LAS VEGAS – When Nevada State Bank first opened its doors on Dec. 9, 1959, Nevada’s population was 285,238, with about 64,000 people living in Las Vegas and about 51,000 in Reno. Today, the bank is celebrating its 60th anniversary by being Nevada’s oldest and largest financial institution founded in the Silver State, and by serving a state that is now home to more than 3 million people.
The public can enjoy retro-themed trivia, photos, a historical timeline and read more about the bank’s story at www.nsbank.com/nsb60.
“Founded by prominent Las Vegas businessman Charles L. Horsey Jr. and 11 other community leaders, the bank opened its first location in downtown Las Vegas at 4th and Carson,” said Terry Shirey, president and CEO of Nevada State Bank. “We continue to uphold the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders by remaining dedicated to relationship banking and supporting the clients, communities, and businesses we serve throughout the state.”
Nevada State Bank is also celebrating its 60th anniversary through 2020 with a new logo, an employee art contest, and a commitment to doing 60 good deeds throughout its anniversary year. Good deed No. 1 will take place Dec. 9 when a large group of bank employees will head down to the 98.5 KLUC Toy Drive to help unload a truckload of new toys and bikes collected at the bank’s branches.
The bank’s social media accounts, too, will feature historical photos, facts and trivia throughout the year to celebrate the milestone anniversary. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #nsb60.
Nevada State Bank flashback trivia includes:
• The first location was on the corner of 4th and Carson in downtown Las Vegas. Nevada State Bank started as a small state-chartered community bank and its founders were among the most respected political and business leaders in Las Vegas. Founders included Charles Horsey Jr., Don Ashworth, Pat Clark Sr. and C.D. Baker, among others.
• During the 1970s, Nevada State Bank became one of the most progressive banks in the state, when bank executives recognized the need to remove the “glass ceiling” for female and minority employees. Ahead of its time, the bank increased salaries for women doing the same work as more highly paid men. Promotions of women into high-level management positions, and the hiring of minority and disabled employees also increased.
• For more than three decades, Nevada State Bank served only the Las Vegas area, but in the 1990s, the bank went statewide. New branches served rural towns, from Pahrump to Elko. In 1999, a merger with Pioneer Citizens Bank doubled its size, adding key branches in Reno, Sparks and Carson City. Today, the bank locations serve 20 diverse communities across the state.
• As the millennium dawned, Nevada State Bank ranked as the third largest bank in Nevada. In 2008 and 2009, when banks were hit hard by the recession, Nevada State Bank weathered the storm, and even assisted the FDIC with bank closures in Nevada, assuming the operations and assets of competing banks that were in danger of failing.
Providing much more than jobs, loans and financial services, the bank also supports many good causes and nonprofit organizations throughout Nevada. Examples include Junior Achievement, Communities in Schools, JDRF, Reno Rodeo Foundation, Las Vegas Rescue Mission, SCORE, Three Square, local Chambers of Commerce and many more.
About Nevada State Bank (@nevadastatebank)
Nevada State Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A., is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Founded on Dec. 9, 1959, the full-service bank offers a complete range of consumer, private and business banking services. Nevada State Bank is also heavily invested in the 20 communities it serves across the state of Nevada, including many rural and agricultural clients who otherwise wouldn’t have access to in-person banking. Nevada State Bank’s colleagues regularly volunteer in their communities and have been dedicated to helping make Nevada a better place to live for the last 60 years. The bank is headquartered at 750 E. Warm Springs Road in Las Vegas. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. is included in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Financial 100 indices (NASDAQ: ZION). For more information on Nevada State Bank, call 702.383.0009 or visit www.nsbank.com.
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