Collegiate Peaks Bank is providing a model for business and economic growth in rural communities.

Colorado-based Collegiate Peaks Bank, a division of Glacier Bancorp, is pleased to announce that it is the title sponsor for the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation for a second straight year. Working in partnership with Collegiate Peaks Bank, the CCEDC promotes job creation and economic development in rural communities and has already established a strong presence in Chaffee County.

“Collegiate Peaks Bank strives to find innovative ways to help businesses and communities realize growth, profitability, and sustainability and our partnership with the CCEDC is another example of the many ways we make lasting positive impacts,” said Joe Smith, Mountain Regional President of Collegiate Peaks Bank. “It’s critical for rural communities like Chaffee County to continue to find ways to achieve year-round, dynamic, and sustainable economies. The CCEDC is discovering ways to attract entrepreneurial minds and start-up businesses to places like Chaffee County and also find the investors necessary to help them thrive.”

Some of the focal points of the CCEDC include:

  • Remote work as a new “growth industry” for rural America.
  • Entrepreneurship as a rural economic diversification strategy away from reliance on tourism.
  • Once in a generation opportunity for “Brain Gain” in rural communities, enabled by the Covid pandemic.
  • “Driven By Nature” – Creating economic opportunity by leveraging senses of place in mountain towns.
  • Sustainable mountain economies – The intersection of housing, workforce, and career opportunities (increased AMI = affordability)
  • Impact entrepreneurship – Leveraging private sector company growth to address community challenges like sustainability, job creation, etc.
  • Leveraging local investors to support local economic growth and career advancement.
  • A desire to create a model to guide or inspire other rural communities.

In addition to the partnership with CCEDC, Collegiate Peaks Bank provides a suite of services to help businesses succeed even during the most challenging economic times. Some of these services include:

  • Payables and Receivables Management
  • Liquidity Management
  • Information Management
  • Risk Management
  • Business Loans

In recent months, Collegiate Peaks Bank’s parent company, Glacier Bank, was ranked eighth on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Banks for 2022. Forbes’ 13th annual look at America’s Best Banks ranks the 100 largest publicly traded banks and thrifts based on their growth, credit quality and profitability (information regarding the rankings and methodology is available at www.forbes.com).

Collegiate Peaks Bank is committed to supporting the communities it serves and has made it an important part of the company culture. The bank’s employees donate their time and effort to causes that help to build a strong community spirit and contribute to the success of the businesses, organizations and individuals around them.

Our Bank was founded in the mid 1980’s by a group of local Community Members in Buena Vista, Colorado. The Bank was acquired by Glacier Bancorp, Inc. on February 1, 2018. The bank is now a division of Glacier Bank, a regional bank holding. Glacier Bank provides commercial banking services in 143 communities through 224 banking offices.

Collegiate Peaks Bank continues to cultivate strong relationships within the communities we live and work by emphasizing personalized service combined with the full resources of a larger banking organization.

About Collegiate Peaks Bank, a division of Glacier Bancorp

Glacier Bancorp, Inc. is headquartered in Kalispell, Montana with operating divisions including the Altabank (American Fork, UT), Bank of the San Juans (Durango, CO), Citizens Community Bank (Pocatello, ID), Collegiate Peaks Bank (Buena Vista, CO), First Bank of Montana (Lewistown, MT), First Bank of Wyoming (Powell, WY), First Community Bank Utah (Layton, UT), First Security Bank (Bozeman, MT), First Security Bank of Missoula (Missoula, MT), First State Bank (Wheatland, WY), Glacier Bank (Kalispell, MT), Heritage Bank of Nevada (Reno, NV), Mountain West Bank (Coeur d’Alene, ID), North Cascades Bank (Chelan, WA), The Foothills Bank (Yuma, AZ), Valley Bank of Helena (Helena, MT), and Western Security Bank (Billings, MT). Our bank serves individuals, small to medium-sized businesses, community organizations and public entities. We pursue a community banking philosophy, emphasizing personalized service combined with the full resources of a larger banking organization.