Meet Jonathan Ricketts, a leader who found balance and belonging

A moment of crisis early in his time with Banner showed Folsom, Calif., Branch Manager and Vice President Jonathan Ricketts he was right where he belonged.

It was 2017 and the tallest water reservoir in the U.S., the 770-foot-high Oroville Dam, was on the verge of collapse—threatening communities in the Sacramento Valley with massive flooding from 13 million gallons of water. More than 180,000 residents were evacuated, including Jonathan and his family. 

“We were staying in a hotel and I commuted to Folsom, but it was expensive,” he recalls. “Within minutes of talking to my manager, Banner set up a hotel for us in town, near work. It relieved so much stress and went way beyond what an employer had done for me before.” 

For Jonathan, that gesture cemented what Banner’s culture is about: caring for the whole person.

He first experienced this people-first approach when he joined the company in 2016 after years at another financial institution. At the time, he was a single father seeking work-life balance. “Banner didn’t require that I work weekends, and even though my commute was longer, I could still be home for dinner and spend weekends with my daughter,” he says.

Since those early years, his role has evolved far beyond the day-to-day of running a branch in one of the fastest-growing cities in Northern California. He’s very involved in supporting the local business community. “I love helping clients reach their dreams and goals,” he said. “Their faces just light up.”

A turning point in his evolution as a leader came when he asked his current manager for mentorship. “He taught me to be more direct in how I communicate, but in a way that’s supportive,” he says. “I learned that I can be more effective when I adapt my leadership approach for each person—some need a softer touch, others want black-and-white answers. Having that mentorship has made a difference for me and my team.”

Outside of work, Jonathan and his wife stay busy with their blended family of nine kids. They love traveling—most recently on a Caribbean cruise with nearly 20 relatives—and tackling home projects. He’s also a passionate advocate for foster care, having helped raise 27 children over the years. “Watching children in our care grow and soften over time—it’s incredible and in some ways, I will always consider them my kids,” he says. “Everyone deserves a foundation to grow from.”