Archive for category: Education

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One Community Bank Announces 2025 Scholarship Recipients

One Community Bank is excited to announce our 2025 OCB Scholarship recipients! The OCB scholarship program was enhanced and expanded this year as we aligned with school districts in the communities we serve. Applications opened in February and were available to all graduating seniors in each high school listed below.

“We are thrilled to support the educational goals of these outstanding students,” said Steve Peotter, President and Chief Executive Officer. “These scholarships reflect our ongoing commitment to investing in the future of our communities and recognizing young individuals who demonstrate leadership, academic excellence, and community involvement.”

Congratulations to our 2025 OCB Scholarship Recipients:

  • Julissa Espino Kelley – Adams-Friendship High School
  • Kate Menders – McFarland High School
  • Sawyer FitzRandolph – Middleton High School
  • Olivia Jacobson – Monona Grove High School
  • Leah Sieren – Oregon High School
  • Lily O’Hearn – Stoughton High School
  • Maya Rodrigues – Sun Prairie East High School
  • Rishab Kotte – Sun Prairie West High School
  • Hailey Reynolds – Waunakee High School
  • Natalie Grant – Westfield High School

Each of these students will receive a $500 scholarship in recognition of their academic achievements, community involvement, and future aspirations.

The OCB Scholarship Program reflects One Community Bank’s ongoing commitment to investing in the communities we serve. To be eligible, applicants must be a graduating high school senior with good academic standing and plans to attend a 2-year or 4-year institution, technical or trade school, or an apprenticeship program. The student is also passionate about their community and has dedicated time to community service.

One Community Bank is proud to support the next generation of leaders and looks forward to continuing this meaningful initiative in the years ahead.

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2025 GSB Banker Advisory Board Scholarship Winner Announced

Pictured (from left to right) Kathy Berman, GSB’s vice president, marketing and communications and Jodie Curtis, vice president at Union State Bank in West Salem.

Jodie Curtis, vice president at Union State Bank in West Salem, was named one of the 2025 Graduate School of Banking (GSB) Banker Advisory Board Scholarship winners. GSB’s Kathy Berman attended the recent WBA BOLT Summer Leadership Summit and was able to present the scholarship to Jodie in front of her peers.

The scholarship, amounting to $1,500 for each year of a student’s attendance, assists incoming students at UW–Madison’s Graduate School of Banking to gain a comprehensive education in relevant bank leadership courses across all areas of the bank.

Congratulations, Jodie!

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GSB Prochnow Educational Foundation/WBA Scholarship Winner Announced

Pictured (from left to right) Kathy Berman GSB’s vice president, marketing and communications and Deborah Hodge, senior vice president and mortgage manager at Lake Ridge Bank in Monona.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is excited to award the 2025 WBA/Prochnow Educational Foundation Scholarship for the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison to Deborah Hodge, senior vice president and mortgage manager at Lake Ridge Bank in Monona. GSB’s Kathy Berman attended the recent WBA BOLT Summer Leadership Summit and was able to present the scholarship to Deborah in front of her peers.

The scholarship, amounting to $1,500 for each year of a student’s attendance, assists incoming students at UW–Madison’s Graduate School of Banking to gain a comprehensive education in relevant bank leadership courses across all areas of the bank.

Congratulations, Deborah!

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Graduating students throwing graduation caps into air in celebration
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Congratulations to the May BankWork$ Graduates!

In partnership with Employ Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is proud to bring the nationwide BankWork$ program to Wisconsin. BankWork$ is a free, eight-week training program to prepare participants — primarily individuals from under-resourced communities — for retail banking careers. Upon graduation, each class then takes part in a hiring event featuring BankWork$ employer partners.

In May, a class of eight students, Suzanne Zulli, Jennifer Scott, Mariana Hyde, Jean- Paul Johnson, Dinah Watts, Sandra Janik-Wojahn, Parthasarathy Allappakam, and Doniven Henderson graduated from the program. WBA’s Daryll Lund attended the ceremony and congratulated the graduates on their achievement.

Pictured (from left to right): Suzanne Zulli, Jennifer Scott, Mariana Hyde, Jean- Paul Johnson, Dinah Watts, Sandra Janik-Wojahn, Parthasarathy Allappakam, and WBA Exec. VP & Chief of Staff Daryll Lund Front: Doniven Henderson

Over the course of the eight-week program, students learned the heard and soft skills necessary for entry-level retail and operations positions. Beginning in 2019, the program has now provided over 150 individuals in the Milwaukee area with the opportunity to begin a career in banking.

To learn more about the program, or how your bank can get involved, please visit employmilwaukee.org/BankWorks.htm.

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Waumandee State Bank Awards Scholarships to Class of 2025 Graduates

Waumandee State Bank is proud to announce that six local high school graduates have been awarded $500 scholarships to further their education in business-related fields. Waumandee State Bank awarded a total of $3000 in scholarships this year to students across its four-county area. Congratulations to our 2025 scholarship recipients.

Recipients:

Finley Noll, a graduate of Alma High School.

Jordan Walters, a graduate of Arcadia High School.

Claire Carriere, a graduate of Black River Falls High School.

Jessica Waldera, a graduate of Blair-Taylor High School.

Victoria Kurth, a graduate of Durand-Arkansaw High School.

Bethany Risen, a graduate of Mondovi High School.

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Asset Builders Holds Annual Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl State Championship

Wisconsin Bankers Foundation grant recipient Asset Builders held their annual Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl (FICB) state championship tournament on Wednesday May 21, 2025, in Madison. FICB is an interactive educational game designed to help promote financial literacy and awareness among high school students.

Using a quiz bowl format, high school students representing schools from across the state face off as they are tested on their knowledge about personal finance, business, economics, and current events. Two teams make their way through the competitive brackets to battle for the FIBC “cup.”

 

This year’s results:

  • First Place – State Champion: Nicolet High School
  • Second Place: Northland Pines High School
  • Final Four: Oshkosh West High School
  • Final Four: Rhinelander High School
  • Consolation Champion: Menomonie High School

Asset Builders Executive Director Richard Entenmann and FICB final round quizmaster Matt Moore with US Bank, Milwaukee congratulated the teams from Northland Pines High School and Nicolet High School on making it to the championship round.

If you’re interested in getting involved as a volunteer for FICB, visit www.ficbonline.org or contact Asset Builders’ co-founder and executive director Richard Entenmann. There are numerous opportunities to volunteer at 14 regional competitions held throughout Wisconsin during the school year leading up to the state championship in the spring.

Kudos to the financial industry volunteers and donors who supported FICB this year!

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Prevail Bank Teaches Children Valuable Saving Skills

Bankers teach children valuable saving skills by reading together

David Johns, Prevail Bank Chief Retail Officer, reading to a 2nd grade classroom at Sam Davey Elementary School in Eau Claire.

During the month of April – National Financial Literacy Month – seven Prevail Bank professionals volunteered and taught, in collaboration with the classroom teachers, approximately 234 kids the value of saving. They facilitated money-related activities and read a book entitled, “Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock” by Sheila Barr.

Kim Aguilar, Prevail Bank’s SVP – Loan Operations, reading to 3rd graders at Altoona Elementary School.

In the story Rock and Brock are very different twins. Their grandpa offered them each one dollar every Saturday during the summer. For every dollar they saved, Gramps matched it. Rock was excited and spent his money, while Brock kept his money and watched it grow. The book’s lesson served as a launching point for broader discussions about the importance of setting money aside at an early age.

Participating in National Teach Children to Save Day reflects Prevail Bank’s commitment to improving financial literacy in the communities it serves.

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From the Fields: WBA Ag Bankers Conference Recap

By Jeff Wilke

Another WBA Ag Bankers Conference is in the books.

It was very exciting to see such a strong contingent of nearly 150 conference attendees. As in past years, attendees were provided with a strong line up of ag industry and ag banking presenters. Ample time was also available to network with peers and 15 exhibitors.

Matt Reardon, Senior Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, kicked off the conference with his forecast for the upcoming growing season. March was the windiest on record, greatly impacted by the large temperature contrasts experienced. A strong Bermuda High helped create the recent high moisture/severe storm events in the mid-south and central US. An active weather pattern throughout the Midwest is predicted to continue into early May, with temperatures a little cooler than normal. Over the summer, based on current data, Matt predicts the Midwest to have temperatures a little above normal and below normal moisture.  However, a lot will depend on what happens with sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska.

Ed Elfmann from the ABA provided the ABA’s ag banking priorities for this year, which included: Increasing FSA guaranteed loan limits; re-examining FSA interest assist; providing consistent funding for Rural Development programs; modernizing technology for USDA loan programs; providing resources that bankers and state associations can use to help lawmakers understand the value and benefits the ACRE Act will provide to rural America by making it easier for farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners to access low-cost credit; pushing for more oversight reform for the Farm Credit System.

Dr. Steven Johnson from the Iowa State Extension Outreach gave an in-depth presentation on the crop price outlook, with a prediction of corn prices averaging around $4.20/bushel and soybean prices averaging around $10/bushel. He wrapped up the presentation with strategies to manage crop insurance decisions and with a written marketing plan to capture higher futures prices.

Abdullah Hussaini from Equity Cooperative provided a beef market update. We are seeing record beef prices because of continued demand and limited supply. Rebuilding the beef herd will take time. Thus, prices are projected to remain elevated well into the future.

Leonard Polzin, UW-Madison Extension, provided a dairy outlook. The revised Federal Milk Marketing Orders will increase Make Allowances and Class I differentials, both predicted to put some downward price pressure on Class III milk. Key takeaways: $20/CWT projected average mailbox milk price, with price pressure in the second ½ of the year (mostly from Class III).

Bobbi Kubish and Joe Seubert from the The Food + Farm Exploration Center, gave a presentation on all that the Center has to offer to the public. The Center, located in Plover, WI, opened in December 2023.  Its mission is to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability for Wisconsin growing crops and vegetables through 60 interactive exhibits, four 1.2 acre demonstration fields and a kitchen lab.

Dr. David Kohl again provided an energetic presentation on agricultural and ag lending circa 2025, including Bell Bank’s Lynn Paulson and ag consultant/former banker Sam Miller in some Q&A. Both global and ag economies are “bifurcated”. The US is doing relatively well, while the global economy is struggling. The grain industry is struggling financially, while livestock and more diversified ag businesses are faring much better. Tariffs are/will continue to negatively impact commodity prices and have damaged long-term relationships with US allies. Areas ag bankers need to keep an eye on: Producer’s non-reporting of vendor credit; non-financial factors (divorce, death, disability) move the credit quality needle quickly; set proper customer expectations at closing;  customer willingness to understand and embrace their financials; “monitor, monitor, monitor”.

Jack Kasel from the Anthony Cole Training Group wrapped up the conference with an enlightened look at tailoring sales strategies for Boomer, Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z prospects by being able to speak each generation’s language and preferred communication type.

Wilke is vice president – ag banking officer at Nicolet National Bank in De Pere. Wilke also serves as Chair on the 2024–2025 WBA Agricultural Bankers Section Board of Directors.

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Should I Be Reinvesting in My Bond Portfolio?

By Todd Taylor, CFA, CPA and Sasha Antskaitis, CFA managing partners with HUB Financial Services, a WBA associate member.

With investment yields currently well-above their 5- and 10-year averages, many financial institution executives are asking this question. In this article we discuss important considerations that can help provide clarity relating to investment strategies in the current environment:

Spread to Cash. For all of 2023 and 2024, the average spread between the Fed effective rate (cash yield) and the 5-year Treasury (investment proxy) was negative 99 basis points. It was more difficult to find additional income in investments vs. cash without taking on some level of risk. Today, the spread is straddling zero +/- 10 basis points. With various investment options trading at +30 to +120 bps spread to Treasuries, investors can now find meaningful income pick up vs. cash to help widen overall margins. Similarly, with lower short term funding rates, it is no longer punitive to temporarily utilize non-core sources to fund reinvestment activity.

Anticipated Loan Demand. If net new loan demand is expected to be robust, there may not be a lot of cash flow available for deployment in the investment portfolio. However, if loan demand is slowing or is being managed to a slower pace intentionally due to capital, concentration and/or liquidity constraints, reinvesting cash flow could be warranted.

Liquidity Profile. When evaluating the liquidity position, it is important to consider current excess cash in the overnight account, along with wholesale funding availability/dependency, large depositor makeup, and pledging needs. Institutions with elevated wholesale funding dependency and higher asset liquidity ratios may choose to reduce non-core funding levels with incoming investment cash flow, especially if capital ratios are constrained. Alternatively, institutions with ample funding capacity should evaluate reinvesting excess cash in the bond portfolio.

Interest Rate Risk. Institutions with clear asset sensitive exposures (i.e., large cash positions) could consider certain types of investments as a balance sheet hedge against a prolonged declining rate environment. Executives should be very intentional selecting investments with various degrees of call protection. It is also wise to evaluate other strategies to help reduce this risk, including derivatives.

Fed Funds Rate vs. Yield Curve. When thinking about “rates” it is important to understand that just because the Fed Funds Rate is decreasing, like it did during the second half of 2024, it does not mean yields across all points of the yield curve are also decreasing. Specifically, the Fed cut the Fed Funds rate by 100 bps between 9/18/24 and 12/31/24, but the 5-year Treasury yield increased by 90 bps during the same timeframe. For those expecting a strong correlation, this created seemingly unexpected volatility in market values.

Current Unrealized Loss and AOCI. Significant Fed Funds rate increases in 2022-23 caused Treasury yields to spike, leading to bond price declines. For financial institutions, the unrealized loss of the AFS portfolio resides in the AOCI account, which reduces book/tangible equity. This is an important consideration when evaluating additional investments that could layer in additional AOCI impact. Depending on the future shape of the yield curve, investments with some duration added today could help reduce the unrealized gain faster (if the yield curve moves lower) or could further increase the unrealized loss (should the yield curve move higher). No one can confidently predict interest rates. Therefore, if the risk of additional unrealized loss is a material balance sheet concern, institutions can consider shorter duration investments, including those with variable rate coupons.

Long Term Investment Strategy Focus. For most institutions, the investment portfolio represents a meaningful earning asset. Therefore, managers should employ a strategic approach to portfolio management. This means principles such as dollar cost-averaging, sector allocation, and yield curve positioning should be viewed from a longer-term perspective. “Chasing yields” and frequent/significant churning of the portfolio can negatively impact returns for years to come.

Utilize Portfolio Management Principles. Individual securities within a portfolio can perform differently in several rate scenarios. It is the whole portfolio performance that should be ultimately evaluated. Investments should be monitored for strategic repositioning opportunities to rebalance the portfolio given changes in market conditions.

HUB Financial Services’ Take:
Navigating the current fixed-income landscape presents a complex challenge for community banks. Prevailing yield curve dynamics and liquidity conditions offer ambiguous signals, requiring careful deliberation regarding portfolio reinvestment strategies. The considerations outlined above provide a framework for this analysis. However, each institution’s specific circumstances, including capital adequacy, liquidity requirements, and prevailing market conditions, necessitate a tailored approach. Consequently, access to robust internal or external investment and balance sheet management expertise is critical. This expertise facilitates a holistic investment strategy, aligning portfolio construction with distinct institutional objectives and needs, ultimately driving enhanced performance and mitigating the risk of suboptimal investment decisions.

An Associate Member of Wisconsin Bankers Association, HUB Financial Services provides consulting and advisory services in the areas of ALCO, capital, liquidity, interest rate risk and investments to community-based financial institutions throughout the country. To learn more, visit www.tayloradvisor.com or contact Todd Taylor at todd.taylor@hubinternational.com and Sasha Antskaitis at sasha.antskaitis@hubinternational.com.

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Executive Letter: Strengthening Financial Literacy in Our Communities

From the Desk of Rose Oswald PoelsBy Rose Oswald Poels

For banks, promoting financial literacy has always been a focus and a year-round responsibility. Every April, during Financial Literacy Month, these efforts take center stage as our industry highlights its role in supporting the financial well-being of individuals and businesses in our communities.

Promoting financial literacy and capability to the public is the mission of the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF), and WBF proudly partners with banks statewide to expand financial education to people of all ages and increase consumer empowerment in the financial services industry. WBF’s annual scholarships for Wisconsin students and the valuable research on Banconomics.com are just a few of WBF’s impactful programs.

To underscore WBF’s commitment to education and equipping individuals with the knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions, a curated collection of digital financial education resources are available on the WBF website for bankers to leverage in their efforts to assist customers and community members. These digital resources are available for use not only in April, but year-round.

Another key financial education resource, produced as a collaboration by WBF and WBA, is the extensive library of downloadable consumer content PDFs with engaging infographics and timely tips. Member banks are encouraged to share this content with customers on topics ranging from smart shopping ideas to avoiding mail-related check fraud.

WBF also provides banks with complimentary Reading Raises Interest Kits, which include a book along with supporting documents and a reference to additional resources available online to use as part of Teach Children to Save Day (April 24). This year’s book, “Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock” written by former FDIC Chair Sheila Barr, is geared toward elementary school classrooms.

Both ABA and ICBA also offer online resources to support your bank’s financial literacy efforts.

As your team engages in financial literacy initiatives—whether through classroom visits, community outreach, or participation in WBA’s Power of Community Week (April 21–26)—I encourage you to document these efforts by completing the 2024–2025 Financial Education Summary Forms (due May 31, 2025). While many bankers contribute their time and expertise without seeking recognition, compiling this information helps WBA and WBF advocate on behalf of the industry, demonstrating to policymakers and the public the essential role banks play in financial education.

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