Tompkins State Bank President C.L. Cummings joins Galesburg In Focus host Chris Postin for a wide-ranging conversation on community banking — what it means, why it matters, and how a bank founded in Avon in 1884 has grown to serve four communities across the region.
Topics covered in this interview:
- What makes a community bank different from a large national institution — and why that difference matters for customers
- How Tompkins State Bank adapts to individual customer needs rather than requiring customers to fit a standard mold
- The history of Tompkins State Bank — from its 1884 founding by Stephen Tompkins in Avon through its expansion to Abingdon, Knoxville, and Galesburg
- How the bank grew from $93 million to more than $310 million in assets
- The value of deep employee tenure — the bank's top seven lenders have more than 200 combined years of experience
- How local deposits stay local and support local businesses, jobs, and families
- Cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and how the bank protects customers from scams
- How community banks are leveraging AI and modern technology to level the playing field with larger institutions
- Why C.L. believes the future belongs to banks that can still offer a human touch
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Tompkins State Bank has locations in Avon, Abingdon, Knoxville, and Galesburg. For more information, visit tompkinsstatebank.com.