Local shops, restaurants and banks are some of what makes a town feel like a community. 

There’s a bank in the town of Elkmont where the bankers believe small-town living has its advantages and a simple handshake and “hello” make all the difference. 

Bankers at Citizens Bank & Trust, at 22530 Alabama 127, believe the place you choose to live affects your quality of life, and residents in small towns should have the same access to banking as those in larger cities. The bank’s motto: Small bank, big difference. 

Leigh Poss, city president of Citizens Bank & Trust in Elkmont and Rogersville, said the bank in Elkmont has been available to residents for six years. Elkmont and Rogersville are the only two Citizens Banks in the area.

Poss said the banks have a hometown feel and tellers who know the community. 

“Even though we are a smaller hometown bank, we do offer all of the conveniences of a large bank,” she said, listing internet, mobile banking and other modern conveniences. 

“A lot of people might not realize we offer mortgage loans,” she said. “We have the capability of servicing residents in all the big bank ways, but with a small-town feel.” 

Citizens Bank & Trust offers reward checking, CDs (certificates of deposit) safe-deposit boxes and more. 

Beyond everyday banking solutions, Citizens Bank & Trust has a friendly atmosphere where patrons joke with the staff and bring in their children and family pets to talk about their days. 

Residents can even pay their utility bills at the Elkmont bank. 

Citizens Bank strives to stay involved in the towns of Elkmont and Rogersville, and community service is a big part of that involvement, Poss said. For example, Poss is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Rogersville and works with the Lions Club in Elkmont. 

“We do a lot of fundraising,” she said. “If there’s a community event around either location, we try to be involved.” 

The bank, which has four people on staff in Elkmont and three in Rogersville, is heavily involved in the local schools, offering tailgating events, ice cream socials and more. 

Poss, who has been in the banking business 22 years, is married to Alvin Poss Jr. They have three children and six grandchildren. She moved to the area from Mississippi 30 years ago, and claims this area as home. 

“Living and working in this area, you know the people and you tend to know their needs,” Poss said. “You tend to go that extra mile. It’s a close-knit community.”