Features

Outstanding Women 2021: First Interstate

Numbers often tell a story. At First Interstate Bank, for instance, women compose 72 percent of the bank’s 2,483-person workforce; 62 percent of the bank’s managers are female; more than half of the 22-member senior leadership team is female, and four women serve on the board of the Billings, Mont.-based bank. Three women — CFO Marcy Mutch, Chief Operating Officer Jodi Delahunt Hubbell, and Chief Human Resources Officer Rachel Turitto — sit on the bank’s nine-person executive team; another three — Lorrie Asker, Jocelyn Lane and Tawnie Nelson — serve as regional presidents, collectively overseeing 1,378 people spread across the $18.4 billion bank’s six-state footprint.  [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Anita Drentlaw

Just before the pandemic struck, Anita Drentlaw began overhauling the culture at New Market Bank. As president and CEO of the bank, Drentlaw wanted to develop a commitment to leadership at the $190 million bank, located on the south side of the Twin Cities metro. Developed by an ex-Marine, the program she implemented at the Elko Market Bank focused on creating a leadership mentality among its graduates rather than situation-specific training. It’s helped create a unified culture with buy-in from all participants. [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Maureen Jorgensen

To be authentic, according to Maureen Jorgensen, is to be present. Present with yourself and present with those around you. Jorgensen, executive vice president of retail sales and service at Wausau, Wis.-based Peoples State Bank, and one of BankBeat magazine’s 2021 “Outstanding Women in Banking,” holds authenticity as one of her core values; but it hasn’t always been easy to practice.  [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Stephanie Christian

Stephanie Christian immediately knew banking was the right fit. A Webster City, Iowa, high school student in 2002, she landed a drive-thru teller gig at WCF Financial Bank through her school’s work program. The position sparked her desire to learn more about finance and to serve her community. Christian’s love for community banking quickly developed, fueling her to eventually make a 200-mile daily round trip. [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Tammy Sexton

When the Cambridge, Neb., branch of First Central Bank McCook caught fire early one Sunday morning in June 2016, it could have turned into a crippling event. Instead, up stepped branch president Tammy Sexton, who promptly dug into the to-do list getting a temporary branch set up. That facility, initially held in a community center meeting room, was up and running by Monday afternoon, less than 48 hours after the start of the fire. [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Mary Buche

Mary Buche first felt the sting of discrimination as a child, watching her mother, a Korean immigrant who came to the United States in 1968, being treated unfairly due to her language skills. The impact of such treatment informs Buche’s work as senior vice president and relationship manager at the $866 million Kansas City, Kan.-based Bank of Labor; it earns her respect from her peers; and it led her to be recognized as one of BankBeat magazine’s 2021 “Outstanding Women in Banking.” [Continue]

Outstanding Women 2021: Betsy Johnson

Though a self-described “banker by accident,” Betsy Johnson embodies many of the exemplary traits community banks desire in their leaders — selflessness, a desire to develop staff and tireless commitment to the communities she serves. Under Johnson’s leadership, the nearly $316 million Solutions Bank acquired Poplar Grove State Bank, Poplar Grove, Ill., in 2020, expanding the bank’s existing market. Solutions Bank is now acquiring the $120 million Durand State Bank, Durand, Ill., a transaction expected to be completed this year. [Continue]

What I learned from buying a troubled bank

At the end of July 2013, we invested $1.8 million to buy 49 percent of Flagship Financial Group, Inc. This was the start of one fun journey that continues today. The primary asset of the organization was Flagship Bank Minnesota, which had two locations in the Twin Cities metro area. The bank was under a cease and desist order and struggling with a high level of troubled assets. However, it had a great group of employees and was in a market that I knew very well. At the time, Flagship Bank Minnesota had $94 million in assets and $62.8 million in loans in the two locations. In June 2021, we were up to six locations, $327.6 million in assets and $233.7 million in loans.  [Continue]

Banks bump wages, offer perks to attract workers

Longtime Iowa community banker Darlys Hulme is well aware of the challenges community banks face in attracting and keeping employees. Hulme, president of Farmers Savings Bank & Trust in Traer, noted her organization recently increased starting teller wages from $15 to $19 per hour, a change she expects will be permanent as the bank continues seeing fewer younger candidates apply. Compounding the issue, other employers are trying to hire away her top-level employees, forcing her to also bump officer salaries to retain talent. [Continue]

Faces of Loan Analysis: Country Banker

For those banks with a substantial agriculture portfolio, experiencing the plateau after the Super Cycle was a “wake-up” call. Bankers can become complacent when the economy is strong, but difficult times require a sharper focus on more in-depth analysis. Regulators are increasingly emphasizing uniform and consistent analysis, and bank management teams are taking note. Customer … Read more