Board of Directors

High Plains Bank is a family and employee owned community bank and our Board of Directors reflects our commitment to our communities. The Board is diverse with a a shared dedication to community impact and a wide array of unique professional expertise that includes finance, technology, entrepreneurship, nonprofit organizations, public service, education, and healthcare. The High Plains Bank Board of Director is centered on four guiding and supportive principles: Stewardship, Strategy, Supervision, and Statutory Compliance.

Nancy Taylor

Nancy Taylor is a long-time Strasburg, Colorado resident who has served as the Chief Financial Officer for Strasburg School District for the past three years. Before this, Nancy served as Chief Compliance Officer for nearly twenty-five years at two large banking organizations. Nancy's banking experience includes various capacities including regulatory compliance, risk management, operations, and internal controls. Nancy is an active member of her community serving in various capacities in her church and also serving on the Strasburg School Board from 2011-2018. Nancy continues to hold her Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager certification and graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Colorado State University Global.

Tom Creighton

Tom Creighton is an economist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yale University. He is the Vice Chairman of High Plains Bank and served as Chairman of the High Plains Bank Board for more than 20 years. Tom is Alex Creighton’s grandson. Tom is also chairman of a non-profit theater training company. He is a native of Denver, and an avid skier, climber, and hiker.

Winifred is a Colorado native, and a member of the third generation of Creightons involved in High Plains Bank. She holds degrees in economics from Colorado College and Queen Mary College (London, England). She lives in California and is retired from a second career as the community relations and fund development manager for the Oakland Public Library system serving 400,000 residents. Previously, she worked for a San Francisco corporation as a manager in regulation, human resources, and finance. Currently, she volunteers with the Friends of the Oakland Public Library and the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program.

Virginia Newton

Virginia Newton grew up in Denver, Colorado and is a member of the third generation of Creightons involved at High Plains Bank. She holds a degree in Geology from Yale University and a degree in Education from Regis University. She is retired from operations roles for nonprofit and government organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley, the area from Aspen to Glenwood Springs. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards holding leadership positions. Virginia and her husband Rick have three grown children. She resides part-time in Snowmass, Colorado and Indian Wells, California.

Sam Creighton

Chairman of the Board

303-776-2265 ext. 429

sam@highplainsbank.com

Sam is a Colorado native and he completed his undergraduate degree in Durango. For almost 25 years, Sam worked at the Texas-based Bohannon Development Corporation, a company that designed, built and managed large apartment complexes. In 2019, Sam and his wife Danye moved to Longmont so he could join the HPB team as Chief Administrative Officer. Sam is currently the Chairman and President of the High Plains Bank.

Sam enjoys running, cycling and looks forward to getting back into skiing and trying snow shoeing.

Daniel O'Leary

Daniel O’Leary is a Director of Technology Audit and Advisory at Protiviti, a global consulting firm. He has more than 15 years of experience leading information technology (IT) audit, internal controls, risk management, and compliance activities from roles in Big 4 public accounting, industry, and consulting. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Daniel lives in Houston, Texas and enjoys spending time with his wife, Kirstin, and their three children, including coaching his children in basketball and soccer.

Jocelyn Gilligan

Jocelyn Gilligan grew up in Boulder, Colorado. After graduating with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado, she commenced her career at Ernst & Young in New York City, later expanding her expertise in Shanghai and Hong Kong. During this time, she earned the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charter and eventually the CIPM (Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement) designation. Following her time abroad, Jocelyn relocated to Longmont, Colorado, with her husband where they co-founded a successful consulting business that aids investment firms in complying with the Global Investment Performance Standards, a framework for calculating and presenting investment performance according to a set of transparent and ethical principles. She and her team have worked with hundreds of investment firms around the world to help them comply with these global standards.

Beyond her entrepreneurial endeavors, she is a member of the Board of Education for the St. Vrain Valley School District and serves as Treasurer. Jocelyn also serves as an executive board member of the Central Elementary PTO. Currently, she and her husband are raising their four children in Longmont, Colorado where they enjoy a very active lifestyle in the Colorado outdoors.

Jon Smithburg

Jon Smithburg grew up near Flagler, Colorado where High Plains Bank opened its doors in 1908. Jon has been instrumental in building the IT and Cybersecurity programs at the bank since he joined the team as the first IT Officer in 2004. He currently serves as the Director of Cybersecurity and is passionate about using technology to empower others. His vision and guidance over the past 20 years enables High Plains Bank to support employees and customers in innovative, safe, and sustainable ways as the world of technology and banking changes. In addition to Jon's technical expertise, he operates a 5000-acre family farm with his wife and parents, bringing valuable insight into the needs of our agricultural customers. Outside of the bank and the farm, Jon volunteers his time to support his community in many ways including: Flagler School District Technology Director, Immanuel Lutheran Church Board Secretary, City of Flagler Zoning Board Secretary, and a Gift of Life Foundation Board Member. Jon has a degree in Agricultural Business from Colorado State University and enjoys nothing more than spending time with his wife and three kids.

Kimberlee McKee

Director

Kimberlee McKee is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in economic development, marketing and community engagement. Currently, Kimberlee serves as Executive Director of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority in Longmont, Colorado, where she has served since 2011. She is dedicated to promoting the growth and vibrancy of Longmont's downtown district through public-private partnerships, strategic initiatives and community engagement.

Before relocating to Colorado, Kimberlee played a vital role in downtown revitalization efforts at the Downtown Akron Partnership in Akron, Ohio, where she helped lead marketing and development strategies that supported local businesses and fostered a strong sense of community.

She started her career in Higher Education at Mount Union College in the public relations office, where she focused on recruitment, advancement and alumni communications. She moved into non-profit marketing at Goodwill Industries, where she managed marketing and communications for a five county region for retail, employment and training. She later became the operations director for the inaugural Akron Marathon race.

Kimberlee holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Ohio University.

In addition to her professional work, Kimberlee volunteers with Downtown Colorado, Inc., helping to support economic development initiatives for downtown areas across the state. She also contributes her time to Longmont High School and serves on the Board of Directors of Visit Longmont.

Kimberlee was honored with the 2023 Downtowner of the Year Award, from Downtown Colorado, Inc.

Board of Directors

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