Roger Reisher
An entrepreneurial spirit and vision guided Roger L. Reisher to help found FirstBank 40 years ago and build it into the largest banking organization headquartered in Colorado.
Born on July 24, 1928, Reisher was one of seven children raised on a small farm in western Nebraska, 30 miles east of Wray, Colorado. He served in the Army from 1945 to 1947, then became the first in his family to attend college, graduating from the University of Colorado with the help of the GI Bill.
After spending 12 years in banking in the Kansas City area, Reisher was eager for the opportunity to move to Lakewood, Colorado and open a new chapter in Colorado’s banking history on February 28, 1963. First Westland National Bank, in the newly built Westland Shopping Center, is now the lead bank in the FirstBank Holding Company organization. Today, FirstBank has over 100 offices and more than $6 billion in assets.
Reisher’s vision, enthusiasm and hard work, along with the assistance of a very capable Board of Directors and staff, expanded the new bank into an organization with 2,000 employees serving over 600,000 customers.
In 1988, when FirstBank celebrated its 25th anniversary, Reisher was honored by his colleagues with the surprise announcement of the formation of the FirstBank Scholars Program at the University of Colorado. This program, funded by FirstBank employees and matched by contributions from the holding company, has created an endowment currently valued at over $1.6 million. Scholarships emphasizing financial need and leadership capabilities are awarded annually at all three University of Colorado campuses and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Since its inception in 1988, more than 115 FirstBank Scholars have received a total of $456,000 in grants from the endowment.
In 2001, Reisher, along with his wife, Margaret, and their daughters, started a Family Foundation which, working with The Denver Foundation, has funded scholarships for nearly 100 students at the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State College of Denver. Reisher has served as a Director of the University of Colorado Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Jefferson County YMCA. In 1988, Reisher was awarded the George Norlin Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Colorado Alumni Association.
Born on July 24, 1928, Reisher was one of seven children raised on a small farm in western Nebraska, 30 miles east of Wray, Colorado. He served in the Army from 1945 to 1947, then became the first in his family to attend college, graduating from the University of Colorado with the help of the GI Bill.
After spending 12 years in banking in the Kansas City area, Reisher was eager for the opportunity to move to Lakewood, Colorado and open a new chapter in Colorado’s banking history on February 28, 1963. First Westland National Bank, in the newly built Westland Shopping Center, is now the lead bank in the FirstBank Holding Company organization. Today, FirstBank has over 100 offices and more than $6 billion in assets.
Reisher’s vision, enthusiasm and hard work, along with the assistance of a very capable Board of Directors and staff, expanded the new bank into an organization with 2,000 employees serving over 600,000 customers.
In 1988, when FirstBank celebrated its 25th anniversary, Reisher was honored by his colleagues with the surprise announcement of the formation of the FirstBank Scholars Program at the University of Colorado. This program, funded by FirstBank employees and matched by contributions from the holding company, has created an endowment currently valued at over $1.6 million. Scholarships emphasizing financial need and leadership capabilities are awarded annually at all three University of Colorado campuses and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Since its inception in 1988, more than 115 FirstBank Scholars have received a total of $456,000 in grants from the endowment.
In 2001, Reisher, along with his wife, Margaret, and their daughters, started a Family Foundation which, working with The Denver Foundation, has funded scholarships for nearly 100 students at the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State College of Denver. Reisher has served as a Director of the University of Colorado Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Jefferson County YMCA. In 1988, Reisher was awarded the George Norlin Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Colorado Alumni Association.
