As Black History Month comes to a close, Fremont Bank is thrilled to spotlight the accomplishments of Deborah Willis, who exemplifies excellence in banking and is a model for our entire team.
Deborah’s story
Deborah Willis is the branch manager of our Brentwood branch. Now in her 20th-year at Fremont Bank, Deborah’s many contributions make her a wonderful ambassador for the bank and duly deserving of this recognition.
Deborah is credited with growing the Brentwood branch to an incredible level of success while extending service and kindness to everyone she interacts with. Beyond her branch manager work, Deborah is leading efforts to increase the population of Black and minority owned businesses served by the Bank. Deborah’s passion for expanding and enhancing Fremont Bank’s interest into those communities began as a member of the Black Professionals at Fremont Bank employee resource group, where she currently serves as co-president.
Deborah lives by the words: “When you are worried, pray…when you pray, don’t worry.” This strong faith guides her and her loving family, which includes five children from ages 21 to a set of 10-year-old twin girls. She is married to musician and music producer extraordinaire Carl Wheeler of the acclaimed group Tony! Toni! Toné!, which toured for over 20 years with Frankie Beverly and Maze. Deborah’s love for Fremont Bank is even a family affair! Her oldest son, Carl Wheeler III, also works for Fremont Bank.
Deborah has shared that connecting with people – from a direct report to management team members to clients – is her greatest strength, and we couldn’t agree more. She makes everyone she interacts with feel seen, heard and known. When asked what motivates her, Deborah shared: “My love for COMMUNITY and work reflects the way I love my family and life.”