Published: October 28, 2009 06:37 pm      

Citizens Bank new officers, chairman

OKLAHOMA CITY — Citizens Bank of Edmond recently announced the addition of two new executive officers to its management team and the selection of a new chairman of the bank’s board of directors.

Jill Castilla returned to Citizens Bank as chief financial officer following nine years in the Federal Reserve Bank’s management development program and two years as senior vice president of finance at Grand Rapids State Bank in Grand Rapids, Minn.

“It’s great to be back home, plant our roots, raise our children and grow old in the community,” Castilla said. “This is where I wanted to end my career. I’m very proud I’m able to come back.”

Castilla first worked at Citizens Bank when she got out of college. Randy Granzow, recently retired chairman of the board, is her stepfather. The bank, she explained, is approximately 1/3 owned by the Granzow family, 1/3 owned by employees and 1/3 owned by members of the community. The Granzow family, she said, has held part ownership in the bank for three generations.

“Citizens Bank has a great heritage and a solid reputation with our customers, and a great understanding of our community in general,” Castilla said. When she talked to friends about her pending move back to Edmond, she said, they raved about the bank’s customer service.

The banking community in general, she said, faces a lot of challenges from the changing economy and regulatory environment. Castilla said she feels fortunate to come to Citizens Bank with the perspective gained from serving another bank in another community. She said she noticed “definitely more competition in Edmond than where I came from.”

Castilla holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hawaii Pacific University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma, and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School of Banking.

Castilla lives in Edmond with her three children, Ryan, Olivia and Nicholas, and husband, Marcus.

Rick Harper joined the Citizens Bank executive team as chief credit officer. With more than 35 years in banking, Harper has been the president of multiple banking institutions. Most recently, Harper served as the president for F & M Bank in Edmond. “Citizens Bank has always been one of the most respected banks in the state,” Harper said.

The economic downturn, he said, has impacted all banks. He said the challenge now is to respond to the downturn. “Fortunately, Edmond has not been hit as hard as the nation overall,” Harper said.

Harper holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Central Oklahoma and is also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School of Banking.

Harper said he was raised 15 miles from Edmond, moved to the community in 1975 and never left. He has three children.

Mike Thompson has been selected to serve as chairman of the board of directors for Citizens Bank. Thompson has served on the board for nine years; his father, Bill Thompson, served on the board for 24 years. Thompson is a sales manager for School Specialty Inc. and lives in Edmond with his wife, Gayle. They have four children, Nick, Jeff, Cody and Casey, and two grandchildren.

“I appreciate the confidence my fellow board members have shown by selecting me to serve as chair of our board of directors,” Thompson said. “Citizens Bank is fortunate to have an excellent management team and a community-minded board in place.”

Citizens Bank of Edmond has been locally owned and operated since 1901. The main branch is at 32 N. Broadway.



ktoppins@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 112