Edna Rincon Martinez is a doer, a community banker with deep ties to her community and a way of life that has always been about giving back to her community.Martinez grew up in Mercedes on Virginia Street, the daughter of a father with a steady and sure work ethic that included 42 years of employment with the same local oil company, delivering fuel to area farmers and ranchers. Martinez describes the Mercedes she grew up in during the 1970s and 1980s as one that was simple and fun, a time where as a child ``you walked everywhere.’’Walking to the movies downtown and stopping in at local shops were a staple of her growing up years in Mercedes. Today, as a senior vice president for Texas National Bank, Martinez oversees the operations of a financial institution on the corner of Texas Avenue and Business 83 in her city’s downtown. From her corner office through glass windows she can look out to the spacious and beautiful lobby of Texas National and reflect on a solid and lengthy banking career and how it enables her to give back to the community.``It’s not about titles,’’ she said. ``It’s about caring about where you live and where you come from and wanting to improve the quality of life in your community.’’In that vein, Martinez has served on nearly every board of influence in Mercedes. She is a past president of the Mercedes Chamber of Commerce board along with serving on the board of the Economic Development Corporation of Mercedes and on the library board. Martinez currently serves on the advisory board of the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, a Mercedes-based iconic institution, and on the board of the Diocese of Brownsville.Martinez relishes being a community banker, where she’s said it’s necessary to ``wear multiple hats.’’ She worked for years as part of a larger bank group but prefers the community banking world that Texas National provides as a financial institution with ownership tied to the Rio Grande Valley and the access it provides to top decision-makers.``If I need approval, (for a proposal or loan), it’s in Edinburg,’’ she said of her company’s main office. ``Everything with our company is very accessible.’’Martinez began her 36-year banking career in Harlingen and would go on to work for over 20 years for the former First National Bank before beginning her tenure with Texas National in 2013. The new job she took six years ago meant coming back home to Mercedes, a move that has delighted her in working and boosting her hometown.``There have been many changes in the banking industry over the years, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the need to service your customers,’’ Martinez said. ``In community banking, you’re building relationships and you need to have the ability to provide the best service to all your clients.’’From the corner of Texas and Business 83, Martinez is in the heart of her hometown, with a smile and willingness to give her community the best of her profession and a commitment to its continued well-being.

• Ricardo D. Cavazos