Cynthia Blankenship

Seven-year-old Sadie loves to tell people she’s going to run CiCi’s bank one day and, with her nine-year-old cousin, Luna, begs to visit the bank whenever she can. The “CiCi” she’s referring to is her beloved grandmother, Cynthia Blankenship. The bank is Bank of the West which Cynthia founded in 1986 with her husband, Gary. The Blankenships’ kids — and now grandkids — grew up visiting the bank, chatting with bank employees and customers. Today, their three daughters, Lisa, Bailey, and Samantha, hold key leadership positions within the bank with a vision to preserve the role in the community it serves.

That’s how it is with a locally owned community bank where business is built on relationships, trust, and personal service. “We’re proud to say that 30% of our employees have been with us five to 10 years and some over 25,” Cynthia said. “We have customers who have banked with us from the beginning. They love coming in and seeing faces they know, people they attend church with, and whose kids go to school with their kids.”

When Cynthia and Gary opened their first location, they began with five employees and $2 million. Today, Bank of the West employs more than 100 and has grown to $800 million in total assets. “We couldn’t have accomplished any of it without outstanding employees and a community that believes in us,” Cynthia said.

For 40 years, Bank of the West has stood strong in the belief that community banking is about helping families, supporting businesses, and strengthening the communities they call home. “I’ve had the privilege of serving not only within our bank, but in leadership roles nationally with the Independent Community Bankers of America, on advisory boards with the FDIC and Federal Reserve, and in meetings on Capitol Hill and in Washington, D.C.,” Cynthia said.

That experience has offered Cynthia a broad perspective on the banking industry. Yet she’s committed to never losing sight of what matters most — the people she serves every day. “We do so much more than take deposits and make loans,” she said. “We serve as financial partners, advisors, and advocates for our customers and communities. We work closely with small businesses, support local growth, and offer personalized guidance that larger institutions often can’t match.”

None of that can happen without a constant reassessment of their priority to keep “relationship banking” is at the core of everything they do. “That level of personal attention is something many people don’t expect until they experience it for themselves,” Cynthia said.

That relationship focus extends inward as well, to employees whose growth Cynthia takes personally. “I want to know that someone is a better person, spouse, parents, and member of the community because of the time they’ve spent working at Bank of the West,” she said. “We work hard to create an environment where people feel supported and empowered, an environment that’s relationship-driven, community-focused, and rooted in family values. I want our team members to know they’re valued not just for the work they do, but for who they are as people.”

Cynthia believes that staying informed about the ever-evolving banking industry is essential to serving her customers well and leading her team effectively. Throughout her career, she’s served on national and regional boards, advisory committees, and banking organizations that have kept her close to the issues affecting the banking industry. She regularly participates in meetings with leaders at the Federal Reserve, Treasury, CFPB, SBA, and other regulatory and policy groups and attends conferences, conventions, and industry discussions where new challenges and innovations are being addressed.

Meet Cynthia Blankenship

When she’s not leading her team or interfacing with customers and banking leaders, Cynthia is a wife, mother, and grandmother. “Any time I’m not working, life is all about my family,” she said. “My husband, Gary, our three daughters, and our grandchildren are the joy of my life. I also enjoy being involved in local organizations and community events. Much of who I am, personally and professionally, is grounded in faith, family, and service. I want those values to shape how I live and how I lead.”

A firm believer in giving back to her community, Cynthia serves through civic, educational, and banking organizations including Grapevine Chamber of Commerce, the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau, and GrapeFest. “I believe community banking and community service go hand in hand, and I’m blessed to support the places and people that mean so much to me.”

Service and Accolades

Cynthia has served as chair of the Independent Community Bankers of America ICBA and currently sits on the ICBA Federal Delegate Board. She served on the FDIC Community Banking Advisory Board for six years, currently sits on the Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Committee for the Dallas Federal Reserve District, and meets regularly with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as Chairman of the Dallas Committee.

Cynthia has testified many times on Capitol Hill before the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee. She has attended meetings at the White House and participated in a nationally broadcast press conference with President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, as well as a community bank meeting hosted by President Donald Trump. She maintains a presence in Washington, D.C. by attending meetings at the Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank, CFPB and the Small Business Administration. She has spoken at many state conventions and at the Kansas City Federal Reserve meeting with CSBS.

Cynthia was the first woman elected chairman of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas in 2002 and chairman of the IBAT Education Foundation, which raised more than $1 million for financial literacy. She was appointed dean for Bankers and chaired the Southwestern School of Banking Foundation at Southern Methodist University, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking – Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. U.S. Banker Magazine named her one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Banking. In November 2010, she was named as one of the 2010 Great Women of Texas and in 2019 was inducted into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame at SHSU.