Category: News

Tiffani GozdurLAKE WALES, FL – Tiffani Gozdur has been promoted to the role of Vice President, Trust and Wealth Advisor within the Citizens Bank & Trust Wealth Management Department.

Over her 28-year banking career, Tiffani has held a variety of banking positions, including previous work in trust administration and private banking. As a Trust and Wealth Advisor, she will work directly with trust clients to develop strategies to meet their unique investment management and estate planning goals.

“Tiffani has been a strong asset to our Citizens Bank & Trust team since joining the bank in 2013,” said Citizens Bank & Trust President and CEO Greg Littleton. “She has a passion for serving others and our community, and we are happy to have her working with our Trust clients.”

A native of Polk County, Tiffani is a graduate of the Florida School of Banking and the Florida Graduate Trust School. She currently serves on the boards of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce and Theatre Winter Haven. She is a past recipient of the Polk Emerging Leader Award and was named a 2024 “She Knows Where She’s Going” honoree by Girls Inc. of Winter Haven in recognition of her many community leadership roles.

About Citizens Bank & Trust:
Citizens Bank & Trust is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Banking Corporation, a one-bank holding company located in Frostproof, Florida. Citizens Bank & Trust operates 16 full-service offices in Polk, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties. The Bank proudly offers a full line of banking services, including residential and commercial loans, mortgages, investments, and trust services.

The Citizens Bank of Frostproof, as the Bank was originally known, was established in 1920. Over the past century, and three generations of family ownership, Citizens Bank & Trust has continued its tradition as a reliable and dependable community partner.

Jennifer BaileyLAKE WALES, FL – Jennifer Bailey, a fourth-generation Polk County resident, has joined Citizens Bank & Trust as Officer and Office Manager. She leads the South Lakeland office, located at 5850 Florida Ave South.

Over her 26-year banking career, Jennifer has held a variety of leadership roles throughout Polk County. A native of Bartow, she enjoys developing relationships with her customers and volunteering with local organizations.

“We are delighted to have Jennifer on our Citizens Bank & Trust team,” said Citizens Bank & Trust President and CEO Greg Littleton. “Her strong local ties and extensive background in banking are a great fit for the customers and small businesses served through our South Lakeland office.”

The South Lakeland office, built in 2019, serves the growing Imperial Lakes and Christina communities in Lakeland, as well as the greater Mulberry area. The office phone number is 863-225-1460.

 

About Citizens Bank & Trust:
Citizens Bank & Trust is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Banking Corporation, a one-bank holding company located in Frostproof, Florida. Citizens Bank & Trust operates 16 full-service offices in Polk, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties. The Bank proudly offers a full line of banking services, including residential and commercial loans, mortgages, investments, and trust services.

The Citizens Bank of Frostproof, as the Bank was originally known, was established in 1920. Over the past century, and three generations of family ownership, Citizens Bank & Trust has continued its tradition as a reliable and dependable community partner.

At Citizens Bank & Trust, the safety and wellbeing of our customers and employees is of the utmost importance. Due to the direct impact to our service market by Hurricane Milton, the Bank has made the following changes to our bank operations.

 

Tuesday, October 8th:
Our offices will close at 4pm.

Wednesday, October 9th and Thursday, October 10th
All offices will be closed.

Friday, October 11th:
All CB&T offices plan to re-open.

 

Should any office(s) have a delayed opening, this page will be updated with additional information.

Online banking and the mobile banking app will be available during this time. ATMs will remain open and can be accessed as the weather allows. We also invite you to follow Citizens Bank & Trust on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest updates.

Jason Hayes HeadshotJason Hayes is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Citizens Bank & Trust. He joined the Bank in 2014 as the Information Technology Manager and was promoted to his current role in 2023. His career in IT spans more than twenty years.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology and a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from The University of South Florida. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. The three-year graduate training program allowed Jason to better understand the business of banking and leverage this information to incorporate technology for a better customer experience. Jason also serves on the Cybersecurity Advisory Board at Polk State College, which works to ensure the College is training students in specific areas of cybersecurity needed by local businesses.

As Chief Information Officer, he is passionate about finding ways to bring customer-focused technology advancements to our community bank. At Citizens Bank & Trust, these advancements can be found in the mobile deposit experience, the implementation of electronic signatures, the wire and fund transfer process, and the expansion and improvement of the Bank’s network of ATMs.

LAKE WALES, FL – Citizens Bank & Trust is pleased to announce that the Bank has entered into an agreement with College Ave to offer a variety of student loan financing options to consumers. This referral-based partnership provides access to college student loan and student loan refinancing solutions through a completely online process.

“College Ave’s industry reputation, flexible loan options, and a focus on educating consumers, aligns with our service commitment to both our customers and the community,” said Citizens Bank & Trust President and CEO Greg Littleton. “Access to higher education can transform lives, and we are proud to enter into this agreement to help families throughout our service area.”

“We are proud to partner with Citizens Bank & Trust and offer higher education financing solutions for their customers,” said Brian Reed, Head of Partnerships at College Ave. “As a community bank, Citizens Bank & Trust is deeply dedicated to its customers. We are proud to help honor that commitment and provide access to student loans, parent loans and refinancing options that will help students and their families achieve their goals in higher education and beyond.”

Based in Wilmington, Delaware, College Ave offers a customer-centric approach to private student loans, parent loans, graduate school loans and refinancing options. With competitive interest rates, flexible repayment terms and great customer service, College Ave makes the student loan process simple and easy. The student loan application takes less than three minutes to complete. For additional information, please visit: https://www.citizens-bank.com/loans/student-loans/.

About Citizens Bank & Trust:
Citizens Bank & Trust is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Banking Corporation, a one-bank holding company located in Frostproof, Florida. Citizens Bank & Trust operates 16 full-service offices in Polk, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties. The Bank proudly offers a full line of banking services, including residential and commercial loans, mortgages, investments, and trust services.

The Citizens Bank of Frostproof, as the Bank was originally known, was established in 1920. Over the past century, and three generations of family ownership, Citizens Bank & Trust has continued its tradition as a reliable and dependable community partner.

About College Ave:
College Ave started with a big vision and a simple mission – take the stress out of paying for college so students can focus on preparing for a bright future. Now a leading financial services company, College Ave remains committed to using best-in-class technology and deep industry expertise to deliver practical and personal solutions that give young adults a running start on their roads to financial success. We offer best in class products with competitive rates and a customer-friendly experience from start to finish.