Exclusive: ‘Oklahoma!’ – Jill “Community-first” Castilla, Citizens Bank of Edmond in “Buckaroos 2022”

Jill Castilla has been in more power lists than it’s – somewhat ironically – possible to list. She’s such a permanent profile in American Banker we almost feel like we’re copying…

So, if American Banker publish a fintech magazine about cowboys next month, we’ll all know why! Castilla’s the community-focused President and CEO of the Citizens Bank of Edmond, and when it comes to serving the good people of Oklahoma she means serious business!

Making PPP accessible

Bringing the Paycheck Protection Programme to local businesses is where Castilla truly takes the crown. She’s well and truly smashed it out the park. In 2020, the US government reacted to the pandemic by issuing financial help for SMEs. But the process was agonisingly slow. Recognising that every second counts, our fintech legend Castilla teamed up with none other than Dragon’s Den investor Mark Cuban. Together, they launched an overdraft facility for the business owners to quickly access those much-needed funds.

To top it off, the dynamic duo even created a platform which simplified and automated the process. Removing all friction for local businesses. Honestly. We don’t even have words for how awesome that is. We’re all sitting here with our jaws on the floor, gaping like Western-themed goldfish.

Putting the community first

“No talk, all action” is how the great Cuban described Castilla. True to form, we couldn’t get an interview this time (d’oh!) but we have watched from the side-lines as Castilla removes obstacles for her community left, right and centre. We were super impressed with her “curbside banking” initiative. To help curb (yay! pun!) the spread of the virus, banking customers could access all their normal in-branch services from their car outside the bank.

We’ve also watched with wonder at the myriads of community initiatives Castilla spearheads. From Heard on Hurd, a monthly food festival sponsored by the bank, to the dozens of scholarships and mentor programmes she partakes in. Castilla sits on numerous boards, from the YMCA to MetaFund CDFI. Honestly, it’s nuts. Not to mention how this buckaroo also serves 100 days a year as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army of Oklahoma… Is there ANYTHING Jill Castilla doesn’t do?

Oklahoma is home to a few world-famous financiers … Warren Buffet, T. Boone Pickens and more. But our all-time favourite is without a doubt, Jill “Community-first” Castilla. Welcome to the gang Castilla, you absolute legend.

This article was published in “Buckaroos 2022”, Page 7