The Citizens Bank

Today, The Citizens Bank is continuing to help the citizens and communities across east central Mississippi by adding new branches and new products and services, with over 250 employees working to serve their hometowns. We sat down with The Citizens Bank's CEO Greg McKee to catch up and talk about his vision for the bank he has led since 2002. You joined the bank over 30 years ago starting out as a management trainee. Did you ever think you'd be CEO one day? No, I never expected that to happen. I always felt I could make a positive contribution to the bank, but probably in a support capacity to someone else. For me to be chosen to lead this company and this great group of people seems almost an act of divine intervention. Your mother has worked here for over 50 years, as have several employees. What keeps them here so long? As cliché as it may sound, we are really like a family here. To many of our long time employees, their bank family and their customer relationships are a very important part of their lives. When you arrive at work every day, what is your mission? To make sure that all decisions made and actions taken that day contribute to the health of the company and community (both long and short term). What can be attributed to the bank's growth from one branch in 1908 to today's 21 branches in nine counties? Simply put, analyzing markets and determining if there might be a need for our type of banking for that community. Then we attempt to always staff those branches with individuals native to that community if possible. What role has The Citizens Bank played in Mississippi's economic growth? What role will the bank play in the region's future? I would like to think that for the past 105 years, this bank has been a large part of building our local communities and thus helped build the economy of the state. We have done this one relationship at a time whether that was an individual, a family or a business. Are there any businesses that have been customers with the bank during the last 100 years or so? Probably the most well known local business would be Williams Bros. in Philadelphia. There are numerous families that are multi-generational customers that go all the way back to the beginning of the bank. How do community banks strengthen the local and national economy? Community banks have traditionally been the common thread that runs through most economic transactions in any community. Without a strong community bank in an area, the people don't have the feeling of having a local "partner" when they have a financial need. With so many banks just about the bottom line, why is The Citizens Bank so involved with the community? We recognize that we as a bank will never do any better financially or otherwise than the community as a whole does. This is the root of our commitment to be involved in anything that is good for the community. We have to give consideration to the bottom line, and we do. But, if we take good care of our customers, communities and employees, the earnings and return to our shareholders will be good as well. Experts say that community banks are the coming trend. What do they offer the big banks don't? I think the biggest thing a community bank offers is knowledge of the local market and customers and the flexibility to better meet their needs. Is The Citizens Bank just more approachable than the big banks? When your banker is your child's little league/soccer coach or your Sunday school teacher, etc. it makes us very accessible. You don't start the discussion with unfamiliarity because the relationship is already established. Do you think larger banks could do what The Citizens Bank does for customers?