This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Local Voices

Reliance Bank Announces New Board Members

ST. LOUIS – Reliance Bank, a subsidiary of Reliance Bancshares, Inc. (OTCPK: RLBS), announced today the appointment of two new members to its board of directors.

Reliance Bank welcomes Michael McMillan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Cheryl Jones, Executive Director of Girls Inc., also located in St. Louis.

The announcement comes on the heels of Reliance Bank announcing its recent partnership with Justine PETERSEN and plans to open a loan production office and full-service ATM inside their offices, located at 1023 North Grand Blvd.

Find out what's happening in Florissantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We are so pleased to have Michael and Cheryl as Directors of our Bank,” says Tom Brouster, Chairman of Reliance Bank. “Their business and community experience and expertise will be extremely valuable to our future endeavors.”

“I am honored to serve on the Reliance Bank board,” says Michael McMillan. “I am excited about being a part of some of the new and expanded initiatives at Reliance such as their Financial Literacy Program, which we are rolling out in conjunction with the Urban League. Our goal is to teach others about the importance of all aspects of financial literacy, which is very important to the growth of our community.”

Find out what's happening in Florissantwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McMillan has a long history of giving back to the St. Louis community and has made a career of service. McMillan attributes his passion for service back to his days at St. Louis University High School where he was encouraged daily to be a man for others.

“I started volunteering in my youth at Catholic Charities and the St. Vincent de Paul Society,” says McMillan. “At age 10, I was encouraged by my uncle to join the Urban League, as he was a former Chairman of the Board. I saved up and joined the Urban League on my 16th birthday and I am proud to have been affiliated with the agency on various levels for twenty six years.”

McMillan lives in the Midtown area of St. Louis, where he served as Alderman for ten years of his career.

“The Grand Center/Covenant Blu neighborhood is where Justine PETERSEN and the new Reliance Bank loan production office are located along with the Urban League’s regional headquarters,” says McMillan. “I’m looking forward to helping with the bank’s neighborhood outreach to minority and low-income communities and collaborating to provide access to the bank in those crucial areas.”

Cheryl Jones echoes McMillan’s passion for service to others.

“I grew up in north St. Louis and was taught from a young age by my parents, James and Rose White, about the importance of giving back to your community,” says Jones. “I was heavily influenced by my parents’ philosophy which was, “To whom much is given much is required.” I can wholeheartedly say that my parents, family and church helped shape who I am today.”

“In addition to her parents, Jones credits her brother, James White, with shaping her leadership development. White is the President and CEO of Jamba Juice, a worldwide company.

Like McMillan, Jones spends much of her time on local boards giving back to the community. She is passionate about women and minority issues and lends her time and talent to the YWCA board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., The Links Incorporated, Carrousels and has served on over 15 local and national boards.

Currently she is the Executive Director of Girls Inc. of St. Louis, a local nonprofit focused on empowering girls ages five to 17 years old.

“I came to Girls Inc. after doing some consulting work for them,” says Jones. “I fell in love with the girls there and when they asked me to stay I couldn’t say no. I remember vividly a young girl coming up to me and saying, “Mrs. Jones, are you going to be leaving us too?” I remember looking into her inquisitive face and thinking to myself I couldn’t leave, there was too much work to be done. I am passionate about Girls Inc. and am honored to be the Executive Director of the organization.”

Jones has been with Girls Inc. since February 2013.

Before ending up at Girls Inc., Jones successfully ran her own consulting firm, Jones & Associates, Inc., which focused on providing organizations with strategies and solutions to bring out their best performance and affect positive change. She has worked with many organizations such as NASA, MSD Cincinnati, Sara Lee and Bristol Myers-Squibb throughout her career.

Jones goes on to say that she is fortunate to have a loving and supportive family in her husband, John, and daughter Brittany.

As for her new position on the Reliance Bank board Jones says, “I’m very excited about helping the organization shape their new growth. I hope to bring my knowledge and strengths to the board as they embark on so many new ventures. I see a bright future for Reliance Bank and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

Chairman Tom Brouster adds, “Reliance Bank is committed to the communities we serve. We are growing and expanding in new locations and are poised for continued success.”

The addition of McMillan and Jones brings the total of board members to 17. The Reliance Bank board consists of Thomas H. Brouster, John Bradley, Robert Cox, Dr. Richard Demko, Gaines Dittrich, Barry Frazier, Allan D. Ivie, IV, Sterling K. Jakel, Rick Jakel, Robert Jakel, Cheryl Jones, Lawrence “Rusty” Keeley, Michael McMillan, Scott Sachtleben, Rick Sems, David Sindelar and Ned Stanley.

About Reliance Bancshares, Inc.

Reliance Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, MO, is a Missouri bank holding company that provides a full range of banking services to individual and corporate customers. The Company’s common stock is quoted on the Pink Sheets (www.pinksheets.com) under the symbol “RLBS”. It currently operates twenty branches in the St. Louis metropolitan area and two branches in Fort Myers, Florida under the name of Reliance Bank. The company’s total assets as of September 30, 2013 were approximately $1 billion. Reliance Bank’s website can be found at www.reliancebankstl.com.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Florissant