A familiar face is stepping into the top job at Edmond-based Kirkpatrick Bank, where longtime insider Kyle Powell has been tapped as the new president and CEO in a planned handoff of power at the community lender. He takes over from George Drew, who will move into a vice chair role at the bank’s holding company while staying involved in strategy.
Transition At The Top
In a press release from Kirkpatrick Bank, the institution said Powell, an executive vice president who has spent more than 13 years with the organization, will officially step into the role on May 1, while Drew transitions to vice chairman of the Kirkpatrick Bancorp board. “For more than 55 years, Kirkpatrick Bank has grown by staying true to a simple principle: do the right thing for our customers,” Powell said in the announcement, which presented the change as part of a long-term succession plan designed to keep things steady for both clients and staff.
Powell’s Local Ties
As noted by The Journal Record, Powell has logged time with local nonprofits and civic groups, a community profile that lines up neatly with the bank’s relationship-driven approach to commercial lending. The paper highlighted his focus on steady, thoughtful growth and a customer-first mindset, themes bank leaders say will guide how Kirkpatrick Bank moves ahead under its new president and CEO.
What This Means For Clients
According to Kirkpatrick Bank, promoting Powell is meant to lock in the bank’s emphasis on disciplined, relationship-based lending across its Oklahoma and Colorado footprint, while keeping seasoned leadership in place as the institution pursues measured growth. Industry outlets have also taken note of the change. The Bank Slate described the move as an internal promotion and pointed out Drew’s 19-year run as the bank’s chief executive.
