Charles E. McMahen retired as an officer of Compass Bank and Compass Bancshares, December 31, 2003. He remains a Director of Compass Bancshares, Inc. Charles was named to the Board of Directors and elected as Vice Chairman of Compass Bancshares, Inc. in 2001. He served as Vice Chairman of Compass Bank, and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Compass Banks of Texas since 1990.
Charles began his career in 1962 with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. In 1966, he joined Texas Commerce Bank and Texas Commerce Bancshares where he became Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In 1976, he joined Southwest Bancshares, Inc. as Chief Operating Officer and Director. Upon the merger of Southwest Bancshares and Mercantile Texas Corporation in 1984 to form MCorp, he became Vice Chairman of Administration and Director.
Charles was born May 19, 1939 in McKamie, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting. Charles was appointed by Governor Bush to the University of Houston Board of Regents, where he served from 1995-2001, having served as Chair from 1998-2000. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Houston, and in 2002 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree.
In 2001, he was appointed Chair of the Governor's Business Council by Governor Perry.
Charles served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of The Greater Houston Partnership from 1995 to 2003. He was Chairman of the Quality of Life Advisory Committee, and Chairman of the Business Issues Advisory Committee. He served on the Board of Directors of the Center for Houston's Future. He currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Quality of Life Coalition. In 2004, Charles was awarded the Greater Houston Partnership Award at the American Red Cross Everyday Heroes Luncheon .
He is past Chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Houston International Festival. He served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Houston Symphony. He is past President and Chairman of the Society for the Performing Arts. He served for sixteen years on the Board of the American Red Cross.
He served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Texas Bankers Association and as Chairman of the Texas Bankers Association Regional Bankers Council. He was a member of Washington, D.C. based Financial Services Roundtable.
He was elected President of Santa Gertrudis Breeders International in 1999 where he served until 2001.
Charles is the recipient of the 1995 Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) Leadership Award.
Charles and his wife of 38 years, Pat, have two grown sons, Craig and Dixon. The McMahens have an interest in ranching at their 2S Ranch in Schulenburg, Texas and have been in the purebred Santa Gertrudis cattle business since 1980. Pat raises and shows Clydesdale horses. |
