowed but the savings and loan industry soon gave the real estate industry a new lease on life. The Garn-St. Germain Act converted the conservative S&Ls of the 1970s into aggressive investment vehicles, allowing them to invest in commercial real estate and their own development projects. Of course, the Texas real estate boom ended badly and the economic recovery took longer

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 425 than expected. Our plan was to ride out the economic crisis for a year or two and then sell the bank to a larger financial institution. This would be of greater benefit for our families and would allow us to take stock in a larger, more established institution. As we continued to languish during an extended period of recession, however, we decided to hold our own and stay in place. By late 1980s, the bank held assets of $45 million with a clean balance sheet. Seeking to grow our asset base, it was at this time that we pursued the possibility of bringing Walter Johnson aboard, feeling he would be a wonderful asset to our team and hopefully lead the bank forward. Walter was president and CEO of Allied Bank and held a stellar reputation. He had helped build Allied from $100 million to $5 billion in assets. After Allied Bank merged with First Interstate Bank in February 1988, however, he found the First Interstate Bank’s culture stifling. He didn’t care for the big bank-like atmosphere. The new leadership there de-focused on customer relationships and was primarily a retail bank. First Interstate later became Wells Fargo. Our bank president, Don Brunson, connected with Walter and they discussed the possibility of him coming aboard. Walter liked our board members and our diverse portfolio of commercial loans that were not oil and gas centric. He came aboard as president in 1989, bringing 15 to 20 people with him when he joined us. These new people were all bankers and understood Walter’s ethos: relationship with customers was paramount and it was also important to focus on commercial loans. Southwest Bank Founded Climbing out of the bad economy was very exciting and we grew like crazy. With Walter’s leadership and redirection of our business model, he and his team filled a niche missing in the Houston market that was then run by big banks and outsiders. His first project was to execute a strategy to expand by opening three additional branches. Secondly, in 1991, we expanded our equity position to increase additional customer loans because we were growing exponentially. So, our plan was to raise another $12 million, enabling us to expand the loan portfolio. Walter and his team led the charge and soon we had the required additional equity needed for expansion. Armed with the needed resources, Walter then acquired banks to expand our scale—right priced, small- to medium-sized banks. Fort

426 AN AMAZING LIFE Bend Bank and several other banks were acquired during this time. The leadership in these additional banks believed in our relationships approach and wanted to be part of what we were doing. Even Ben Love, the legendary CEO of Texas Commerce, confirmed our relationship-centric focus was the ideal banking model. After his bank merged in 1987 with Chemical Bank, and later Chase Manhattan Bank, he told me that banking needed to change and that he recognized our bank was what he initially envisioned when building Texas Commerce. Walter was decisive and had an uncanny ability to think outside the box. He quickly developed a game plan, moving fast; the grass did not grow under his feet. He was always willing to do whatever he could to move our plan forward, even if that meant picking up a drill to assemble the filing cabinets he purchased himself from Home Depot. Walter’s confidence and fast-paced business style did give the board pause at times. The board, mostly comprised of investors, not bankers, with an investment mind-set, wanted Walter to slow-roll his steadfast decisions. Often the board would tell him, “We need to think about this.” Once Walter explained a plan or idea, though, he always went on to assure them that he was extremely confident his team could execute the plan successfully. He would tell the board, “No, we need to move forward” and rarely did the board stand in his way. Likewise, he came to appreciate the board’s willingness to help him, if you will, to keep it on the rails. In 1991 we changed the name of the bank to Southwest Bank of Texas. The Northwest Crossing moniker was too narrow and “Southwest” highlighted the idea of it being a Texas institution. We also began to re-focus the brand to encompass other areas besides just Houston. Walter took the company public in 1997 and ultimately merged it with Zions Bankcorporation in 2005, netting $1.7 billion for shareholders. Today, Amegy Bank has more than $12 billion in assets, 2000 employees, and more than 85 branches in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Contribution by Joe Argue, former Chief Lending Officer at Amegy Bank for 23 years I have retired from Amegy Bank after 35 years. What a journey and what a pleasure it has been! I’m likely one of the longest serving employees at Amegy Bank and have thoroughly enjoyed working there because the bank has an unbelievable culture and is so team oriented. At the top of my

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 427 most enjoyable and pleasant memories at Amegy is working with Walter Johnson. For some background, I graduated from college in 1972 completing both BBA and MBA degrees. I decided upon banking as a career, so I applied to 10 different banks in Houston. Bank of Texas was one of two that requested to interview me. For my meeting at Bank of Texas, I was interviewed by Walter Johnson, Executive Vice President, the No. 2 guy at the bank. Working for Walter Soon after our visit, Walter requested a second interview. It was at this interview when he offered me a job, saying, “Joe, we want you to be a credit analyst. I’m not sure what a credit analyst does, but the regulators say we need to have more. So, we’re going to offer you $700 a month.” A little surprised, I responded, “Mr. Johnson, I have an MBA and I thought I’d be making more money than that.” He replied, “We’ll son, you are. If you didn’t have an MBA, you’d be making $600 a month.” After three seconds, knowing I had little room to negotiate, I replied, “I’ll take it.” I did not know it at the time but looking back now I wonder, “Why would I not have thought about this longer?” No doubt a God thing. And yes, I can honestly say that working with Walter has been a great blessing. A year later, after completing the training program at Bank of Texas, I started lending. I soon got a call from another bank where I had previously interviewed. They offered me a healthy raise—$900 a month—if I would come to work for them. I went to visit with Walter to advise him of my intention and, of course, he talked me out of it. Early on, Walter was The Banker. He called on every single customer and would take younger bankers like me along. Then he would turn it over to us younger bankers to continue building the relationship. But there was no doubt that Walter was their banker. This had a significant impact on customers—they knew the man and he was their banker. Southwest Bank Walter left the bank to start Southwest Bank in 1990 and I joined him in 1996. Walter called me and said one of his key people left the bank and he wanted to visit with me about joining his bank. At that time, I was at Wells Fargo and was not considering leaving as they were a national concern. I

428 AN AMAZING LIFE believed Wells Fargo would remain a significant bank and continue to be a good place to work. I told Walter, “I really appreciate your offer, but I’m at Wells Fargo and I think staying at this well-established concern is best for me.” Six months later, however, I called Walter and told him, “I can’t stand it here and I’m leaving.” “Well, let’s visit.” With that I rejoined Walter at his new bank. Working Hard the Walter Way When I returned to work for him at Southwest Bank, my wife asked me, “Joe, don’t you remember how hard Walter works and how he expects all his staff to work that hard?” I replied, “Yeah…” She then asked, “Well, are you okay with that?” I responded, “Yes I am.” You had to be Walter-like to be in good standing with him and work was at the top of Walter’s philosophy. He had a strong work ethic and was willing to do whatever it took to provide quality service to his customers and grow the bank. I recalled the days when Walter would have the credit analysts come to his Bay house for the weekend. They all thought they were coming down to enjoy a leisurely day on the bay—sunning, fishing, and enjoying beautiful vistas. Instead, Walter put them to work—mowing the grass, cleaning up… endless fun… I guess! Chief Lending Officer A year later I became Chief Lending Officer at Southwest Bank, managing the loan portfolio for Amegy Bank. During my 48 years in banking, 30 of them were with Walter. Walter is extremely hard working and focused. He basically never relaxes, always doing something to engage his mind. He has always been motivated to achieve success for the bank, its employees, and its customers. Walter is a man of great integrity, always honest in all of his dealings with others. He also expects others to be honest and keep up their end of an agreement. Being in the lending business, you are always taking risks and managing those risks. You will always have some bad loans, but you try and keep those to a minimum. What really irks Walter are those customers that don’t pay back the bank on a loan. If he was willing to take a chance

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 429 on them, he expects them to live up to his expectations and repay their debt on time. The Gold Rolex as a Loan Payment I recall the time in 1984 when Walter joined my meeting with a Louisiana oil man. This man was showy, loud and wore a big gold Rolex watch. He was griping about how big a problem the oil patch was and that he needed to extend his loan. Walter asked him, “Well, what type of collateral do you have?” He leaned back, looked at Walter, and replied, “I don’t have any.” Walter looked at the man, and then at his watch and, not blinking, asked, “What about your watch?” Puzzled, the man asked, “You want my watch?” Walter replied, “Well… yes.” The man then took off his watch and gave it to Walter! He then left, without the watch. Walter likely sold it to apply the money against the loan. Government Subsidies Walter is against business that is supported by government subsidies. He did not want anything to do with them and would not consider loaning money to those companies. He believed that if they were getting subsidies, they were not stable and that’s why they needed government support. Roll-Ups a No-Go Another time we went to visit a customer engaged in a roll-up. It soon became clear they were having a great deal of success. Walter asked, “How many acquisitions have you completed?” They replied, “We have done 40 or 50 in the last year.” Walter closed his notepad and got up, saying, “Thank you very much. I have to go.” That meeting ended abruptly, and he departed gracefully. He wanted nothing to do with roll-ups. Law Firm Mercedes Once Walter and I visited a medium-sized attorney firm. The managing partner told us, “We had such a good year last year I bought all my partners new Mercedes.” That meeting also ended quickly. To Walter, any business making those kinds of decisions was not being prudent with their money.

430 AN AMAZING LIFE Growth Oriented Walter was very growth oriented, valuing officers who brought in new business. He believed that new business was the fuel that moved the car, and if you were talented at business development, Walter valued that highly. The Hot Issue Whatever Walter considered to be the hot issue of the day, that was what you were expected to get done first. He paid close attention to what was going on in the news regarding business and the economy and prioritized his business according to what actions he felt needed to be taken to adjust to the current business climate. No Middle Management In the early 1970s at Bank of Texas, Walter had a flat organizational structure, all reported to him. He did not need middle managers. He knew everyone who worked there and he knew every customer. He would often say, “If I get on the top of my building and I can’t see my customer, they are too far away. We are a local bank and those are our customers.” The Art of Saying No… Thank you… Walter could turn down people for a loan better than anyone. It always amazed me how he could say “no” so graciously. These rejected prospects were so appreciative of him for just coming out and visiting with them. I couldn’t believe how many times he would disappoint a customer, but they were still so thankful to Walter. He always left the door open, and that in turn brought them back more often than not. Yesterday and Today When Walter became Chairman Emeritus, he still would do whatever he could to help you. I told him, “You can’t do today what we did many years ago due to the regulatory environment, no more character lending.” Back in the day, he would size-up their character and if he liked that prospect and considered them to be a good return with low risk, he would do the loan. He understood what I was saying, but I still saw the gleam in his eyes; he believed he could still do “character lending” even today. All my important calls were with Walter and there was no one better to mentor me. I often said, “Anyone can be honest in good times when everything is going smoothly. That’s easy. When things are bad and your back is

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 431 to the wall, that’s when a person’s character is tested.” Walter said one day, “Where did you hear that?” I replied, “I don’t know…” Grinning, Walter said, “I think you heard it from me!” Chuckling, I replied, “I think you are right!” Passing on Banking Advice Every six months I have lunch with our incoming our college graduates in our training program. One of things I tell them is that when you start out in lending, you will handle putting together loan packages. You have to support the loan officers; you need to make them successful. If you prove yourself, you will be promoted. I also tell them that it’s important to be at a bank that is growth oriented—like Amegy Bank. That is where advancement potential happens more rapidly. Golf: A Four-Letter Word Walter always thought that golf was a four-letter word. He was not a fan, often saying, “It takes all day, it’s so inefficient.” But when he was about 70, he decided to take up golf. I remember saying to him at the time, “Walter you have succeeded in almost everything you have attempted. If you can become proficient at golf, I’ll truly be amazed.” He did not disappoint me… he never has. He would take a lesson in the morning and then would think about how to improve his swing in the office and go back for another lesson in the afternoon. Man, I couldn’t believe how well he did! In closing, I would like to thank Walter for hiring me—twice. And for talking me out of leaving his bank three times. My career has been very successful but really it is because I grabbed onto Walter coattails and hung on for dear life. Contribution by George Marshall, Real Estate Division Manager, Amegy Bank When I graduated from the University of Texas in December 1985 with a BBA degree in accounting and finance, the banking environment was in a down cycle and it was difficult finding a job. I finally came aboard Allied Bank. After completing their management training development program, I became a credit analyst and later asked to manage problem real

432 AN AMAZING LIFE estate loans. As the economic climate was collapsing in Houston, I was in the hottest field, handling these customer real estate problems. Still, it was depressing—putting customers in bankruptcy—and I wanted out. In February 1988, Allied was acquired by First Interstate and Walter departed the bank the next year, along with Paul Murphy. They both approached me at the time about coming with them to start a new venture but I declined. The markets had thawed in commercial real estate lending and I decided to stay where I was. Then in December 1991, Walter and Paul called me to have breakfast with them. I had a friend working at Southwest Bank of Texas, Walter’s new bank, and he was very upbeat about the bank’s future. Since First Interstate was retreating from the market and most other banks in Houston were in a like state, I believed at Southwest Bank would be a good place to continue my banking career. In January 1992, I joined Southwest as Vice President of Commercial Real Estate lending, managing a $68 million portfolio. During my first week at Southwest, Walter walked into my office with a huge stack of files. He set them down on my desk, saying, “Here you are. These are bad loans left over from Northwest Crossing. After you fix these, you can start making additional loans.” These loans turned out to be legacy real estate loans gone bad. Over the next few months, I restructured most of them and foreclosed on others. I recall going home one late night and telling my wife, “I might have made a mistake. It’s a crappy situation…” But Walter’s words rang in my ears: “Would you rather inherit something great or create something great?” I had inherited a mess and was hoping I could soon create something great. I kept after it and believed blue skies were ahead. I was right because I believed in Walter and the team he assembled at Amegy Bank. Walter is one of the most unique people I’ve ever met. He’s a workaholic and he doesn’t have a second gear. If he’s relaxing, it’s an intense, relaxed state. He can be very demanding because he wants things done quickly, efficiently and done right the first time. But he’s never asked anyone to do something that he hasn’t done or is willing to do. Loyalty is huge with Walter. You have to gain his respect and loyalty. Once you do, there is no one better to be with in battle and win the day. He will stand beside you and give you everything he’s got to help you be successful. He likes to see others win and he likes to see his bank win. I have now been with Amegy Bank for over 28 years and am now

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 433 Director of Specialty Lending and Regional Markets. I manage a $3.5 billion portfolio at Amegy Bank and our commercial real estate group has 50 very talented and dedicated people. I am thankful that Walter took a chance on me all those years ago and gave me the hope of a brighter future. Contribution by Mike Tapick, friend My grandfather started a banking relationship at Citizens State Bank many years ago. We did not borrow much money but when Citizens State was acquired, the new owners from New York wanted to call in our loan. Heck, we had a $25,000 loan and 20 times that in savings sitting in their bank. That rubbed me the wrong way. I first met Walter Johnson in the early 1980s when he was at Allied Bank where we were then banking. When Allied was acquired, we jumped our banking relationship to Texas Commerce Bank. It was not long before Texas Commerce, acquired by Chemical Bank, from New York, also wore on me. When Walter landed at Northwest Crossing in 1990, he came to visit our company. At our meeting, we renewed our relationship. He said he wanted our business. Since we knew and liked Walter, we not only shifted our banking over to his bank but also invested in his bank. That proved to be very prudent! Also, at this time, I joined YPO where Walter and I furthered connected on a more personal level. Over the years, we have enjoyed many great times hunting and fishing together. He enjoyed taking on me on his boat where he put me to work pulling up the anchor! My wife and I have joined Walter and Yvonne for many wonderful travel adventures; epics trips around the world, such as Italy, China, Africa, Ireland. Once Steve Stephens, Walter and I went fishing in Louisiana. We are on the boat and fish are practically jumping into the boat! It was fast and furious. Walter received a call on his cell phone and answered it while bringing in a huge trout! Business always comes first! That’s Walter all right! I enjoy hunting, and once Walter took issue with my aggressive shooting. We were walking with our dogs to flushed out quail. When they were finally in sight, I got after it and wasted no time. I dominated the trigger pulling, whereas Walter only got in a few shots that day. He told me later, “Mike, you are the most aggressive hunter I’ve ever seen.” I have always admired Walter’s strong character values. He is a man of his word. He does what he says he will do. He, and his wife, Yvonne, as well, love to work. Their work ethic is remarkable; they just love what they

434 AN AMAZING LIFE do, and that includes so many other hobbies and passions. Failure is not an option for Walter, success is the only thing he knows. Walter is also one of the most knowledgeable and wise men that I have ever met when it comes to business. Every time we have worked together in a business environment, I have been so impressed with his educated approach to business. He is a man that is so respected in the banking community and for good reason. He brings out the best of everyone he is around. He is very calm and gets along with everyone. Nothing rocks his boat. Walter’s banking philosophy is to know his customers, seeking a deep understanding of their business to further help them be successful. In 2009 during the economic crash, I had the opportunity to buy out my partners. I went to Steve Stephens who liked the opportunity. This was a very unstable time in our economy, a big risk for me and the bank. He talked with Walter about this opportunity and within five minutes, Walter said, “Let’s do it!” He clearly understood my business from our many years of banking with Amegy and wasted no time agreeing. In closing, I want to thank Walter for great friendship and banking relationship for over 30 years. Contribution by Larry DuBose, friend and bank customer My company had been expanding for 12 years. At first, the bankers I had did not understand my business model and seemed to show great disdain for the fact that much of the company’s growth was outside of Houston, and Texas. It took time to convince these bankers that regardless of the geographical location, the model was still profitable. The lady that worked at Southwest Bank was the niece of my best friend from Port Arthur. They suggested I visit with Joe Argue and Walter Johnson at Southwest Bank. So, I did. It was clear that they were different. They immediately understood my business and were willing to lend us money based on that. Amegy bankers are smart and willing to build a long-term relationship. They stepped up to handle our banking requirements and partnered in syndication with other banks as a participatory lender. Because Amegy has been such a help to my company through the years, I have referred many people to their bank. In 2008, it all hit the fan with the economic and financial collapse. I had sold my company but was now providing consulting services for its new ownership. These individuals and Amegy had some tense times during this

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 435 period. Joe Argue at Amegy knew the bank had the ability to foreclose on many of our properties but instead was willing to work through this mess. Amegy didn’t want to take title to these properties so together we reconstructed the loan agreements. Amegy was wise enough to know it would be better to work with us, changing covenant terms, instead of taking over the properties. Walter is a personal friend of mine and one quick story reveals how he’s always willing to help and sheds light on his business style. Walter has a home in Durango, Colorado and I owned a condo not far away from him. While playing golf together one day, I told him I was looking to move up from the condo into a house. A short time later, we were both in Colorado and Walter called me, “I hear you’re in the area and looking for a home. I have something to show you tonight.” I reluctantly responded, “Walter, I can’t. My friend in Houston died and I’m heading back there. We’ll pick this up some other time.” Enthusiastically, he said, “I’ll pick you up in 10 minutes!” He picked me and my wife up and took us to see a wonderful home. Walter knows a good value and it was a gorgeous place. He asked, “You like it?” I responded, “Yes, of course. It’s fabulous!” Walter called the owner who was his friend and said, “Okay. Here’s the deal. I’m going loan him the money. He’s going to pay the asking price if he can have all the furniture. Anything else we need to discuss?” Thanks to Walter we have the home of our dreams. That’s Walter’s style, always willing to help a friend or a customer, and getting things done quickly and efficiently. He never runs out of gas; he has an incredible energy that’s non-stop. It’s almost embarrassing to be around Walter because he is so talented in so many areas besides banking. He’s a wood carving master, builds furniture, and repairs stuff with tools galore, especially power tools. He’s also a gadget man with incredible skills. He designed the Amegy building and almost single-handedly picked out all the art, furnishings, stone and wood materials. It’s really an incredible building, a masterpiece, a monument to the achievement of all at Amegy. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and does let loose, especially at live music events.

436 AN AMAZING LIFE Contribution by David “Dave” Stevenson, President, Amegy Bank, Houston I n May 1984, I graduated from Southwestern University with a degree in finance. Walter Johnson, then at Allied Bank, hired me to join his team. After completing the bank’s training program, I started as a credit analyst. Over the next several years, my career advanced as I became a loan officer, Assistant Vice President, and then Vice President at Allied. The prolonged economic downturn in Houston in the late 1980s caused many bank failures and bankruptcy filings exploded. During that time, my job was doing workouts for underperforming loans. My customers were typically lawyers or accountants who were filing for bankruptcy on behalf of their clients. According to policies and procedures in place at the time, these professionals were required to be involved in bankruptcy proceedings. My group within Allied was one of the only groups with a flood of new activity. Many Allied bankers departed during this time, seeking their fortunes elsewhere. Walter had confidence in us, leading us, during a very difficult time and we knew we could relax with him as our leader. New Beginnings at Southwest Bank After First Interstate bought Allied in May 1987, Walter stayed on for a while before departing in 1989. When I found out he was leaving, I expressed to him my interest in working for him again. He just smiled and said, “I appreciate that.” I, too, soon sought greener pastures and left Allied to work for a competitor for four months. Then in January 1991, Paul Murphy came to see me and invited me to visit with him and Walter. Walter didn’t waste time at our meeting, “I want you to come to work for me. Come jump in with us.” At the time, Southwest Bank of Texas was a rather small entity with three branches—4290 San Felipe, Northwest Crossing, and Wedge Tower downtown. I joined the ranks as employee #41. I remember Walter’s overriding axioms that were used to guide our path forward: “Take care of the customer, build deep relationships with them, and be accountable to each other.” In those early days, we didn’t know where we were going; there was no grand plan. What Walter stressed was his vision: “Just be the best bank to take care of Houston companies.” I also remember that in those days nothing stopped Walter. His passion and work ethic were unmatched, legendary. He led from strength, smarts, and confidence. Nothing was too small or insignificant for him to be involved with. I even saw him putting

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 437 desks together and unloading cokes from a truck. My first assignment at Southwest was working in the private banking division, managing assets of high net worth individuals. Our loan portfolio was comprised of a mix of 90% commercial loans and 10% retail. I eventually became head of that division. Taking a Break Around 2000, I was feeling burned out so I left the banking industry and became involved in a private business endeavor. My 2.5 years in that business only reinforced the importance of the value system of Southwest Bank. Southwest Bank valued the spirit of giving, helping others, caring about your family, and the family of the company. I took for granted that other companies and people also cared about you and told the truth. Realizing my mistake, on April 1, 2003, I returned to Southwest Bank, taking a position in commercial lending. Later, I would head up this group as Executive Vice President of Commercial Lending. Another promotion would advance me to Group Vice President of retail and private banking, mortgage and wealth management. In 2016, I was promoted again, becoming market president of the bank’s Houston region. Amegy Training Program During the downturn in the Houston economy, with many bankers departed the profession for other careers, it left a dearth of banking talent. So, Southwest Bank decided to set up a training program to attract and train new talent to fill the gap. It’s a unique program with a good mix of classroom training and on-the-job training. The two-year program educates and trains 10-12 new hires per year. They complete six months in classroom and then rotate in and out of different lines of business and in different geographic locations. The teaching program focuses on: How to be a banker, what our customers expect, and what we are all about—culture, commitment, reputation. With each new training class, I have the opportunity to share my thoughts about life at Amegy. I discuss with them what it’s like to be an Amegy banker and what is our culture. We have always believed that it doesn’t matter where you are in the company. No matter what position you hold, you have a voice. Also, we believe deeply in accountability and taking personal responsibility to keep the culture of Amegy intact.

438 AN AMAZING LIFE Amegy Today The biggest challenge Amegy faces at this time is the wolf at the door. There are things you cannot control like regulatory constraints and the economic environment. Walter is very much in control and calm. I asked him once why he was so composed under pressure and he told me, “Because I count to 10 when I get mad!!!” What I appreciate the most about Walter is his willingness to listen and pivot if needed. I know I can always speak my mind. He doesn’t want emotions in a discussion, rather bring the facts. He is always willing to listen and change his mind if the facts justify a change. Another foundational aspect of our bank and people is to respect, help and encourage all. Walter cultivates that. We sit down and figure it out problems with no tempers flaring. We tackle problems and find solutions. Today, as we have done all along, we like to tell the story about our bank, focusing on our customer-centric model. This has enabled our bank to grow and become a premier Texas bank where employee opportunities abound. If you fit here, you tend to stay here. I feel responsibility for all the families at the bank. If they can feel good about their life, providing for their families, then they are going to be hard working, valued employees. What encourages me about Amegy is our focus on getting our people to continue investing in our community—getting involved in the community, doing charitable works personally and with your family. We encourage them to get involved and stay involved. The company wants its people to be visible in the community, to give back. As well, we all take personal responsibility and accountability to look after each other. You have to be present to make a difference—at work, at home, in the community. Be out there, be present, and good things happen. This is a big driver for Walter. After all, it’s what got us here in the first place. Contribution by Kirk Wiginton, CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth Region Background I graduated from the University of Texas in 1979 and then went to work for a bank in Austin. In 1980, I was introduced to Walter Johnson, President of Allied Bank Texas. He hired me that August and initially I had to attend Allied’s credit training program. This 18-month program was very foundational, developed to ensure bankers understood risk and the importance

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 439 of detailed underwriting. In this training program, sitting next to me was Harris Simmons, who would become CEO of Zions Bancorp. I have reminded people throughout my career that you must remember who is sitting on your right and left. You never know when it will become important. Today, everyone we hire at Amegy Bank must go through credit training so that they can gain a better understanding of quality underwriting and the risk associated with managing money. Look on your right and left! Over our many years together, Walter taught me the right way, the smart way, and the lucrative way to build long-term quality banking relationships. He associated and surrounded himself with top tier bankers and top-tier customers. He studied the fundamentals of a customer’s business to ensure long-term successful relations. His biggest enjoyment in his banking career was when he could mesh two of our customers together to improve both of their businesses. He also greatly enjoyed watching other bankers be successful. It’s what makes him tick. Walter is still a networking machine with a finely tuned Formula One engine. He is a human B-12 shot that floods you with energy and invigorates you so that your feet don’t hit the ground for months. His motivational prowess is legendary. And yet, there is no mystery in his message. He is straight-forward in everything he does and has the highest ethics when it comes to dealing with others. Unfortunately, not everyone can be the Energizer Bunny that Walter is. He wants all to work hard, be smart, act professionally, and focus on your team and the customer. If you are not doing that it upsets him, and he wonders if that is a trend or just a bad day. I must have done something right because in 1984 Walter promoted and transferred me to become President of Allied Bank in San Antonio. He had confidence in me, liked my work ethic, though it seemed unlikely I was ready to assume such a high position. During my career, I had many challenges, especially when I encountered extreme market volatility, particularly during the mid-1980s with the collapse of the Texas economy. During that time, I quickly pivoted from building a market to protecting the bank, switching from offense to defense. Then in 1989, Allied Bank was acquired by First Interstate Bank. I stayed in San Antonio during this transition. Walter left Allied Bank at the end of 1989 but we stayed in touch. He knew the risk he was taking moving to Northwest Crossing Bank but also knew that with his skill set and those

440 AN AMAZING LIFE he could bring aboard, he had clear vision for success. He was careful in managing the cost and capital preservation at Northwest Crossing which became Southwest Bank of Texas. In 1995, I left the banking business and joined a family owned business, Bill Miller B-B-Q. After two years, however, I decided to return to banking. Of course, my first call was to Walter to see if I could join his new bank. After greeting me warmly, Walter responded to my request for a position in his bank, saying, “Kirk, I don’t have a spot.” I replied, making my pitch, “Walter, all I want is a chance.” Walter then said, “OK, I have a chance for you. We just made our first acquisition, Pinemont Bank, and there is a double-wide trailer house on the property. I’ll put you there.” So, I rejoined him, at the renamed Southwest Bank of Texas in August 1997. I thought to myself at the time, “I’ve got nowhere to go from here but up!” Maybe double-wide to triple-wide! This turned out to be Walter’s uncanny way to motivate me. If I could survive a trailer, I could move up and get an office. And I did. I worked hard to build relationships. I did everything possible to meet new prospects, win their business and grow my book of business. I did not want to prove him, or me, wrong. During that time, I recall one luncheon with a prospect who asked, “Kirk, where is your office?” I told him, “It’s wherever you want it to be because it’s on wheels.” I have always valued mentors and the team members that Walter assembled were all my mentors. They were all very talented, focused, hard-working, stand-up people that you would want in your foxhole. I quickly figured out that relationships with my peers was critical to my success. I place a high premium on my peers so we could collaborate and add value to both internal and external relationships. In 2001, I was promoted to Senior Vice President at the Northwest Crossing branch, the number two branch out of all our 25 branches in terms revenue and assets. In 2005, I move to the Galleria branch, now renamed Amegy Bank. My responsibility was to manage the lending group at the Galleria and Northwest Crossing branches. In 2011, I was promoted to Executive Vice President of Lending. Then in August 2013, I was promoted and transferred to become President and CEO of Amegy Dallas. The Dallas office was opening through an acquisition—Lone Star Bank in 2004—and part of Walter’s vision was to grow, expand and diversify to other markets. Three years later, in 2016, I

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 441 brought aboard Carlos Munguia to assume the office of President of Dallas. I brought the inner circle of Amegy to Dallas, and Carlos brought long-term Dallas networking and marketing knowledge to our equation. Over lunch a year after I moved to Dallas, Walter asked me, “Anything you over or underestimated in moving to Dallas?” I thought a minute and replied, “I don’t know anyone in Dallas.” Walter moved forward slowly and said, “If you tell me in a year from now that you still don’t know anyone, then I will feel like I sent the wrong guy to Dallas.” I did not need to take that note down! Another time, Walter was very concerned about how his bankers conducted themselves. At Amegy, we are very professional and that includes how we dress. Walter set the bar high when it comes to professionalism and he has high expectations. It really bothers Walter when someone doesn’t wear a tie and have their shoes shined. I remember once we were attending a lunch together. I was not wearing a tie and he said, “You must be slipping. You don’t look like a professional Amegy banker. When I told my wife about his comments, she was more upset with me then Walter was! Since that time, I have always been careful to wear a tie wherever I go. So, when I see my friends at Home Depot on the weekends and they ask me why I’m wearing a tie on a Saturday, I tell them, “I’m afraid I might run into Walter!” When you distill Walter down to the core, he’s just a fabulous person and a brilliant banker. We all watch and learn from Walter, trying to mimic his values and his networking excellence. If you can mirror and emulate Walter, you are going to achieve success. Contribution by Mary Murray, Group EVP Corporate Services, Amegy Bank After graduating from the University of Houston with a finance degree, I entered the banking world. I was with City National Bank for five years then went to Texas Commerce Bank, managing technology integration during their seven mergers, culminating with the merger into JP Morgan Chase. In my last job in Mid-Market Treasury Sales, I managed the integration of J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One. Prior to my involvement at Amegy, Walter had made significant investments in technology. He always wanted the best technology to run the bank and help its customers. He understood technology as a valuable asset, a vision that few in the banking world embraced. He also knew that Amegy had to compete against other top-tier banks in technology, and he wanted

442 AN AMAZING LIFE what the big boys had. As he sought out the best technology, vendors would introduce him to software solutions for mid-tier companies. This was not what he wanted. Walter believed the bank would continue to expand and grow and therefore sought a more advanced technology platform. And today, it is that initial platform purchased, though morphed significantly over the years, which created the foundation of Amegy’s technology strength. In 2006, after the Zions merger in 2005, the first software conversion went south fast, but the team quickly recovered. Amegy had converted all its technology platform to Zion’s processes overnight and it was a mess. Amegy had created so many customized solutions for its customers, shoehorning them into a standard process technology, that this complexity caused the inability for customers to move their money for over a week! Everyone rallied together and managed to hold the customers intact. Walter, and his leadership team, were the glue that held both internal teams and Amegy’s external customers together. It was “all hands-on deck” to keep the customers informed that this problem would be fixed quickly—and it was. In 2007, I had been talking to Scott McLean about a possible opening at Amegy, however, he said they didn’t have any opportunities. A few weeks later, he called and offered me a new position that had been created due to Amegy’s significant growth. I was to handle treasury operations—helping our commercial customers manage their cash and technology and creating more efficiencies through technology unification. I’m known as “The Fixer,” and was soon called in to help lead the technology vision for the future. It has been a challenging but wonderful journey, with many advancements highlighted by our growth in customers and financial success. In 2019, Amegy achieved it best year for loan and deposit growth, good expense management, and stellar credit quality. To validate our achievements, The Greenwich Excellence Awards has recognized Zions as one of the top performing banks for excellence in business services for the past eight years. We are very proud of our Greenwich Awards, being in the top tier, either first or second, and viewed by clients as second to none. This confirms what we have been working so hard for… and have always known. Walter is the optimal leader and is always diligently working to promote our bank. He’s so passionate about the bank and works tirelessly to keep it the best bank for our customers and for our hard-working employees.

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 443 Contribution by Marylyn Manis-Hassanein, Zions Bank—Director of Enterprise Initiatives After attending college, I began my banking career in the 1975 with Houston Citizens Bank, then InterFirst Bank, then San Jacinto Savings. During these years I managed banking operations. Looking for employment after I left San Jacinto, I noticed to a newspaper ad “for a deposit operations person” at Southwest Bank of Texas. A friend told me, “You should go there. That’s the bank Walter Johnson recapitalized.” I filled out an application and got an interview with Walter Johnson in the Prosperity Bank building. At the time, the bank had only 20 people. In my previous job, I had managed 30 people and worried that Walter’s bank might just be too small. But I believed in Walter, and he believed in me and my talents, so I threw caution to the wind and joined Southwest Bank of Texas in April 1991 as Deposit Manager. I have been at the bank ever since, a little over 29 years. Further Education Soon after joining Southwest, I was considering night classes to earn an advanced degree. Unsure of whether this was the right move, I asked Walter, “Should I return to get my advanced degree?” His words rang true. He said, “No. You have a lot of experience that we value, a lot more than those coming straight out of college. I hired you for your knowledge.” Then he continued with another path that was perfect. He said, “Here’s what I will do. I’m going to send you to the University of Wisconsin in Madison for three summers, one month each summer. It’s an Executive Banking Program that focuses on learning the next level with an in-depth education in all aspects of banking—how to run a bank. It’s very detailed and a wonderful educational experience.” Walter was right. It was a wonderful experience, engaging me in a variety of large and complex projects, everything from soup to nuts. His offer for me to attend this high-level banking education class really shows his caring nature and how he bets on his people. I’m sure glad he bet on me. I was promoted to COO at Amegy Bank in October 2014. In addition to overseeing treasury management, I would lead the human resources and risk and performance management divisions. Today I serve as Director of Enterprise Initiatives and Corporate Treasury Management, I oversee the back-end operations, covering deposit products offerings to commercial

444 AN AMAZING LIFE customers. I also work with product development groups for commercial deposits and enterprise initiatives to simplify how we deliver services to our customers. Our objective to ensure ease of customer engagement. I’ve worked at Amegy for 29 years and what a ride it has been! It’s been such a wonderful career and I’m so thankful to Walter for believing in me. Contribution by Teresa McLeod, Executive Vice President Human Resources Zions Bancorp I n the late 1990s, I met Walter Johnson for the first time when he was leading Southwest Bank of Texas. I was an independent human resource consultant and was working on a project for the bank. I was intimidated by him, not because he did anything to make me feel that way but because I had heard so many great things about him over the years. In April 2003, I was hired by Southwest Bank to become the Manager of Compensation. In 2017, when I was promoted to Director of Human Resources, I engaged with Walter more regularly. I have been with Amegy Bank for 17 years. Amegy, and now Zions, has always been customer focused. Our bank has a very strong culture. People genuinely care about each other and we have a top-notch leadership team that continually cultivates and reinforces the culture that Walter has molded and shaped over the years. I tell all new employees that this is an amazing place, one of the most open companies you will ever work for and joining the bank can be one of the most fulfilling experiences they will ever have. Walter is motivated by our customers and their success. He likes to see everyone win—customers, employees, and the bank. He takes a lot of pride in having our employees succeed. He is also compassionate and caring, spending endless hours giving back to the community, not just financially, but with his time. Walter is a man of high integrity. He is honest and trustworthy. He believes that everyone in the bank should work hard and take care of customers, exhibiting the utmost integrity and honesty. I would say what upsets Walter the most is if we have a misfire on a matter and our customer is negatively affected as customer service is at the top of Walter’s list when it comes to his expectations. Walter is an amazing man. He has high expectations of his staff and will let you know when something didn’t go well. But, that’s one of the

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 445 things I really like about him, you never have to question where you stand with him. Walter is direct. He has very strong opinions about matters, and it can be challenging to change his mind. That said, he is always respectful and willing to listen. Because he’s a good listener, he is a master at problem solving. He’s a deep thinker and solves problems by asking penetrating but targeted questions and sincerely appreciates the contribution of every employee. I have incredible respect for him because of how hard he has worked for his success in life. Many people his age slowed down years ago. That is not Walter; he’s just as engaged now as he was 20 years ago. He is a non-stop networking machine, promoting the bank everywhere and to everyone. Something you may not know about Walter is that he loves a wide variety of music. I’m amazed at the breadth of his musical interests. He likes everything from pop to country to classic to new and old alike. It’s really something to see the wide range of music he likes. His relationship with Yvonne is a testimony to the strength of their marriage. Working together all these years is just amazing to me. You can tell by how they interact with each other how much they love and respect each other. I truly admire that about both of them. Contribution by Ted Johnson, son Dad was a terrific father. He was always home for dinner with the family and always had time for me. I have so many fond memories of riding bikes, motorcycles, and horses with him. He was always ready, willing, and able to engage and have fun with his children. Dad and I were in the Indian Guides and he always attended all the meetings. I feel very fortunate that he was around so much, providing unconditional love and support. Fortunately, I was pretty well behaved. But if I did talk back to my mother, Dad would provide a stern warning. He did not like it when we disrespected our mother or did not do what she asked. If you did not pay attention to him when he was talking, it really upset him. He wanted you to look into his eyes, take what he was saying seriously, and pay attention. Talking back to him would really set him off as would using bad language. He demanded that we have respect for everyone. We had many good times at our lake house on Lake Travis outside Austin. Those were the times when Dad really relaxed. Our family would water ski all day long and sit around at night just hanging out as a family. It was so much fun! Like everything else he did, Dad was very good at skiing

446 AN AMAZING LIFE and thoroughly enjoyed being out on the water. There were also some memorable family vacations. When I was 11 years old, we went to the Cayman Islands and another time we went to Acapulco. We spent the days on the water and in the sand, soaking up the sun. It was so much fun seeing the sights and experiencing the food and culture of these Caribbean islands. Many other times were spent hunting and fishing. Dad took us duck hunting in Louisiana and deer hunting in South Texas. I especially recall fond memories of when he took me dove hunting with him to Mexico. It was… well, a blast! Fishing trips included offshore fishing off Galveston as well as deep sea fishing in Cozumel. Those were some great trips, experiences of a lifetime with my Dad. We have also had many family vacations as adults with our children, his grandchildren. We went to Captiva Island, Florida in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 for family vacations. Located near Fort Myers off Florida’s Gulf Coast, Captiva is a wonderful place for outdoor activities. We would ride bikes, go sailing and just play in the water. The children loved it! Those trips were very special. It was a beautiful place and we so enjoyed the time with all the family there. Dad is a very determined person and never gives up. Quitting is not in his vocabulary. He taught me to never give up and he preached the importance of working hard. Work is what drives him. It might be working on a project around the house or at work. He loves to work, and he loves to accomplish his goals. Whatever he does, he accomplishes it. He is always busy doing things, staying engaged and producing positive outcomes. He believes you can complete any task if you stay with it long enough. I have so much respect for him. His experience and wisdom are something for which I honor. I take everything he says to heart. Dad is also one of the most honest and caring people I know. He is the epitome of an honest person, always being truthful in everything he says or does. He exhibits integrity by always trying to do the right thing. If he makes a mistake, he acknowledges it rather than making excuses or blaming others. He is also a very generous person, revealing his softer side in giving to others. His charity work speaks volumes about him. He’s very philanthropic and wants to help people have a better life. He loves to see others be successful and does everything he can to help them be successful. I have always wanted to thank him for being a great father, caring so

MEMORIES AND MUSINGS 447 much about me and providing me with everything I needed to get through life. I am also thankful he never turned me down when I wanted to do something with him. He was always a very busy man, both at his work and at our home but he always made time for me. Contribution by Michelle Douglass, daughter A lot of people think that my father, Walter Johnson, was so busy all the time I was growing up that he would have had little time for his children. Well, that is certainly not the case. My father was always there for us. He was home for dinner, played constantly with his children, and spent endless weeks taking us to the lake, camping, and many other places. He was fully engaged and always a pleasure to be around. The Real Walter Johnson Although Dad can be very serious, he also has a funny bone and enjoys a good hearty laugh. I recall so many times wrestling with us and laughing so hard. He loved to mix it up in a physical way. He loves to whistle and a very talented whistler. Another interesting matter is how he can wiggle his ears. He is a fun person, always helpful, compassionate, and caring. Well… he was the best Dad in the world! Dad values honesty and the importance of being yourself. He encouraged us always to tell the truth because you could never get out of a lie. He also encouraged us to always be ourselves and never be ashamed of who we were. He did not care what other people’s opinion of him were and taught us that their opinions really do not matter very much. It was more important to be happy and content with who you were. When things got difficult with the kids, my father was always right there and was a Dad with a big heart and always loving and compassionate. Very little upsets him, he can tune out almost anything so the noise of children didn’t really bother him that much. Sometimes he joined in. If my brothers got out of hand while he was at work, my mother would say, “Okay, that’s enough! Go to your room and your father will handle this when he comes home.” He would arrive home and sit the boys down and mostly tell them, “The most important rule in this house is “If Mom’s not happy then no one is happy.” Dad was my rock when I was growing up. He took the time to hear whatever was on my mind and answer any questions I might have. If there was something I needed advice on, he provided me with his best answer as

448 AN AMAZING LIFE to a course of action. If I needed something from him, he assured me that he would take care of it as soon as he could. He does obsess to help everyone in the family solve their problems. He can’t let it go. He wants to solve all the problems for everyone. Telling Dad that “It can’t be done,” is a challenge to him. He grew up poor and had little recognition early in his life, so he always was hell-bent on achieving success. His parents were religious and shunned materialist things like he still does today. He is a man of faith and trusts God to direct him. In fact, we attended church every Sunday, except if we were out of town. My mother told us, “If you’re too sick to go to church, then your too sick to play with friends.” Fun Family Times Our family had so many wonderful times together on weekends and holidays. Lake Travis was a blast. My father built all the steps from our townhome down to the water, a long path that required many days of work. He also built a large dock on the edge of the water for us to use. We all enjoyed swimming and diving from the dock as well as playing “King of the Dock” there. It was on the water and a bit wobbly but we would try and jump him so he would fall in. Water skiing was a big family participatory sport. My parents would want to get out on the water early in the mornings when the lake was like glass. If we didn’t get up early, they would pull us out bed. The water temperature during those early ski mornings was frigid and we called for him to get the boat moving as soon as possible so we could get out of the cold water. We would yell “READY!” He pretended not to hear us… “What did you say…?” It was a continuous family joke with him. Yes, Walter the Joker! We did a lot of camping as a family. We had 350 acres on Lake Livingston and would camp there many weekends. Having Dad with us camping was great because he did everything to make us comfortable. He would take us boating around the lake to let our mother have some quiet time. He also built campfires, made the meals, and helped us fish—one of his favorite things to do. We all enjoyed fishing, especially when they were biting and we were catching them!