Angie Eilrich has left an indelible mark on First Bank Kansas during her 42-year career.
Eilrich, chief operations officer of the Salina-based bank, oversaw the introduction of debit cards at the bank in the 1990s and the development of internet banking early the following decade.
In 1986, Eilrich started developing the bank’s first training program for managers and staff. At the time, First Bank Kansas didn’t have written processes and procedures, so she established the program on a typewriter from scratch, using both her first-hand experience at the bank and research from leaders both inside and outside of banking.
Eilrich’s research during the years-long process also led her to understand the importance of establishing staff connections and identifying the best positions for all employees — even if the role wasn’t what the employee was initially hired for. “All of those connections allowed me to see what kind of a leader I wanted to be, and I just tried to pick out the best of all of those things,” Eilrich added.
“She loves to teach,” added President and CEO Kent Buer. “She loves to train, she’s really good about that part of it.”
Eilrich is one of BankNews magazine’s 2023 “Outstanding Women in Banking.”
A California native, Eilrich’s career at First Bank Kansas began in 1981 as a proof operator encoding checks and transactions. Hired only a few months after she graduated from high school, Eilrich initially viewed the position as a way to pay her rent while finalizing career plans. She quickly realized that banking was the right fit.
“I just instantly became fascinated with everything that I could learn,” Eilrich said. “I had a mentor and a boss at the time who also was a woman. She was forward-thinking, a very assertive woman, and she taught me a lot and allowed me to learn as much as I wanted to learn.
“She was just a very disciplined individual, and so I think it helped me to be very disciplined in my craft and want to do things well.”
Though banking was a male-dominated field at the time, Elrich felt supported by her coworkers as she advanced through the ranks. Eilrich, who was first named a branch manager at the age of 21, has been a senior executive for 26 years. She has worn many hats at First Bank Kansas, including in compliance, auditing, human resources, marketing, IT, product and project management as well as training. Eilrich, secretary of the First Bank Kansas board of directors, became a voting member in 2021.
Eilrich, Buer and Chief Lending Officer Curt Glaser have worked together for more than 20 years, bringing much-needed stability to the top of the bank’s executive ranks.
“It is a well-oiled machine,” Eilrich said.
Eilrich had been COO for a couple of years in 2014 when First Bank Kansas acquired Bank of America branches in Salina, Lindsborg, McPherson and Hutchinson, Kan. Eilrich, Buer and Glaser held in-person meetings with Bank of America staff as the merger ensued, assuring them that their jobs would be secure once the deal was finalized while familiarizing them with the bank’s community banking culture.
Eilrich’s vision of a consolidated headquarters was realized this spring as First Bank Kansas opened an 8,900-square-foot space in Salina. The facility has an industrial warehouse feel and houses finance, compliance, loan and deposit operations, HR, marketing and IT staff.
Buer sees the facility as a symbol of the organizing skills Eilrich brings to the bank. “She is the glue,” he said of her impact on the bank.
Today, Eilrich’s approach to being COO reflects the guidance she received decades ago. She meets with her direct reports on a weekly basis, allowing her to remain apprised of new ideas while showing support for her staff.
“I see myself as a real encourager to the people around me and also one who helps remove the obstacles that are in peoples way, whether that’s work or it’s personal, by allowing people to move forward like I was allowed to do,” Eilrich said. “I truly believe that you hire good people with great integrity and then you get out of their way and let them do their job.”
Eilrich volunteers through Salina-based First Covenant Church. She leads a weekly Bible study for an organization helping female survivors of sex trafficking and works with the group’s local leadership teams to coordinate events and local fundraising.
Eilrich’s tenure at the bank, nearly 37-year marriage and volunteer work reflect her loyalty, which she considers her core value. “When I find my place — my friends, my church, my husband, my home, my work — I stick with it,” she noted.