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John Bordelon, President and CEO of Home Bank and Chairman of HomeBancorp., Inc., joined Discover Lafayette to talk of his love for Lafayette, his distinguished banking career of 41 years with Home Bank, and his community involvement.



A native of Metairie, John first visited USL as a young teen when his older brother was a student. He found the people to be exceptionally friendly, unlike any other he had met. When it was time to choose a college where he would play football, he found none of the other schools could compete with the culture of USL and Lafayette. "The people in Lafayette made it exciting for me to select USL."



John played outside linebacker for USL Football as a four-year starter of the Ragin’ Cajuns football team from 1973 – 1976. The team went from a dismal record of 0-10 in his freshman year to the 9-2 record in his senior season under Coach Augie Tammariello and Defensive Coordinator Sam Robinson. "We went from having the worst record in UL history to the best record until the success of the last two seasons" under Coach Billy Napier.



John credits his college sweetheart and wife, Suzanne, for getting him on track in college. "I had my priorities a bit messed up. I was football first, entertainment second, and school third. Suzanne got me on the right track and got me focused on my career and what I wanted to be." He graduated in accounting in 1977 and initially worked as a Medicare examiner. Exactly three years after the day he started with Medicare, he joined Home Savings & Loan to capitalize on the leadership opportunities he would be afforded.



John Bordelon was honored along with Dr. Cindy Courville as 2021 UL Outstanding Alumni. The Outstanding Alumni Award is the highest honor UL Lafayette gives to a former student. It recognizes professional and personal achievements that have brought honor and distinction to the University. 



John has led Home Bank to incredible growth during his tenure. He’s overseen bank acquisitions, the Initial Public Offering of company stock in 2008, and the many technological advances in banking which have changed how bankers interact with and serve their customers.



Home Bank's headquarters in Lafayette LA. Advocate staff photo by LESLIE WESTBROOK



On the date of this podcast release, March 25, 2022, Home Bank will be converting its newest acquisition, Texan Bank, a community bank with five locations in the metro Houston area. The Merger Agreement provides that Texan Bank, operated by Friendswood Capital, will merge with and into Home Bank, with Home Bank as the survivor. Texan Bank was acquired by Home Bank in an all-cash transaction of $66.6 million.



Originally chartered as a savings and loan association known as Home Building and Loan in 1908, Home Bank has experienced incredible growth over the years. It is now the only Lafayette bank still in existence out of the dozen or so that were around when John started his banking career in 1981. The bank has survived the tough times of the 1980s oil bust and the 2008 real estate crash, and today, it employs over 450 bankers across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. It is the third-largest bank in Louisiana, with assets of $2.9 billion dollars.



"Home Bank is the only Lafayette bank remaining. When I first got into banking in 1981, there were probably a dozen. That speaks volumes to the dedication and hard work of our board and to our employees that we've put faith in for over four decades."



John recounted the timing of Home Bank's initial public offering in 2008, an incredibly risky time with the national economy and stock market in tatters. Home Bank raised $90 million on the same day that the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("TARP"),