Jefferson Bank Branches Out Into Central Texas

by Charlotte Kovalchuk

"The perfect-sized bank – big enough to bank anyone, including businesses of all sizes — yet at the same time small enough to be responsive with quicker turnarounds for lending decisions. ~President Jon Rebello

As Jefferson Bank expands into the fast-growing Central Texas market with a new Austin location, President Jon Rebello emphasizes the importance of having a leadership team deeply rooted in the community. “Our owners, board of directors – we’re from here. We know and understand Central Texas because we’re spending every single day in these markets visiting clients, going to their business, having lunch with them. I can’t think of a more appropriate slogan than ours, ‘This is personal to us.’”

That community bank feel is what motivated banker and former Georgetown City Councilman Tommy Gonzalez to join Jefferson Bank’s team as vice president, downtown Austin banking center manager. “I have always wanted to be with a strong community bank that’s a true Texas bank, who knows Texas people and takes a true family approach to banking. That’s what appealed most to me about Jefferson Bank, and I’m excited to introduce this style of banking into Central Texas.”

In March 2023, Jefferson Bank opened its 14th location in the historic Norwood Tower in downtown Austin. Rebello says, “We are fortunate to be located amongst all the growth happening in the Central Texas area. I’ve worked for the past 16 years at a global financial institution that had foreign ownership. While I’m proud of that part of my career, there’s nothing like having local ownership that really understands the markets within Central Texas. I think that’s really important.”

Building Relationships

A $2.75 billion bank dating back to 1946, Jefferson Bank has stayed true to its smart, controlled growth model and focus on building relationships. Gonzalez says, “A lot of times lending institutions talk about working with their customers but tend to always stay in a box. Jefferson Bank goes out of its way to get to know their customers and find solutions that make sense for them. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s figuring out what’s best for the customer, and what we can do to partner with them.”

Rebello agrees that Jefferson Bank is all about building long-term relationships with clients. "Our model is about getting to know our clients and understanding where we can add value to their businesses.” He calls Jefferson Bank the perfect-sized bank – big enough to bank anyone, including businesses of all sizes – yet at the same time small enough to be responsive with quicker turnarounds for lending decisions.

“I have always wanted to be with a strong community bank that is a true Texas bank that knows Texas people and takes that family approach. That’s really what appealed to me, to introduce that type of banking into Central Texas." ~Tommy Gonzalez, Vice President of Business and Consumer Banking