Archive for category: News

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Bank First Announces Recent Promotions

Bank First is pleased to announce the promotion of Shannon Klahn and Scott Tuma.

Shannon Klahn

Shannon Klahn has been promoted to vice president – administration. Klahn joined the Bank in 2014 and during her tenure, has served as business analyst, marketing communications officer, and most recently, assistant executive officer. In her new role, Klahn will continue to support the chief executive officer and senior management team with the overall strategic and operational performance of the bank. In addition, she will play a larger role in providing operational input for the bank, serve as a catalyst for continuous improvement, help maintain the culture of the bank, and enhance employee engagement.

Klahn earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. With a focus on community involvement, she recently completed her tenure on the Board of Directors of Family Service Association of Sheboygan and Advocacy Programs of Sheboygan, where she served as president. She also serves on the Officials Committee of the American Barefoot Club, a division of U.S.A. Waterski. In her free time, Klahn enjoys running, barefoot waterskiing, snow skiing, and spending time with family and friends. She resides in Sheboygan with her husband, Derek, and their three children.

Scott Tuma

Scott Tuma has been promoted to vice president – enterprise risk management. Tuma joined Bank First in 2014 and has served as the banks’ card operations manager and in 2019 was promoted to enterprise risk manager. Over the past three years, Tuma has significantly transformed the enterprise risk management function of Bank First, positioning the bank for continued growth. In his new role, Tuma will continue to ensure Bank First maintains optimum compliance with Federal and State laws, rules and regulations, as well as internal policies and procedures. He is also responsible for the management of information security systems, vendor management, internal audit, and third-party exams.

Tuma earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Economics from UW–Green Bay and earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from Lakeland University in 2012. In his free time, Tuma enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, and weekend visits with his family at their cabin up north. Tuma also enjoys volunteering his time in the community alongside fellow coworkers.

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First State Bank Donates $10K to the New London Community Fund

First State Bank recently presented a donation of $10,000 to the New London Community Fund established at the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Volunteer fundraisers, Joe Van Alstine and Lori Dehlinger Van Alstine, accepted the donation and are leading the effort to build this permanent endowment which was established in 2022 to help support and strengthen the New London community.

“We are proud to contribute to the growth of the New London Community Fund, said First State Bank CEO, Bob Van Asten. “This fund will be a tremendous resource to our local nonprofit organizations for generations to come.”

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Intercity State Bank Awards 2022 Outstanding Tellers

Christina Peterson

Intercity State Bank is excited to congratulate the following customer service representatives on winning the 2022 Outstanding Teller Award:

  • Christina Peterson, three years
  • Necia Colvin-Beausoleil, one year
  • Jakob Landwehr, one year

This award is presented to those tellers who possess exceptional customer service skills and achieve daily perfect balances. Congratulations!

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Executive Letter: Lend Your Talents and Shape Your Industry

Rose Oswald PoelsBy Rose Oswald Poels

A key component in the success of the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s (WBA) mission to educate, support, and advocate on behalf of banks throughout the state is the involvement of our membership. Each year, thousands of bankers enjoy various opportunities to develop their careers, access resources, and expand their professional networks. Many of these invaluable connections between WBA members are formed and fostered in our various committees and sections. I invite you and your staff to volunteer your talents and knowledge with the Association in the coming fiscal year by completing the form.

Bankers will find that joining a committee, section, or advisory group not only allows them to network among their peers, but also access growth and leadership opportunities as well as receive special discounts on select educational programs. These incredible benefits are in addition to providing a space in which bankers have the ability to explore their interests and expand their careers in a variety of specialties. From areas of focus ranging from mortgage lending, human resources, and combating financial crimes to fostering diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) — your bank’s seasoned professionals and emerging leaders are sure to find an opportunity that suits their interests.

Members of all WBA committees and sections play an incredibly active role in shaping the future of the Association and the industry. Between lending their knowledge, which has helped produce WBA’s Best Practices Library, to influencing the legislation WBA staff lobby for and what educational programs and events are most beneficial to the membership — our volunteer’s efforts in diversifying our knowledge and ideas assists WBA staff in providing the most valuable and relevant resources, information, and events.

With applications for the 2023–24 committees and sections now open through Monday, March 13, I encourage each of you to share this opportunity to engage with WBA widely among your staff. In addition to building long term connections with their peers, working alongside your Association to create tangible and meaningful change throughout the banking industry is an extremely rewarding experience!

Volunteer Now
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Tyler Foti
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Wisconsin Bankers Association Welcomes Tyler Foti as Director- Government Relations

Tyler Foti

Tyler Foti

The Wisconsin Bankers Association is pleased to announce the hire of Tyler Foti as the Association’s director – government relations. Foti will report to Lorenzo Cruz, vice president – government relations. Previously, Foti served as a legislative aide for then State Senator Scott Fitzgerald and in various positions navigating the legislative process and public policy, most recently at Michael Best Strategies. Sitting currently as Waukesha County Board Supervisor and serving on the Finance Committee, Foti enjoys collaborating with local leaders and providing solutions that produce immediate impact. He looks forward to working with state government officials and their staff on behalf of Wisconsin’s banking industry.

“We are very glad to have Tyler on board at WBA,” said Rose Oswald Poels, WBA president and CEO. “His talent and experience will help drive our mission to advocate for a healthy economic environment for Wisconsin communities.”

Outside of work, Foti enjoys sports and cooking — a unique combination that led him to Food Network’s “NFL Tailgate Takedown.” In this evening’s series finale, Foti and his teammate don their Packer jerseys and face off against tailgaters representing the Buffalo Bills. The winning duo — which will be announced tonight at 8 p.m. — takes home the “Yum-bardi Trophy.”

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Bailey Promoted to Vice President and Director

Amy Bailey

One Community Bank is honored to announce the recent promotion of Amy Bailey to vice president and director of treasury management.

“Amy joined One Community Bank in July of 2020 and has been instrumental in growing the treasury management department. In her new role, Amy will continue to assist colleagues and clients, and lead our treasury management team” said Liz Deihs, CXO.

Bailey has over 30 years of banking experience. She has held a variety of roles in retail banking, business banking, operational and location management, mortgage lending, consumer lending, and commercial banking.

“I love being able to help colleagues and clients every day. It’s rewarding being able to lead a team of wonderful colleagues and work for a community focused organization” beamed Bailey. Bailey enjoys volunteering for non-profit organizations and being involved in her community. She is an Ambassador for the Waunakee and Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce.

In her spare time, Bailey enjoys being active and spending time with her family and friends. She especially enjoys golfing, yoga, and spending time at her cabin in Michigan.

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Community State Bank Announces 2023 Promotions

Community State Bank (CSB) is pleased to announce the promotions of following CSB employees:

Katie Stolp joined CSB in 2010 and has led retail operations for nearly a decade. In 2020, Stolp was promoted to vice president, operations director and she now steps into her new role as chief operations officer (COO). Stolp will now lead a team for bank operations which include retail operations and security operations.

Julie Schrader will maintain her responsibilities as Kenosha County retail manager and take on the additional role as director of retail operations.

Caitlyn Eulgen will also maintain her responsibilities as Burlington retail manager and take on the additional role as security operations coordinator.

Nicholas Dawley will be joining CSB’s cash management and business banking team as a cash management specialist. In addition to providing support to CSB’s cash management officers, Dawley will work closely with CSB business customers to implement and introduce technology services to help streamline and simplify business cash flow.

After 21 years of business lending, Paddock Lake Market President Kelly Huston officially retired from his position at Community State Bank at the end of December 2022.

“Kelly was a great asset to our bank and will be very missed,” said CSB President and CEO Scott Huedepohl. “We take it very seriously when one of our leaders retire and understand that our customers deserve a simple transition to their new lending relationship. For that reason, we have chosen Robert Pieroni to oversee both the Paddock Lake and Kenosha markets. Robert is the epitome of a community banker, and he genuinely cares about his customers.”

Pieroni, vice president and market president, has been in the banking industry for over 20 years focusing in the Kenosha County area, but also assisting local businesses in the Racine & Kenosha corridor. Pieroni is a resident of Brighton and will now be available to meet at the Paddock Lake and Kenosha CSB locations.

“Our bank is growing and I couldn’t be more proud of the staff that are a part of this organization,” said Huedepohl. “Congratulations Katie, Julie, Caitlyn, Nicholas, and Robert on your promotions. Very well deserved and we look forward to the future growth of Community State Bank.”

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Announcing the 2023 Bank Executives Conference

This year’s theme brings bank leaders from across the state “All In”

The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is excited to announce that the annual Bank Executives Conference will reconvene at the Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells this February 8–10. As the largest gathering of bank leaders in the state, this year’s event will focus on bringing leaders “All In” for the benefit of their bank, community members, and industry.

Executive-Level Education

Each year, WBA’s Bank Executives Conference is regarded as the state’s premier gathering of banking professionals and national experts — the 2023 event will be no different!

In combining programming tailored to the specific needs of banking leaders in Wisconsin with various trending topics sure to impact our industry, bankers will have the opportunity to arm themselves with the resources and knowledge to remain relevant and resilient for years to come.

This year’s opening general session on February 9 will feature Virginia Heyburn, director of research, insights, and advocacy at Engage fi, LLC. As innovation and technology remain at the forefront of our industry’s efforts to engage individuals in the financial services, Heyburn will highlight the possibilities of FinTech partnerships as banks look to develop new revenue channels and reach customers in today’s world of rapidly changing competition.

After the general session, WBA will host its first FinTech Showcase. Bankers can expect to see eight FinTech products, ranging from solutions for digital banking and artificial intelligence (AI) to security, demonstrated live by various companies including Accrue, La Macchia Group, DocFox Inc., Kapitalwise, Inc., KlariVis, LemonadeLXP, Sequertek, and Zogo Finance. Following short presentations, bankers will have the opportunity to connect with these exhibitors, and more than 60 others, to learn more about their solutions and how FinTech will bring the bank into the future.

On Friday, February 10, four-time bestselling author and renowned futurist, Brett King will present the keynote session “The Big Shift: How Customer Behavior & Technology Will Change the Future of Retail Financial Service.” King, voted as American Banker’s Innovator of the Year in 2012 and a regular contributor to The Huffington
Post, will highlight why customer behavior is so rapidly changing and why banks must reinvent themselves or face irrelevancy.
With over ten hours of general and breakout sessions spread across the three days — there will certainly be something of interest for every bank leader. For more details on programming and to view the full agenda, please visit wisbank.com/bec.

Networking

Attendees will also have various opportunities to connect with their banking peers, WBA Associate Members, and WBA staff throughout the conference.

In addition to kicking off the conference on Wednesday evening with a networking reception in the exhibitor Marketplace, bankers are invited to arrive early on February 8 for various “banker-only” peer group discussions. The optional peer groups, beginning at 2:30 p.m., are specifically targeted at CEOs, CFOs, credit and lending professionals, and those in operations.

Recognition

WBA looks forward to recognizing various bankers who have been “All In” for their communities and for their industry — despite the unpredictability of the last several years.

In selecting the unifying theme “All In” for this year’s conference, the Association recognizes that the unity and commitment leaders and bankers across the state have, and will continue to, demonstrate are critical to the prosperity of the industry and communities all WBA-member banks serve. In this, it is important that bankers not only reflect upon their successes of the past year but look ahead to what possibilities are in store.

The conference will feature a special luncheon on February 9 during which several bankers who have dedicated a lifetime of service to the industry will be inducted into WBA’s 50- and 60-Year Clubs. In addition, the Wisconsin Banker Foundation (WBF), the Association’s non-profit arm, will present its prestigious Financial Education Innovation Award to a WBA-member bank that, during the 2021–2022 fiscal year, demonstrated unique efforts to enhance the financial capability of consumers in their community.

That evening, WBA will recognize a bank CEO or president (or an individual who has recently retired from these positions) who has made an outstanding effort throughout their career in service to their bank, to their community, and to the banking profession as the 2022 Banker of the Year.

Registration

Banking leaders regularly prove their commitment to our industry by way of their active involvement, efforts to embrace evolution, and often tenure of service. WBA’s Bank Executive Conference builds upon these important steps by providing bankers with resources, connections, and ideas for action.

Registration for WBA’s annual conference is open now! Please visit wisbank.com/bec to learn more and register today. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday, February 8–Friday, February 10 at the Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells!

Register Now
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Wolf River Community Bank Announces Promotions to Executive Team

Wolf River Community Bank has announced several promotions within their organization:

Janelle Donaldson

Janelle Donaldson has been promoted to assistant vice president – deposit operations manager. She now manages the deposit operations and electronic banking team. Donaldson directs retail operations, including procedures management, new account and maintenance reviews, document archiving, and deposit origination processes. She also oversees the electronic banking functions, such as treasury management, ACH Origination, debit cards and disputes. Donaldson has been with Wolf River Community Bank for over a year and a half. She brings significant knowledge and skills from her 30 years of banking experience in retail, deposit operations, and electronic banking. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Marketing from Bemidji State University in Minnesota and has lived in the Fox West area for over 30 years. She has an AAP designation as an accredited ACH Professional in the payments industry.

Amanda Hayden

Amanda Hayden has been promoted to treasury management officer. In this new role, Hayden will be responsible for growing the bank’s treasury management product line as well as acquiring and expanding deposit relationships with new and existing business clients. Hayden came to Wolf River Community Bank a year ago as a relationship banker and grew into this new role with her extensive experience in treasury management, which will help the bank’s commercial customers efficiently manage and protect their money. Hayden is a lifetime resident of the Fox West area. She is a past member of Appleton Area Jaycees and a current member and president of BNI Fox West.

Elise Lundt

Elise Lundt has been promoted to assistant vice president – accounting manager. Lundt manages the accounting department in addition to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) process and other government requisites for national banks. She organizes, directs and leads the daily accounting operations, ensures accurate and timely reporting of financial and operational metrics, and oversees the accounting specialists’ team. Lundt holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. She has years of experience in management and has been with Wolf River Community Bank’s accounting department for over ten years. Lundt currently lives in Clintonville and is on the Board of Directors for the Clintonville Area Swim Team.

Miranda Schultz

Miranda Schultz has been promoted to senior vice president – chief financial officer. Schultz joined Wolf River Community Bank as chief financial officer over four years ago, and most recently was vice president – chief financial officer. This promotion recognizes her role as information security officer, her position on the executive committee of the bank, as well as her executive-level responsibilities in accounting/finance, deposit operations, card operations, information technology, and vendor management. She has over 15 years of financial institution experience with various institutions and was a regulator with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions and an auditor with an accounting firm. Schultz holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Ripon College and a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Lakeland College. She graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received a Certificate of Executive Leadership from Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional and Executive Development. She serves as the treasurer on the board of directors for Solutions Recovery in Oshkosh.

“Due to the growth and success of our institution, we are excited to announce the advancement of key players within our organization,” said Joe Peikert, president/CEO of Wolf River Community Bank. “Not only are these promotions well deserved, but the advanced organizational structure will also allow the bank to handle the growth that we’ve experienced and our expansion into the future.”

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First Business Bank Promotes Two in Treasury Management

First Business Bank is pleased to announce the promotions of Alicia Anderson to vice president – treasury management and Marlee Jorgensen to assistant vice president II – treasury management.

Alicia Anderson

For more than eight years, Anderson has dedicated herself to helping First Business Bank’s local business and non-profit clients in the southeast Wisconsin market. She has more than 20 years of financial services experience with a focus on deposit strategies, mitigating the risk of fraud, and creating efficiencies through process improvements to maintain a positive cash flow and improve the bottom line. Anderson works to achieve a comprehensive understanding of each company’s cash flow cycle, receivables collection, payables process, and how they can reduce the risk of fraud.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has a General Banking & Small Business Banking diploma from the American Institute of Banking, and is a graduate of Leadership Waukesha County.

Anderson is actively involved in the community and currently serves on a variety of boards, including as Immediate Past President of Women for MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer), Director of the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer), and Treasurer of Our Next Generation (ONG). She is an ambassador for the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. She actively volunteers her time with several not-for-profit organizations including The Women’s Center, the Ronald McDonald House, Positively Pewaukee, Habitat for Humanity, as well as Homes for Our Troops.

Marlee Jorgensen

Jorgensen, who has more than eight years of experience in financial services, helps business leaders implement a full range of treasury management solutions while focusing on delivering high-touch, personal service.

Jorgensen attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Business Administration. She is actively involved with the American Heart Association, the Madison Area Sports Commission, and serves on various committees for other community organizations.

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questions@wisbank.com

608-441-1200

4721 S Biltmore Ln.
Madison, WI 53718

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