Montana Banker Embodies the Spirit of George Bailey
When It’s a Wonderful Life first premiered nearly 80 years ago, Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey stood as the archetype of a community banker — empathetic, selfless, and deeply connected to his neighbors. This fall, the American Bankers Association Foundation found that same spirit alive in Clyde Park, Montana.
Jennell Huff, CRA and Community Outreach Coordinator at Bank of the Rockies, is the 2025 recipient of the George Bailey Distinguished Service Award, which honors a non-CEO banker whose dedication to community service goes above and beyond.
Huff accepted the award in October at the ABA’s Annual Convention in Charlotte, N.C. The foundation recognized her tireless work protecting vulnerable populations, advancing financial literacy, and inspiring colleagues — achievements that make her a true embodiment of the George Bailey ideal.
From Teller to Trailblazer
Huff didn’t plan to become a banker. In fact, she was preparing for a career in teaching before life — and a chance encounter — took her in a new direction.
“I was a stay-at-home mom,” she recalled. “One day I went to make a deposit at my local bank, and the assistant manager followed me out to the car. I thought I’d forgotten to sign something, but she just asked if I wanted a part-time job. That’s how it started. I fell in love with it.”
Over two decades later, that spontaneous offer has evolved into a vocation that fuses her educator’s heart with her banker’s skill set. Beginning as a teller, Huff gradually took on new responsibilities, spearheading financial literacy programs like Teach Children to Save, Get Smart About Credit, and Safe Banking for Seniors — all ABA Foundation initiatives she would later help promote statewide.
“It kind of brought that teacher part of me full circle,” she said. “I realized this was about more than transactions. It was about relationships — and trust.”
Building Senior Champions
The idea for the Senior Champions program grew from Huff’s firsthand encounters with elder fraud. After personally witnessing two attempted scams against older customers, she launched CONversations About Cons — an employee and customer education initiative designed to spark open dialogue about financial scams. The program, which earned the bank an earlier ABA Foundation award, laid the groundwork for Senior Champions by demonstrating how awareness and conversation can be powerful tools against exploitation.
As chair of the Montana Financial Education Coalition’s Elder Fraud Prevention Committee, Huff has united bankers, law enforcement, social service agencies, and the judiciary to create a statewide network of protection for older adults.
“Elder abuse and fraud prevention has become my major passion,” she said. “Every customer interaction can be a moment of protection and connection. That’s where community banks have a real advantage — we know our people.”
Innovative Approaches to Financial Education in Banking
Beyond fraud prevention, Huff has designed an outreach model rooted in local partnerships and cultural relevance. Working with educators, nonprofits, and state agencies, she and her colleagues bring financial education programs to communities across Montana — from classroom visits to resource fairs to senior centers.
“Financial education shouldn’t feel like a lecture,” she said. “It’s storytelling, it’s conversation, it’s meeting people where they are.”
Bank of the Rockies CEO Mike Grove credits Huff with turning the bank’s community outreach into “a statewide catalyst for intergenerational financial wellness and purpose-driven engagement.”
How Community Bankers Can Lead with Empathy Amid AI Advances
Even as technology transforms banking, Huff insists the industry’s moral compass still points back to the George Bailey ideal.
“At the ABA Convention, one of the speakers said that AI might actually force us to become more human,” Huff noted. “That really stuck with me. I’ve decided to take that as my mindset — that innovation should deepen empathy, not replace it.”
She sees that belief as part of her responsibility, both professionally and personally. “Awards and accolades are nice,” Huff said, “but they’re not the reason we do anything. They’re the cherry on top. The work itself — helping people — is the real reward.”
More Baileys Than Potters
Asked what she hopes readers take from her recognition, Huff doesn’t hesitate.
“I think people need to know there are more George Baileys in banking than there are Mr. Potters,” she said. “Community banks are about relationships and trust. We’re not here to grab money — we’re here to help people reach their goals and protect what matters most.”
That conviction — simple, timeless, and deeply human — may explain why the spirit of George Bailey feels so at home in Clyde Park, Montana.
