OHIO Chillicothe alumna Lisa Wiseman serves her community through banking

After 25 years serving her community through banking, Lisa (Spillman) Wiseman is glad she made the choice to stay in her community to find her future and fuel the region she calls home.

A multi-sport athlete in high school, Wiseman had options to consider when it came to choosing a college, but ultimately the Zane Trace High School graduate decided she wanted to pursue her education in her own backyard at Ohio University Chillicothe.

“I realized I didn’t want to leave home,” Wiseman said. “This is where I felt like I belonged.”

She envisioned a career in the insurance industry and took time off from college to earn licenses in life insurance, fixed annuities, and property and casualty insurance while working part-time for an insurance agency. After realizing that insurance wasn’t the right fit for her, she returned to OHIO Chillicothe to complete her Bachelor of Science in Communication and put her insurance licensing to work as a banker at Huntington Bank.

“It took a lot of hard work,” she said. “I worked all day, took evening classes, and even squeezed in courses during lunch breaks when I could.”

Wiseman, who graduated in 2002, appreciated the small campus atmosphere and class sizes that allowed her to get to know her professors and form supportive relationships at OHIO Chillicothe. The professors who left their mark on Wiseman included Tom Brown, who connected course material with real-life business experiences, and Lisa Wallace, who provided a supportive and flexible learning environment for working students.

With her degree in hand, Wiseman eventually took on a management role at Huntington Bank, where she stayed for over a decade. When she joined Kingston National Bank to help open a new branch on Western Avenue, she found her calling in community banking.

As the branch administrator for Kingston National Bank, Wiseman oversees all branch offices, wearing many hats in a role that offers far more responsibility and variety than she would have had in a larger corporate setting. She finds fulfillment not just in the banking aspect but in helping people navigate their financial challenges and goals.

“People think banking is boring, but no two days are alike,” Wiseman says. “We really do want to help people, engage people, coach and counsel people. All of us that work in community banking feel that way. We have a vested interest in helping this community and the people that live here to be successful.”

Her dedication to the community extends beyond her professional life. Wiseman served on the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce board of directors for six years, a position she initially hesitated to take but ultimately found deeply rewarding.

“I have agreed to do things I didn’t think I could do,” she said. “And those challenges benefited me more than I could have ever imagined. I always encourage everyone to do the scary things. You'll learn a lot about yourself.”

Wiseman lives in Kingston with her husband, Jason, and their two daughters, Leah and Abby. She remains committed to her local roots and her career in banking, confident that staying close to home has allowed her to build a meaningful, successful life serving her community.