Noah Wilcox, 2020-2021 chair of the Independent Community Bankers of America, reflects on his year at the helm of ICBA, including the pandemic’s impact, what the Paycheck Protection Program could mean for the future, and how community bankers worked past partisanship to accomplish political goals during his tenure. [Continue]
Chuck Mueller, CEO of Fidelity Bank in Edina, Minn., and BankBeat’s 2021 Banker of the Year, discusses how Fidelity has benefitted from early adoption of a niche lending identity and how becoming president of the bank in 2008 taught him skills to use during COVID-19, and where he turns his focus after passing on presidential duties to Todd Williams. [Continue]
CEO and co-founder of Adlumin Robert Johnston recaps the company’s roots in investigating the hack of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, how gaps in cybersecurity affect banks, and what impact the pandemic has had on the importance of remote and cloud-based technology. [Continue]
Keith Leggett, former ABA economist and author of the popular “Credit Union Watch” blog, weighs in on achieving tax parity, what banks can learn from credit unions about grassroots mobilization, and why he shut down his blog after more than a decade. [Continue]
Wisconsin’s TJ Minnehan, a 2020 Rising Stars in Banking honoree, contrasts his experience working at both a big bank and a community bank, describes the reservoir of mentor relationships he’s built and considers CRE demand amid economic uncertainty. [Continue]
Chris Lee, a 2020 Rising Stars in Banking honoree, shares the life lessons he learned from a serious health scare, what he learned from starting in accounting, and how to build a strong career in banking. [Continue]
Heather Malcolm, a 2020 Rising Stars in Banking honoree, describes her work promoting the ag industry with the American Bankers Association, how technology has or hasn’t changed how rural banking, what it’s like being a young, female ag loan officer in a field where the default is old and male, and the current state of the ag industry. [Continue]
Jeremy Skoglund, a 2020 Rising Stars in Banking honoree, talks about the role mentors have played in his career, the role of continuing education in keeping the industry strong, and how technology improvements affect customer expectations. [Continue]
Bernie Gatyko, chair of the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, describes the CRE outlook in the state, how reopening has gone, and what changes his bank has made to its disaster preparedness plan. [Continue]
Shawn Rost, immediate past chair of the South Dakota Bankers Association, relates the ups and downs of local ag, loan demand and tourism, describes how adoption of technology and working from home have accelerated, and shares FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams message to SDBA bankers at their annual convention. [Continue]