Longtime community banker reflects on 30-year career
MOUNT PLEASANT – As Steve 'Rocky' Donovan closes the final chapter of his 30-year career in banking, he looks back on a life shaped by community connections, success stories, and lasting friendships that have enriched both his professional and personal journey.
The Community State Bank Executive Vice President is retiring from 30-plus years in banking on Friday (Feb. 28).
Donovan focused most of his career on the business banking side, where he connected with professionals from all walks of life.
“You get to work with so many unique, interesting and creative people,” Donovan said. “A lot of your customers become your friends.”
The 58-year-old is no stranger to the Racine community. Donovan was a soccer standout at Racine Horlick High School and went on to be a starting midfielder on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s national championship qualifying team which was inducted into the UW-Parkside Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
In addition to his banking role, Donovan’s passion for giving back was evident in his active involvement with local organizations. These roles helped shape his understanding of community growth and success.
Donovan remains involved with numerous local organizations including the Kenosha YMCA, Racine Kenosha Community Action, Racine Community Foundation, Racine Founders Rotary Club, Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce.
In March 2020, Donovan served as chairman of Parkside’s RangerVision 2020, the largest fundraising campaign in Parkside athletics history. In 2024 he ended a nine-year term on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation Board with the last two as the Board President.
To many, he’s just “Rocky.” It’s the name his father John “Jack” Donovan insisted on, despite immediate hesitation from his mother, Susan.
“I’ve had the name Rocky longer than I had the name Steve,” Donovan said. “My brother Mike’s nickname is Smoky, so my dad really wanted to name us after the mountains, Rocky and Smoky.
“My mom came to an agreement that they’d call us Rocky and Smoky, but we’d have to have real names too.”
Donovan said he didn’t realize his name was Steve until the second grade.
“It was the first day of school during roll call,” Donovan said. “The teacher kept staying Steve and I told her my name is Rocky. I ended up in the principal’s office. It was the first time I realized my name was Steve. I had no clue.”
Rocky quickly made a name for himself as a young, soccer phenom. He started on Racine Horlick – the state’s top-ranked team – while he was still attending Jerstad Middle School in Racine.
Donovan said soccer “saved his life” and credits the sport for keeping him focused, disciplined and goal oriented at a time when things didn’t come easy at home.
He graduated from UW-Parkside with a bachelor’s degree in political science and served as an assistant men’s soccer coach – under Hall of Fame Parkside coach Rick Kilps – while studying for his master’s degree and working as a benefit analyst at CIGNA Group Insurance in Racine.
CIGNA soon promoted Donovan to a training consultant at its Philadelphia headquarters.
“I took the job,” Donovan said. “One day I was in Racine and knew everybody. The next day I didn’t know a soul.”
Donovan spent 3 1/2 years working in Philadelphia. Despite finally finding stability in every aspect of his life he was still missing something.
It was his high school sweetheart.
“I picked up the phone, called information and asked for Tara Timler,” Donovan said. “I got her answering machine. I called back again and we connected.”
Rocky and Tara Donovan have been married for 30 years. They reside in Mount Pleasant and have two children: Ian, 25 and Emma, 23.
Donovan began his banking career in 1994 and spent his final 7 ½ years at Community State Bank, leading its business banking, cash management and wealth management divisions. He said it’s the success stories – much like his own – that brought the greatest joy from his three decades in banking.
“It’s helping people accomplish their dreams and making an impact in the communities we live in,” Donovan said. “You see people maybe five, 10, 20 years later and they’ve been able to accomplish so many things. To think you’ve been a small part of it is pretty cool.”
As Donovan moves into retirement, he looks forward to continuing his community involvement and cherishing time with his family, confident that his impact will continue to echo in the relationships and successes he’s built over the years.