Bretton Mariani

Citizens Bank, headquartered in Kilgore, has opened its first location in Tyler. The new banking center opened its doors in January of 2023 and is currently a loan production office off Old Jacksonville Highway on Dueling Oaks Drive.

The locally owned community bank has been operating in the east Texas area since 1949 and has continued to expand its physical footprint to match its growing customer base. This is the bank’s first location in the Tyler area and plans to have a full service banking center in the future.

Citizens Bank President and CEO, John Mills, said Tyler is where he grew up and is excited to open a location in the area.

“I am really happy to open up the new Citizens Bank office. Tyler is where I have grown up and raised my family and where I have spent the majority of my 30 year banking career,” he said. “I look forward to bringing our community banking services to this great community.”

Bretton Mariani was hired as the new Tyler CEO in April of this year. Mariani graduated from The University of Texas at Tyler Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in social studies and a minor in psychology in 2010. He started his banking career in 2011 as a part-time teller at Citizens State Bank then transitioning to Market Director of Commercial Lending at Spirit of Texas Bank. Before joining Citizens Bank, he served as Community President at Simmons Bank in Chandler, Texas.

Mariani is actively involved in his community by previously serving on the Chandler Chamber of Commerce board and currently sits on the City of Chandler Planning and Zoning Committee. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie, and together they have a nine-year-old daughter and reside in Chandler, Texas. When not serving his community, Mariani enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending Dallas Stars hockey games with his daughter, cooking, and reading.

To celebrate the opening of the Tyler location, on Thursday, Aug. 3 the local Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at 2:00 pm and Citizens Bank will hold an open house reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The come-and-go event is open to the public and will take place at 2327 Dueling Oaks Drive.