Club Kids take a tour of Listerhill Credit Union in Spring Hill with Jill Rosenberry

JILL ROSENBERRY’S JOURNEY: FROM CLUB KID TO COMMUNITY LEADER

In Spring Hill, Tennessee, Jill Rosenberry is known as a respected banking professional and a passionate advocate for youth. She brings warmth, wisdom, humility, and generosity to everything she does—whether it’s mentoring staff or serving on a local nonprofit board. But long before she held senior roles at Bank of America, U.S. Bank, SunTrust, and Listerhill Credit Union, Jill was a seven-year-old girl searching for safety, structure, and someone to believe in her.

She found all of that—and more—at her local Boys & Girls Club.

Jill grew up in a rough neighborhood in Scottsdale, Arizona—far from the polished image most people associate with the city. She and her three siblings spent much of their childhood in a cramped 600-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment. Her mother, raising four kids alone, worked tirelessly to provide for them.

A young Jill Rosenberry poses for a photo with her 3 siblings

“She worked three jobs to keep the lights on and food on the table,” Jill recalls. “We had no family nearby, and my mom was just trying to stay above water. There were times she’d get maybe four hours of sleep between jobs”

Jill paints a vivid picture of just how hard her mother worked: “She’d be a secretary in the morning, then go to Motorola, making transistor radios. Then she’d head straight to the bar that served Motorola workers after their shifts and work there until one in the morning. She did that for a very long time.”

Growing up in their neighborhood meant facing constant threats—bullying, peer pressure, and bad influences. “…what else do you do when you don’t have anybody to take care of your kids?” Jill says. “We had no family there. My dad was gone. It was just… what do you do?”

When no one else was there, Boys & Girls Club became the place her mother could turn to.

The Club gave Jill and her siblings what they needed most—security, stability, and the support of caring adults. “Even, I think there was a time where there was somebody chasing me,” she recalls. “Just a bully-type kid. And I could run to Boys & Girls Club, and I was safe. They protected me. If I had been walking home, I wouldn’t have had that. I knew I was safe until my mom could come get me.”

Jill still remembers walking through the Club doors for the first time. “We were really nervous,” she says. “We didn’t know what it was going to be like. But the staff made us feel welcome. Eventually, it became a place we loved going to.”

What began as an after-school refuge quickly became the foundation for her future. At the Club, Jill learned how to treat others with kindness and respect. She learned practical skills—how to set a table, use good manners, and work with others. More importantly, she was exposed to mentors and role models who showed her what was possible if you believe in yourself.

A young Jill captured in a classic school photo.

“They taught us things like how to speak with respect, how to show up with kindness,” Jill says. “And people would come in and talk to us—some of them had been Club kids themselves and had gone on to do really well in life. That was the first time I remember thinking, maybe there’s hope for me.”

The Club filled a critical gap, she says—one that too many kids still fall through today. “We would have had no guidance,” she says. “They helped us get even a snack after school where we might not have had one. Normally, we would have just been at home running the streets. But Boys & Girls Club gave us more.”

One moment stands out in her memory: a local businesswoman visited the Club and noticed that Jill was struggling. “She talked to me because I was really sad,” Jill recalls. “I kept thinking that living in my state, to me, it seemed like poverty. All my friends had so many other things. They got to do so many other things.”

The woman’s words stuck with her. “She told me I was smart and capable of doing anything I wanted to. If I put my mind to it, I could learn it and do it. It didn’t matter where I came from—I could still do all things.”

That simple act of encouragement planted a seed that would carry Jill forward. Until then, she had assumed her future would mirror her mother’s struggles. But the Club gave her a different vision: one of possibility.

Jill landed her first job at a bank in Arizona, using the income and tuition assistance her employer offered to help put herself through college. That first opportunity sparked a lifelong career in finance. Driven by hard work and determination, Jill steadily advanced—first as a customer service agent, then a bank manager, eventually becoming Branch Manager and Vice President at SunTrust. She later brought her leadership and experience to Listerhill Credit Union in Spring Hill.

Now, as a long-time resident of Spring Hill, Jill hasn’t forgotten where she came from. For more than 20 years, she’s been an active community leader—serving on the trustee board at Columbia State College and, most recently, stepping up as a Spring Hill Hero of the Year candidate to raise critical funds for youth in Spring Hill. Her advocacy focuses on what shaped her own journey: access to education, job readiness, and safe, nurturing environments for youth.

Jill delivers a heartfelt speech at the Hero of the Year Celebration in Spring Hill.

But for Jill, it’s never been just about programs or policy. It’s about people. “I think the biggest thing we can give kids is positive reinforcement,” she says. “Let them know they matter. Hug them. Cheer them on. Some of them just need to hear that someone believes in them.”

Talking about the Club still brings emotion to her voice. “It makes such a difference in a child’s life,” she says. “Just knowing there’s someone in your corner. That you’re safe. That you belong. That’s everything.”

Today, Jill remains close with her siblings and her 93-year-old mother, who still lives independently. They often reflect on those early years—and the role the Club played in shaping their lives. “My mom still talks about it,” Jill says. “She’s proud of all of us, and what we’ve achieved. And she knows the Club played a big part in that.”

When Jill hears the words Great Futures Start Here, she doesn’t hesitate. “No matter how much you get beat down,” she says, “you are great. And nobody should tell you any different.”

Surrounded by friends and colleagues, Jill smiles for a photo at the Spring Hill Heroes Celebration.