Thomas Bates, CEO of County Bank, Sigourney, was presented with the Community Bankers of Iowa’s 2018 Robert D. Dixon Founders’ Award. The recognition was given at CBI’s convention held July 18-20 in Okoboji, Iowa. Nearly 350 people attended the 47th annual convention.
The Dixon Award recognizes bankers who embody the commitment and devotion to their fellow bankers, their communities and the industry. Bates was introduced by Robert J. Dixon, president of Citizens State Bank, Sheldon.
Bates grew up in Muscatine and started his career as a bank examiner for the FDIC. Bates has been a community banker for 45 years, more than half of them at County Bank. The individual who nominated Bates for the award wrote of him: “If the community bank is the heartbeat of a community’s success, the community banker at the helm is the heartbeat of the bank.”
Bates recently relinquished his role as president of County Bank, a move dictated by the bank’s succession plan. “County Bank has been fortunate to have Tom Bates at the helm for more than half of his 40+-year career at the Bank,” said Chairman Terry Greenley in a news release announcing the change. Dan O’Rourke, a loan officer at County bank, was named Bates’ successor in the role of president, effective July 1.
Also recognized at the convention with CBI’s Up & Coming Banker of the Year Award was Michael Geiger, vice president of County Bank, Deep River. Geiger, a third-generation banker, is a loan officer and a member of CBI’s Leaders of Tomorrow.
The following bankers were elected to CBI’s executive committee: President Brad Winterbottom, West Bank, West Des Moines; Vice President Dave Eastburn, Iowa State Bank & Trust, Fairfield; Imd. Past President Cameron Miles, Keystone Savings Bank, Keystone, and Treasurer Terry Nielsen, Raccoon Valley Bank, Perry.
Commercial Savings Bank, Carroll, received the association’s top recognition in its Best-of-the-Best competition, which is linked to Community Banking Month activities. For six weeks, employees at Commercial Savings participated in the Junior Achievement Economics for Success program. Bankers taught financial education to local sixth-graders while helping fourth-graders learn the importance of saving on “Teach Children to Save” Day. The bank used social media to promote its work. Additionally, the bank held a scavenger hunt to raise money for Relay for Life.