When Gary Keller joined the board of Clear Lake, S.D.-based DNB National Bank in 2022, owner Mark Law said something that still sticks with him every time he votes. “He said, ‘We’ve got a healthy bank and I want to sleep at night,’ and that’s my mission statement as a director,” Keller said.
The position brings Keller back into the financial world after his retirement from Bell Bank in 2018, where he worked as senior vice president of correspondent banking. Keller is being honored by BankBeat magazine as an Amazing Outside Director for 2025. Keller is one of three outside directors on the board at $108 million.
DNB National Bank and he said their job is to ask the right questions. The board conducts business primarily online. Keller spends most of his time in North Dakota, Minnesota and Arizona, and another board member lives in California.
Some of Keller’s leadership style comes from his time in the Air Force and National Guard, including skills he brings to the virtual boardroom. “The integrity and the teamwork that the military builds into people has helped me through life,” he said. “It gives you a rounded perspective and it carries through a lot of life skills. You do things procedurally correct and in great detail. Like in banking, you cannot cut corners in aircraft maintenance.”
Keller volunteers during the winter months at the Commemorative Air Force Air Base in Mesa, Ariz., doing aircraft maintenance and restoration, mostly on World War II-era aircraft. He said the position allows him to keep the memories of other soldiers alive. Executive Vice President of DNB National Bank Dan Sievers said Keller’s approach fits perfectly with other board members, but he brings a unique perspective from his 40 years in banking.
“He has extensive banking and credit expertise that brings value to the board,” Sievers said. “We have that at the bank level, but adding his level of underwriting experience to the board is a great bonus. Bringing a new person on to the board typically takes time to train and acclimate, but he has that right out of the shute. He also has a great personality.”
At DNB National Bank, Keller uses his skills to be a connector. After years in sales at Bell Bank, which was then called State Bank & Trust, Keller has “rubbed shoulders” with many professionals and uses his connections to help DNB National Bank learn from other bankers. The North Dakota State University graduate also draws on contacts made when he was an owner of a document shredding business.
“I’d like to see DNB grow moderately while we stay solid,” he said. “I’m willing to introduce Dan [Sievers] to people I know and we’ll visit and we can build relationships. He takes it from there, but I’m the smiling face up front because I enjoy people. It’s a pretty cool gig.”
Sievers said Keller is an incredible resource for DNB National Bank inside and outside the boardroom.
“He is a guy who connects the dots,” Sievers said. “Gary thinks outside the box on many things. He opens a lot of doors to a lot of different banks. We’ve gotten to meet a number of new bankers and new institutions and bank owners, and do business with several of them.”
Keller also encouraged the bank to become a more active member of the Bank Holding Company Association. After a few years, Sievers said being more active has led DNB National Bank to network and engage with other members in a way the team never had before.
Sievers said when DNB National Bank is working on a policy or making changes in the bank, Keller offers whatever connection he has to help explore options and improve the bank’s future. These conversations, Sievers said, would not be possible without Keller’s Rolodex of bankers and financial professionals.
The position also helps Keller accomplish something he’s always dreamed of. Being a bank’s board member was a bucket list item for Keller. DNB National Bank was the perfect place for him to get back into the financial world because it allowed him to return to the work he loved and explore new opportunities.
“I was always on the other side of the table, reporting to the board,” he said. “Just the fact that I could challenge myself to get into this governance role and kick the tires and see how the other side worked intrigued me and interested me. It’s why I came out of retirement and I’m glad I did.”