Citizens Bank of West Virginia has announced the retirements of two valued team members at our Thomas Financial Center. Vice President & Financial Center Manager Shawn O. Nichols, retired on Thursday, June 25, 2026, and IT Coordinator Jeffery W. Lipscomb, retired Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Both Nichols and Lipscomb devoted the majority of their banking careers to Miners & Merchants Bank prior to its acquisition by Citizens in March 2026 and continued their service through the transition.
Nichols began his banking career with Miners & Merchants Bank in 1994 as a Loan Officer. Over the course of his 32-year career, he advanced through a series of leadership roles, including Vice President & Cashier and President & CEO. Following the acquisition in March 2026, Nichols joined Citizens Bank of West Virginia as Vice President & Financial Center Manager, a position he held until his retirement.
Nichols earned an associate degree from WVU Potomac State College and a Bachelor of Science from West Virginia University. He also completed the West Virginia School of Banking.
A resident of Parsons, he is married to Kathy Nichols and has two children, Ian and Elizabeth. He is a member of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish.
Lipscomb began his career with Miners & Merchants Bank in 2015 as a part-time Information Technology Coordinator and transitioned to a full-time role in 2020.
Following the acquisition, he continued his career with Citizens as IT Coordinator, supporting the Bank’s technology operations. He will retire with over 11 years of dedicated service.
He attended WVU Potomac State College, where he earned his Cisco Certified Network Associate certification through the Cisco Networking Academy. He is also an A+ Certified IT Technician.
A resident of Aurora, he is married to Pam Lipscomb and has two children, Aron (wife Haylee) and Trevor (wife Alyssa). He is affectionately known as “PapJ” to his beloved grandchildren, Carter, Kamden, and Colsen.
“Shawn and Jeff’s knowledge and dedication played a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth transition for both customers and employees of Miners & Merchants Bank,” said Nathaniel S. Bonnell, President & CEO. “We are proud to recognize their years of service, their impact on the communities they served so well, and wish them both the very best in retirement.”
About Citizens Bank of West Virginia Citizens Bank of West Virginia, with $775 million in assets, provides integrated financial services including retail and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage services from eight financial centers in West Virginia, including Elkins, Bayard, Beverly, Buckhannon, New Martinsville, Parsons, and Thomas, as well as one location in Oakland, Maryland. The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Financial Corp. (OTC: CIWV). Citizens Bank is 5-Star rated and ranked among the strongest banks in the nation by Bauer Financial—the nation’s leading independent banking rating firm. The bank is also recognized as one of West Virginia’s Top 10 Performing Banks by the prestigious Bank Performance Report. Citizens is ranked 22nd on American Banker’s list of the Best Banks to Work For and has received numerous regional honors, including WV Living’s Best Corporate Citizen; The Inter-Mountain’s People’s Choice awards for Best Bank, Mortgage Lender, Customer Service, and Employer; and The Record Delta’s Best Place to Work and Mortgage Provider. Additionally, Citizens Bank has been named among American Banker’s Top Performing Publicly Traded Community Banks under $2 billion in assets and recognized by Newsweek’s America’s Best Banks list as the Best Small Bank in West Virginia. The bank has also been named SBA West Virginia Community Lender of the Year and ranked No. 9 nationally by the Independent Community Bankers of America in the consumer/mortgage category for banks with $300M–$1B in assets. More information is available online at www.citizenswv.com.
