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Meet Andrew Hallissy
Andrew Hallissy is Vice President, Credit Manager at River City Bank, where he helps evaluate credit opportunities and lending decisions while mentoring the bank’s newest associates. A Sacramento native with a competitive streak, Andrew joined the bank at just 20 years old. When he’s not at work, you might find him fine-tuning his golf swing which is still a humbling work in progress or debating sports with just about anyone who will engage. He recently took a break to talk about his newfound coffee habit and what drew him to a career in banking.
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
First job: I was a filing clerk at my dad’s law office. I was just happy to have a job indoors during the hot Sacramento summer, but it made me realize at an early age that the family law business wasn’t for me!
First car: 1995 Mercedes E320. My parents chose it for me in high school because it was so slow. To their credit, it worked… I got my first (and only) speeding ticket last year just two days after I finally upgraded to a car from this century.
Favorite quotes: I’ve always loved the Steve Martin line, “Be so good they can’t ignore you,” which reminds me to tune out the outside noise and focus entirely on things I can control, like effort, preparation, and my values. If I do that, the rest tends to work itself out. Alongside it, I frequently come back to Maya Angelou’s words, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” It’s a reminder that while results and accomplishments matter, the impact we have on others and the way we treat people often leaves the most lasting impression.
Favorite Movie: Anything Christopher Nolan makes. He is truly a generational talent.
Favorite song: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, and “Forever” by Chris Brown are a few songs I never get tired of. My music tastes are very wide-ranging.
First concert: Taylor Swift. No further questions at this time.
Favorite city to visit: Rome. Funny enough, I am actually writing this on a plane to Italy now! I appreciate its mix of ancient history and modern culture. I took Latin in high school, so I like to test my memory when I’m there to see how many of the ancient inscriptions I can still understand.
First site or app you check in the morning: Apple Stocks or my email. I used to reach for Twitter/X first, but I gave it up after finally coming to terms with how much time it was eating into my day. LinkedIn is now the only social media I’ve got left.
What are you reading right now? The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. It argues that doing well with money has less to do with what you know and more to do with how you behave. So far, I’d give it an 8.1/10.
Morning ritual: It starts with a few prayers, as my faith is very important to me. From there, I’ll do some strength training, quickly scan the news, agonize over which of my many ties to wear that day, and then I’m off to work!
If you have an extra hour in the day, how would you spend it? At the driving range. As my friends and colleagues will be the first to say, my swing needs all the practice it can get!
Radio or podcasts? That ’95 Mercedes wasn’t exactly iPhone compatible, so I learned to appreciate live radio and was a frequent caller into the local talk shows over the years to vent about the Kings. I think they eventually got tired and blocked me… some people just can’t handle the truth, I guess.
What is your coffee or tea order? Vanilla iced latte. I hadn’t had a cup of coffee in my life until earlier this year when a childhood friend got me hooked. Since then, I think I’m now single-handedly financing Temple Coffee’s mass expansion plans.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you? Just how competitive I am. It’s not overly obvious from my personality, but I hate to lose.
Which causes/nonprofits do you support? I volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul to assist those in need, and with the Order of Malta to care for the sick. I’m also a huge animal lover, so I’m always happy to support the SPCA or similar organizations.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? A Saturday night in the fall after big wins by Penn State football and the Kings, with my family all together to see it. It may never happen in my lifetime, but you asked for “idea,” so let me dream!
What did you want to be when you were a child? Too many things to count: magician, doctor, pilot, NBA general manager (I somehow convinced myself this would be more attainable than being a player), to name a few. I was a bit all over the place, but I started gravitating toward banking as a teenager and am so happy that I did!
What is your greatest fear? Living with the regret of not having tried. I’d rather fail going for something big than never take the risk at all. Also, snakes.
Which living person do you most admire? I’m going to cheat and choose both my mom and dad. They sacrificed a lot to give me and my brother a great life. My only gripe with them is that they’ve never given me a good excuse to not be successful!
What is your current state of mind? Grateful and hungry.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Fearlessness. Nerves just mean something matters.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Academically, probably graduating college in five semesters. I just couldn’t wait to get started at RCB! More personally, I’m proud to have the best friends and family I could ask for.
What do you like best about working at River City Bank? The people, both my colleagues and our clients. My colleagues are some of the most ambitious critical thinkers I’ve ever met, and I’m constantly learning about new industries through our clients, so no two days are ever the same. I also appreciate the bank’s size: small enough to build genuine relationships with our clients, but large enough to see our work make a real impact on the region.
