Each spring, BankBeat honors Amazing Outside Directors. Nominations for outside directors are accepted at any time, but submissions close on January 6. The Amazing Outside Directors program is sponsored by Winthrop & Weinstine.
Amazing Outside Directors are people who invest in the success of their local community banks by contributing skills, insights and analysis to bank governance, all while helping their institutions develop new relationships.
Nominated individuals should serve on boards for banks located in one of the following states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan or Iowa.
Send nominations by January 6 to Tom Bengtson at [email protected] or use snail mail: BankBeat, NFR Communications, 250 Prairie Center Drive, Ste. 300, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.
Click HERE to nominate a director online.
Here are individuals who've been honored as Amazing Outside Directors in the past:
2024
- Andrew Young, Starion Bank, Bismarck, N.D.
- Ashley Podhradsky, First Bank & Trust, Brookings, S.D.
- Drew Vogel, Iowa State Bank, Orange City, Iowa
- Melanie VanRoekel, United Prairie Bank, Mankato, Minn.
- Paula Phillippe, Highland Bank, St. Michael, Minn.
2023
- Laura Boyd, BankCherokee, St. Paul, Minn.
- Michael Felts, Citizens Bank of Kansas, Kingman
- Steve M. Scheel, Bell Bank, Fargo, N.D.
- Vicki Turnquist, Citizens Independent Bank, St. Louis Park, Minn.
2022
- Don Johnson, First National Bank of Henning, Grand Rapids State Bank and Minnesota Lakes Bank, Delano, Minn.
- Marcia Malzahn, Village Bank, St. Francis, Minn.
- Dan Kadrmas, Cornerstone Bank, Fargo, N.D.
- Dennis Everson, First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, S.D.
2021
- Becki Drahota, Bank Midwest, Spirit Lake, Iowa
- Fran Fleck, County Bank, Sigourney, Iowa
- Michael Vekich, BNC National Bank, Bismarck, N.D.
- Tip Enebak, Tradition Capital Bank, Edina, Minn.
2020
- Tom Palmer, Park State Bank, Duluth, Minn.
- Rick Brimacomb, Highland Bank, St. Paul, Minn.
- John Dykema, Nicolet National Bank, Green Bay, Wis.
- Kent Edson, Dacotah Bank, Aberdeen, S.D.
2019
- Howard Hagen, SHAZAM Network, Johnson, Iowa.
- Jeff Halloin, Charter Bank, Eau Claire, Wis.
- Erlin Weness, First State Bank Southwest, Worthington, Minn.
- Mark Guetzko, F&M Bank, Manchester, Iowa.
- Audrey Johnson, New Market Bank, Elko New Market, Minn.
2018
- Karen Grandstrand, TCF Financial, Wayzata, Minn.
- Tom Diehl, Bank of Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
- Rod Fouberg, Dacotah Bank, Aberdeen, S.D.
- Pat Oberle, Morton Community Bank, Morton, Ill.
- Greg Ebert, Bankwest, Rockford, Minn.
2017
- Steve Burggraf, Grand Rapids State Bank, Grand Rapids, Minn.
- Tom Campbell, Choice Financial Group, Fargo, N.D.
- Walter Carlson, M.D., First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, S.D.
- Jon Lancaster, McFarland State Bank, McFarland, Wis.
- Vince Robinson, First Security Bank, Hendricks, Minn.