Draft:Gateway First Bank

• Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. BAG Tulsa (talk) 11:00, 24 September 2025 (UTC)

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Gateway First Bank

Gateway First Bank is a financial institution headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It operates as a full-service bank offering mortgage lending, personal banking, and commercial banking products. The bank serves customers across Oklahoma through nine in-state branches and nationwide through its mortgage division. It is recognized as one of the ten largest banks in the state by asset size and is the largest Native-owned bank in the U.S. in terms of total assets.

History

Gateway First Bank traces its origins to Gateway Mortgage Group, founded in 2000 by Kevin Stitt in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Originally established as a mortgage company, Gateway grew rapidly, expanding its operations into multiple states by 2002, growing to more than 400 employees across the U.S. by 2006, and to 1,200 employees serving 100,000 customers across 150 communities in the U.S. by 2017.

In May 2019, Gateway Mortgage Group merged with Farmers Exchange Bank, a chartered bank based in Tulsa, to create Gateway First Bank. The merger allowed Gateway to transition from being solely a mortgage lender to a full-service bank offering loans, checking, savings, trust services, private banking, and commercial banking products alongside its mortgage services.

Kevin Stitt served as CEO of Gateway Mortgage until 2018, when he resigned to run for governor of Oklahoma.

Operations and Services

Gateway First Bank operates eight banking centers in Oklahoma, with mortgage services offered in more than 40 states. Its product portfolio includes:

• Mortgage lending (conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo loans, Correspondent Lending, Consumer Direct Lending)

• Personal banking (checking, savings, CDs, credit cards, loans, private banking, auto and home improvement loans)

• Commercial banking (checking, savings, loans, lines of credit, treasury management)

• Digital banking tools for online and mobile account management

• Wealth Management (investment strategies, risk mitigation and insurance, business planning, charitable giving and endowment, income tax planning)

• Trust Services (trust and estate planning)

Corporate Structure

Gateway First Bank is privately held and headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma. As of 2024, the bank employs 1,200 people nationwide. Kyle Hubbard assumed the role of CEO on May 1, 2025, and the leadership team includes executives overseeing mortgage, retail banking, finance, and compliance functions. The leadership team includes:

• Kyle Hubbard – Chief Executive Officer

• Jonathan Wallace – Chief Financial Officer

• Jeff Schmidt – President, Mortgage Banking

• Michelle Choquette – Chief Administrative Officer

• Hobie Higgins – Chief Engagement Officer

• Mark Revard – Regional Executive Vice President

• Chris Greer – Chief Information Officer

• Carlos Torres – Chief Compliance Officer

• Pete Carey – Chief Credit Officer

Community Involvement

The bank supports various philanthropic initiatives, including the Gateway Gives Back program, which focuses on community development issues like financial literacy, affordable housing, children’s issues, economic development, and disaster relief.

Since 2017, Gateway has donated $793,000 to the Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to families of fallen or disabled U.S. military or first responders. As of 2025, Gateway has supported more than 200 organizations through more than 7,100 volunteer hours and more than $3,000,000 in donations.

Awards and Recognition

Gateway has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States ten times. In 2023, Gateway claimed the number one spot among 20 top-performing banks with $2 billion to $10 billion in assets as rated by the publication American Banker. That same year, Gateway was recognized as a Top Performing Community Bank by The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). Out of the 25 banks recognized in the “More Than One Billion in Assets” category, Gateway received the third-highest score and was the only Oklahoma bank listed. Gateway has received numerous other awards and accolades, including:  

For commitment to people:

• 50 Best Companies to Work For, Mortgage Executive Magazine (2014-2019)

• Top Workplaces, The Oklahoman (2013, 2014, 2016-2022)

• Top Mortgage Employer, National Mortgage Professional Magazine (2015-2017, 2019, 2021)

For customer service excellence:

• Contact Center of Excellence, BenchmarkPortal (2017-2018, 2022)

• STAR Program for Excellence in Mortgage Servicing, Fannie Mae (2021, 2025)

For mortgage leadership:

• Top 100 Mortgage Companies, Mortgage Executive Magazine (2012-2021)

• Top Mortgage Lenders, Scotsman Guide (2016-2022)

• Best Military Lenders, National Mortgage Professional Magazine (2018-2020)

• Top Loan Lenders, Texas Veteran’s Land Board (2019-2024)