Jill Castilla is easy to find.
Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, Okla., is a recurring guest on Bloomberg’s TV and radio platforms representing her bank and the broader industry. She is also active on social media, frequently posting her support for two of her passions — military veterans and community banking — to her thousands of followers.
Vice president of the 12-member Federal Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Castilla chairs the Southwest Graduate School of Banking board of trustees, and is on the board of the Association of Military Banks of America.
Castilla, one of Bank News magazine’s 2024 “Outstanding Women in Banking,” sees her leadership positions as crucial to ensure lawmakers keep community bankers top-of-mind when making decisions that impact the industry. This is especially crucial as the number of FDIC-insured banks continues to drop because of regulatory pressure and competition.
“If your unique view isn’t represented, then I think it’s incumbent upon leaders to provide that view and support others to showcase their views publicly,” Castilla said.
A military background
Castilla has used her passion for the military and community banking to spark growth at her $390 million bank. Twenty percent of Citizens Bank of Edmond staff are either current military members or veterans. Castilla has cultivated a high percentage of staff with military experience by focusing on growth and diversity.
The connection between Citizens Bank of Edmond and the military community strengthened in the summer of 2023 with the launch of ROGER, a digital military bank. ROGER allows servicemembers to open accounts where they enlist with auto-signed and auto-populated digital direct deposit forms, which servicemembers can then text to their recruiter/pay administrator without entering a branch.
Castilla’s inspiration to launch the program was sparked three decades ago during her own military service. A chemical engineering student at Oklahoma State University in the early 1990s, Castilla was working full-time on the night shift at a local grocery store. An Army recruiter told her she could sign up for the military and apply for financial aid. She signed up for the Army the following day.
A civil engineer for the Army and Oklahoma Army National Guard from 1992-96, Castilla was tasked at one point with building a road in a rural area. She was given a “chain gang” — a half-dozen local incarcerated men working while armed with chainsaws, axes and machetes. “I learned that trust and building relationships were keys to team building and success in any situation,” she said in a 2017 Northwestern Financial Review profile.
Castilla later learned a family member had wiped her account of $15,000 during her time in the military, fraud which she is trying to help other military members avoid through ROGER. According to an AARP study, military members and veterans are 40 percent more likely to lose money to fraud and scams than the civilian population. “These are our stories, and we are trying to help the next generation avoid those pitfalls,” she said.
Castilla initially thought ROGER would fill a small niche but soon learned the program’s deposit potential was beyond what Citizens Bank of Edmond could handle. The digital bank has since grown to 1,000 customers while broadening its focus to service member communities. The bank is now considering ROGER 2.0, which would add business accounts for service members.
Emphasizing openness, transparency
Castilla’s banking career started at Citizens Bank of Edmond in 1998, the same year she was named a staff manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Castilla managed multiple departments at the KC Fed — check automation, HR, cash services, public affairs, financial management and facilities management — as part of the management development program.
Castilla later accepted a position leading the finance department at Grand Rapids State Bank in northern Minnesota, a role she held from 2007-09. While there, Castilla grew attracted to the CFO side of banking, drawing a connection between balance sheets and community impact.
“That’s so much of what I thought of, too, as a community banker, more of that George Bailey persona where you’re not only responsible for the welfare of the institution and safeguarding deposits and making sure you are prudent in your lending, but you’re also responsible for the economic vitality of your community,” she said.
Castilla then returned to Citizens Bank of Edmond at the request of her stepfather, who then served as a leader at the bank. Initially tasked with maintaining the ownership structure and independence of the bank, Castilla learned bank capital had been overstated by $2 million, and had paid for personal expenses. Citizens Bank of Edmond had $10 million in losses at the time. “When I returned, I found fraud, mismanagement, erroneous financial statements and a bank in shambles,” she said.
The next several years were turbulent for Castilla. At the time, she was raising a family, and much of her reforms were met with derision from employees and community members resisting change. Castilla responded to the crisis by working harder than ever, with frequent 18-hour days.
Castilla’s penchant for hard work along with her willingness to take responsibility and be vulnerable were crucial in helping the bank overcome the crisis. Castilla posted her cellphone number to the public. “It was really taking it on the chin when there was someone who had criticisms and acknowledging it, even if it wasn’t my own failings or this team’s failings — acknowledge it, apologize, own it, correct it,” she said.
Today, Citizens Bank of Edmond’s lone branch has no private offices, creating an open environment for collaboration. “We have an expectation that we are saying things with the best intent, and so we have to be truthful and honest with one another for the greater good,” Castilla said. “I am very direct and honest with feedback, and I also receive it the same way. I want the feedback myself, and there is that type of candor.”
The Federal Reserve released Citizens Bank of Edmond from its written agreement in 2012. The following year, the bank sold two of three branches — all within a two-block radius — to ensure its long-term stability. Castilla attributed the bank’s retention of existing customers to its community commitment, which has strengthened since her arrival.
A decade ago, Citizens Bank of Edmond launched its street festival “Heard on Hurd,” in a once-vacant area in downtown Edmond. Now, 50,000 people and dozens of small businesses flock to the area for the event. The bank has also provided customers with money to “cash mob” small businesses. The firms have returned the favor by putting up signs stating “We love Citizens Bank of Edmond.”
Castilla embraces her role as a female leader in an industry where the top ranks are dominated by men. She sees it as important to mentor other women and embrace her differences from her proteges. “I’m big into creativity, taking a challenge and making it an opportunity,” she said. “If the challenge is that you are different, then make the opportunity that you are different.”
