A prominent Nebraska financial leader over the past 30 years, the latest chapter in Jeff Schmid’s career could be his most consequential one: Developing the next generation of banking leaders as president and CEO of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business — the same school he graduated from in 1990. [Continue]
Minnesota community banker Perry Forst was recently recognized as Amplio’s 2020-21 SBA 504 Lender of the Year during the organization’s annual meeting on May 12 in St. Paul. Forst, CEO of the $116.6 million Citizens State Bank Norwood Young America, will retire from the bank at the end of this year after 37 years, paving the way for the next generation of leadership. [Continue]
Andy Anderson of the Bank of Anguilla, is concluding a stint as chair of the Mississippi Bankers Association, as the trade group meets for its annual convention May 11-15 in Destin, Fla. In addition to being president, CEO and CFO of the bank, Anderson is known for his big heart. Recently, Anderson challenged bankers to reach out to someone in their community who needs a friend. [Continue]
After working at the Citizens Bank of Rogersville, Mo., for 14 years, Brian VanFosson learned the bank was for sale and spearheaded a community-based campaign to buy the bank. That was late 2012 and since then VanFosson has led the bank, preserving jobs and maintaining profitability and, perhaps most importantly, sustaining a pillar of the Southern Missouri town of 3,900 people. [Continue]
As president and CEO of Lake Central Bank in Annandale, Minn., Bryan Bruns knows how to figure his return on assets and return on equity. “But how do you measure your return on community?” he asked recently. [Continue]
Insanity, the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Finding talent these days requires a new approach, says Clement Marriott, president and founder of Minnesota-based Empowers Staffing. This is especially true for community bankers who are committed to fostering the cultural values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Culture is a selling point, Marriott explained. Candidates, especially candidates of color, assess a bank’s culture from the outside: They look at its “About Us” web page, review its social media feeds, and scroll its list of executives found on LinkedIn. [Continue]
Before Bank Five Nine simplified its name last year from First Bank Financial Centre, it was the 23rd “First Bank” in the state of Wisconsin. Founded in 1859, it claimed to fill a niche by “partnering community involvement with competitive rates and exceptional customer service.” Most community bankers would find this language familiar, but most community bankers don’t have a bobblehead replica of the CEO in the nation’s Bobblehead Hall of Fame. [Continue]
When the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado was formed 70 years ago, the original banking principles drafted by the board of regents were likely sketched in black-and-white on a 10-column pad — financially oriented and predictable. “We’ve just continued to expand what it means to be a banker,” said Michael Stevens, who replaced the retiring Tim Koch in August as president at the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. [Continue]
The former CEO of Decorah Bank & Trust, Larry Grimstad, retired in 2002 and became an environmentalist. [Continue]
Jason MacDuff, the fervent leader and vice president of Greenpenny Bank, moved to California from Decorah, Iowa, when he was 2 years old. Navigating the effects of pollution became a normal aspect of MacDuff’s life. He has vivid memories of days, bereft of wind and agitated by heat, when dangerous smog ignited community-wide “Spare the Air” days. [Continue]