Chad Anderson knows banking and knows Celina. After living in Celina for over twenty-two years and serving as a banker for much of that time, Chad Anderson is your local banker extraordinaire. Key word, local.
As the President of First State Bank, Celina Branch, Chad Anderson plus Lending Assistant, Natasha Hickman, strive to serve the people of Celina and surrounding communities. First State Bank reinvests in the community in many ways promoting their community, small businesses, and families.
First, the bank helps businesses by obtaining property, providing loans, or creating a private-public partnership with the City of Celina and Celina’s Economic and Development Corporation (EDC). First State Bank has experience providing loans and creative assets to add to Celina’s footprint and helping it develop and grow, including downtown Celina.
Celina’s First State Bank has successfully provided businesses with a great number of resources in its two years as a local branch. As mentioned, Chad Anderson and Natasha Hickman are long-time residents of Celina, with Chad being a long-time local banker. Chad references that the bank worked to aid local downtown businesses like Annie Jack Boutique, Granny’s Bakery, and Valley Vines. First State Bank partnered with Celina’s EDC to create a private-public partnership allowing the businesses to create their retail space and open their dream business. This sustained the Downtown Celina revitalization, a direct consequence of Chad’s experience serving on the Celina City Council for nine years. During that time, Chad and the council acted to create a vibrant plan to help small businesses in town stay profitable, attract new businesses, and, of course, invigorate downtown to what we all know and love today.
First State Bank's primary focus is serving the community, not just Celina, but also Gunter, Prosper, and surrounding areas. It provides personal banking, like banking used to be. Natasha notes, “We are not like other banks, the big chains, you are not a number here but a person.” She continues, “People can come in and see a familiar face and chat about their needs.” First State Bank is a hometown bank with many of its employees having lived in Celina most of their lives.
Chad Anderson is a second-generation banker and knows what customers want in a local bank. “People want someone they can have a relationship with, a name and a face, a bank who is going to help you,” he says with immense gratification. “We can help with new accounts, loans, mortgage advising, investment banking, and treasury management. We have a lot of big bank features, but the small town feel that can help us to assist with your goals,” he continued.
First State Bank also gives back to the community fostering growth by supporting key events and various sponsorships. The bank is the main sponsor of the Bobcat Terrace at the end of the high school stadium. They provide meals for every home football game to the staff, families, and suite attendees. In addition, the bank supports the Quarterback Club (booster club), numerous Celina Chamber of Commerce events, Celina Education Foundation, and they were founding members of the Inaugural Rodeo Celina this year. Chad reports the bank underwrites school-related functions like Meet the Bobcats, Bobcat Tailgate, and new teacher welcome lunches. “Anything the schools need, we help,” he reports.
It is their involvement with the community that both Chad Anderson and Natasha Hickman love about Celina and the area. “It’s the people we deal with and the opportunity to help it grow. The overall relationships,” Chad says. They both cite last spring’s tornado as an example. “We at the bank opened an account to aid the tornado victims. We made the first donation, and it went from there,” Natasha notes. “That’s what I love about Celina. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, Celina comes together to help each other out in times of need." Chad echoes that sentiment, “It goes back to the city’s logo, Life Connected, which I helped create while serving on the council. It’s still true.”
First State Bank is the oldest state bank in Texas with the first location in Gainesville. Next year will be the bank’s 120th Anniversary. As part of the celebration, Celina’s branch will break ground on a new building in January 2025. The new building on Preston Road in the heart of Celina will be around 8,000 square feet including a community room available for public use. As always, the bank will be a full-service bank with ITM (interactive teller machine), mortgage services, lenders, and tellers with real people available. Even with the creation of a new building, Natasha remarks, “You call, and a person answers. You walk in and you are greeted by someone ready to talk to you.”
If you are starting a business or need banking assistance, visit First State Bank. Chad Anderson will work with you to find banking solutions to your questions. The bank uses local title companies, local attorneys, and other local assets to help the community grow. When the bank uses the tagline #staylocal, they mean it. First State Bank is truly Celina’s bank.
First State Bank, 520 E, Ash Street Celina, TX 75009
972.382.0033