Ohio Bankers League names Southern Hills Community Bank 2025 Bank of the Year

Columbus — The Ohio Bankers League (OBL) is proud to announce Southern Hills Community Bank as the recipient of the 2025 OBL Bank of the Year Award in the Under $500 Million in Assets category.

This award recognizes outstanding institutional performance, strong leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to employees and the communities served. Southern Hills Community Bank exemplifies these qualities through a culture rooted in trust, transparency, and long-term investment in people.

Southern Hills Community Bank received eight nominations from its employees and service providers, an extraordinary testament to the strength of its organizational culture and the respect it has earned both internally and externally. Across all nominations, consistent themes emerged highlighting leadership’s dedication to fostering a workplace where employees are treated like family, encouraged to grow, and empowered to contribute meaningfully to the bank’s success.

“Southern Hills Community Bank stands out because of the intentional culture its leadership has built,” said Michael Adelman, President and CEO of the Ohio Bankers League. “Their transparency, inclusion of employees in key decisions, and commitment to community banking are exactly what this award is meant to recognize. It’s clear this is an institution where people are valued, voices are heard, and careers are built.”

Nominators emphasized leadership’s open communication with employees, their willingness to involve staff in major decisions, and their focus on empowering individuals to be the best they can be. This approach has resulted in a bank where employees do not simply work for a period of time, but instead build long-term, meaningful careers while making a lasting impact in the communities Southern Hills serves.

Through its people-first philosophy and deep community commitment, Southern Hills Community Bank has cultivated an environment of stability, trust, and shared purpose, hallmarks of a truly exceptional community bank.

The Ohio Bankers League congratulates Southern Hills Community Bank on this well-deserved recognition and thanks its leadership and employees for setting a high standard for community banking in Ohio.

The Ohio Bankers League is the trade association for the Ohio banking industry – and is Ohio’s only organization focused on meeting the needs of all banks and thrifts in the Buckeye State. For more than 125 years, the OBL has been the voice of the Ohio banking industry fostering a cooperation that has made it one of the strongest and most reputable financial trade associations in the country. By linking banks, bankers, and industry experts – and by pooling their intellectual and capital resources – the OBL serves as a powerful creator of knowledge and collective resources. The non-profit association is comprised of 174 FDIC-insured financial institutions including commercial banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations ranging in size from just over $13 million in assets to more than $1.5 trillion.