Prominent former North Dakota banker Eric Hardmeyer died Feb. 25 at the age of 64 from complications of lung cancer.
Born on July 11, 1959, Hardmeyer was named a loan officer at the Bank of North Dakota in 1985. He became president in 2000, succeeding John Hoeven, who was elected North Dakota governor that year. Hardmeyer served as president until he retired in 2021.
Hardmeyer is the longest serving president in the bank’s 105-year history. During his tenure, Bank of North Dakota reportedly enjoyed an extended period of financial expansion with record profits. Under his leadership, Bank of North Dakota undertook PACE and Match economic development programs, which allowed banks to receive state bank profits to finance community and small business projects. He also developed a financial assistance program to enable employees to continue their education.
During his tenure, Bank of North Dakota’s student loan program reportedly refinanced thousands of students’ debt at a more advantageous interest rate. “He was especially proud of the bank’s student loan program; as a young man, he received financial assistance from the Bank of North Dakota when he attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks,” according to his obituary.
Hardmeyer was past president of the North Dakota Bankers Association, and a board member of both the Federal Home Loan Bank Institution and Fargo, N.D.-based Cornerstone Bank.