Leadership when it matters
Sometimes the way forward is unclear and I think now is one of those times. The demonstrations and riots over injustice in our law enforcement tell us something is gravely wrong, but any answers about how to fix this remain mercurial at best ...
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Inclusive leadership proves effective and meaningful for Black entrepreneurs
Specific to lending, numerous reports show that small, Black-owned businesses were largely shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program. The ...
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#QuickTakes: Bernie Gaytko
Bernie Gatyko, chair of the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, describes the CRE outlook in the state, how reopening has ...
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Tech-based property valuations need real data
Clear Capital is a Reno, Nev.-based real estate valuation and analytics technology company that has served mortgage lenders since 2001 ...
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Chronicles
Supreme Court: President can fire CFPB director at will
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that the current structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is ...
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Rural Mainstreet Index ticks up for June
The Rural Mainstreet Index for June climbed to 37.9, well below growth neutral, but up from May’s 12.5 and April’s ...
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CBI completes Walcott buy
Muscatine, Iowa-based CBI Bank & Trust completed its acquisition of Walcott Trust & Savings Bank over the weekend ...
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Heartland buys branches in Arizona
An Arizona subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA in Iowa is buying branches from Johnson Financial Group, Racine, Wis ...
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WBA names new chair
Paul Kohler, president and CEO of Charter Bank, Eau Claire, has been elected to serve as the 2020-2021 chair of ...
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Non-bank mortgage lenders, REITs next up for FHLB membership?
In February, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced it would seek input on expanding the field of membership in the ...
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People
CrossFirst Bankshares names new president
Mike Maddox, current president and CEO of CrossFirst Bank, will become president and CEO of its holding company, CrossFirst Bankshares. ...
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Singhal named CIO at Farmers & Merchants
Ohio’s Farmers & Merchants State Bank announced the addition of Shalini Singhal as chief information officer. ...
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Castle Rock banker, Dan Nicolai, passes away
Life-long community banker and patriarch of the 104-year-old Castle Rock Bank in Castle Rock, Minn., passed away June 13. He ...
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Opinion
Who was the intended PPP target?
Who were the intended PPP grant recipients? At first, it was any company with fewer than 500 employees but then ...
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Diverse hiring is not inclusion
“Diversity is inviting people to the dance; inclusion is asking them to dance,” said Shirley Davis, president of SDS Global ...
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#QuickTakes: Brad Lane
Brad Lane, chair of the Iowa Bankers Association, describes how the pandemic has impacted the state's ag industry especially livestock ...
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Community Relations
F&M Bank helps local businesses, nonprofits
Galesburg, Ill.-based F&M Bank is committing $20,000 to help local small businesses and nonprofits ...
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Mattoon bank hands out grants
The First National Bank in Mattoon, Ill., has awarded grants to local organizations totaling $20,000 ...
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Bank Iowa crowdsources donation destinations
Bank Iowa, Des Moines, announced the recipients of its first-ever crowdsourced community give back program, Helping Hand ...
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