'He was an absolute gentleman'

Jackie Lynn “Jack” Mills, who served as the first president and CEO of what would become Sage National Bank, died Saturday, Aug. 13, at the age of 83.

Mills was remembered fondly by Sage Capital vice president Bobbie Polasek, who came to work for Mills as the bank’s lead teller in 1984 when what was American National Bank first opened its doors.

“He was an absolute gentlemen,” Polasek said. “He was one of the best people I ever could have worked for and I really admired him being our president. He was a family man and he was devoted to making this a place for family banking. Working with him was a delight.”

Mills, a native of Coleman, first came to Gonzales in 1969 when he was offered a position as vice president of Gonzales Bank after 10 years of rising through the ranks at Coleman County State Bank. Mills became Gonzales Bank’s lending officer, security officer, trust officer and served as secretary to the board of directors for the bank.

In 1978, he left to become president of Buchel Bank and Trust in Cuero, but would come back to Gonzales just five years later when he was approached by the board of directors of the newly-organized American National Bank with an offer he could not refuse — help them complete their application process and become the bank’s first president and CEO.

Mills took over selling and issuing all necessary stock in the bank and oversaw buying all necessary machinery and equipment and hiring the personnel for the bank.

“When he started, we had nothing,” Polasek said. “We had no customers at all. Today, we have built up to seven branches, but it all started with Jack Mills.”

A groundbreaking was held Feb. 2, 1984, for a new 13,000-square-foot building at the corner of Texas 97 and Sarah DeWitt Drive (US 90-A) adjacent to the Country Villages Plaza shopping center, with Mayor Carroll Wiley and Gonzales Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture director Wayne Ellison taking part, along with the American National Bank board of directors — John Paul Jones, Zane Briscoe, Norman Burns, Lavo Briscoe, Bill Christian, Joan Floyd and Doyle Colwell.

The building was designed not just to house the bank, but also the law offices of Burns and his law partner, Houston Munson. Construction was completed five months later and Gonzales’ third bank officially opened for business on July 12, 1984.

Mills served as president and CEO of the bank until December 1991, when he stepped down to become an independent insurance agent, specializing in life and health insurance. Jack Mills Insurance Agency operated for nearly 27 years until he retired in September 2018. For 15 years, he had a business association with fellow agent and close friend Mike Davis.

“Jack was a hard worker and what he told you was honest-to-God truth, whenever he told you something,” Davis said. “He was probably the most honest, loyal, independent person I knew. He was well respected in the community and well liked. He was a family man and a religious man, and obviously, you know, he was a true friend to me. He was a good man and I’m really going to miss him.”

Davis said his business association with Mills started after the latter had tired of spending long days on the road enrolling school districts and other large employers in insurance plans.

“There’s no telling how many miles he put on his car doing that,” Davis said. “He’d go from El Paso to Brownsville to Dallas and wherever it took him, he went. And he just got burned out so he came to me and said, ‘Can I help you with your groups? I’ve gotta get off the road.’ I said, ‘You better believe it. I can definitely use you!’ Whenever we did our groups together, we would split everything 50-50.

“I couldn't have made it without him, to tell you the truth. I mean, he helped me tremendously. He was one of those people that, until the job was done, he didn't leave. And he would help anybody, you know? He was just a good all-around person. He was loyal, honest and dependable and I wouldn’t have had anybody else help me in this business. Even after he retired, our clients were always asking about him.”

Banking and insurance were not the only areas, however, in which Mills contributed to the quality of life in Gonzales. He served as a volunteer firefighter and was one of the first members of the Gonzales Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which was established under the leadership of Dr. Robert Williamson in March 1974. This organization would later become known as Gonzales County Area EMS and would lead to the creation of Gonzales County Emergency Services District No. 1.

Mills also was an election judge, a chairman of the United Fund and volunteered for Easter Seals and the March of Dimes. He was an officer and director in the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture and also was president and player agent in the Little League. He also was a 35-year member of Lions International and was a former local Lions Club president.

He also served as treasurer of First Baptist Church and chaired the Men’s Fellowship group while also serving as a Sunday School teacher.