River City Six – Dillon Retzlaff

Meet Dillon Retzlaff, market president for Pinnacle Bank in Elkhorn.

Tell us a little about your business.

Pinnacle Bank is a family-owned bank that reinvests in the communities it serves. It grew from one bank in Palmer, NE to over 150 locations in eight states. The culture that exists from the leadership of the Dinsdale family has been the key to its success. I have 17 years of tenure working for the company in many capacities, and I am no anomaly. This is a common trend amongst many of our employees! We service small businesses and family farms just the same as larger corporations.

How did you get started in the business?

I moved to Lincoln after graduating from high school with plans to start my bachelor’s degree in the fall. I needed a full-time job to support living expenses while I attended night classes. I applied all over town looking for a chance to give banking a try, and Pinnacle Bank gave me an opportunity to work for them in their loan operations department. I think I finally figured out how to properly transfer a phone call after several failed attempts.

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

I had the pleasure of working with a customer when they started as a one-person shop, and I helped them grow their business to employing many others.

Tell us a little about your family.

I am happily married to my wife Brittany who works for Pinnacle Bank in the holding company. She is by far the “better half”! We have two children, our son Raleigh (6) and our daughter Reese (4), and a boxer named Hudson.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?

When management took a chance and sent me to Sioux City to lead the banks in the Iowa market. It was an experience of a lifetime.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

Spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy golfing, and I look forward to taking my family snow skiing every winter.

Who inspires you?

My father Russ Retzlaff. He started with very little in life when he began a family a little more premature than planned. He had to leave his formal education after his sophomore year of high school to support his new wife and child. He is still happily married after 40+ years and three crazy sons and has built his dream home on the original homestead where our ancestors migrated to in Nebraska. His commitment to family and knowing to put others before himself always inspired me to think big and act small.

What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“I would rather regret not doing something then having to regret doing something.” – Roy Dinsdale. To me, this doesn’t mean never taking a risk, but anticipating unintended consequences and conducting myself accordingly.

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be?

Integrity.

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why?

The West O Chamber and the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation because of their tireless commitment to the community I call home.

What is your favorite book or the last good book you read?

All time favorite is Atlas Shrugged.

What is your favorite TV show?

Seinfeld.

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be?

Winston Churchill.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

Phone: (402) 289-2675; Email: dretzlaff@pinnbank.com; Website: www.pinnbank.com.