Piloting National Capital Bank’s Future
National Capital Bank (NCB), a revered Hill institution, celebrates its 135th anniversary this year. Led by President and CEO Jimmy Olevson, the bank is giving back to its neighborhood.
Olevson started at NCB in 2022. He had large shoes to fill. The bank was founded by the Didden family, who are still very active in its leadership. After the ing of Richard Didden in 2013, Randy Anderson assumed the helm, continuing bank’s community focus.
Looking to the future, Olevson looks to continue the Didden legacy.
Before NCB, Olevson lived throughout California and worked for larger, more traditional banks. He got his start as a bank teller in high school because the bank paid $0.50 more than the sporting goods store. From there, he rose in the ranks and worked in commercial banking for over 15 years, experience that informs Olevson’s work to this day.
When comparing this experience to his time at NCB, Olevson continually used the word “fun.” Being able to connect with the hyper-local community is a true joy for him.
“You can’t just put a branch there and say, ‘Yes, we’re involved in the community,’” Olveson said. “It comes down to the volunteerism.”
Receiving help and donations from NCB is as easy as an email. Seeing the strict policies and hurdles that come with requesting community help from larger banks, Olveson wants to be more accessible. This is his favorite part of the job.
While pursuing this community-focused mission, Olveson has found home in the DMV. His wife and two kids are some of his most important motivators. Photos of his family and notes from his kids can be found in his office. Part of giving back to the community was becoming a part of it.
The first moment Capitol Hill started to feel like home to Olveson was while jogging on his lunch break in 2023. This was the first time he ran into someone he knew from the Hill—Tony T. from CHAMPS. He described this as an “oh. my. Gosh!” moment.
Olveson couldn’t do this alone though. He continually credits the people around him for the bank’s success and community connections. From the retail clerks to Kathy Didden at the tree lighting ceremony to Chief Community Banking Officer Debra Keats and so many more – running NCB is a team effort.
“I don’t think there’s ever any one individual that is responsible for the success of an
organization,” Olveson said. “It’s absolutely [a] team effort.”
Madi Koesler is a reporter for MidCity DC and the HillRag. She can be ed at [email protected] or on Instagram @madikoesler.
