Pictured (left to right): Waldo State Bank’s Tom Reil and WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels.
Tom Reil, who recently retired as president and CEO of Waldo State Bank, was presented a WBA Lifetime Service Award by WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels in recognition of his 41 years in banking. Reil will continue to serve on the bank’s board of directors.
Lindsay Smith
One Community Bank is excited to welcome Lindsay Smith as AVP – Client Contact Center Manager at OCB – McFarland.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lindsay to our team,” said Jonathan Schalow, SVP – Director of Client Experience. “Her extensive experience and leadership in the financial industry will be a great asset as we continue to grow and deliver exceptional service to our clients.”
With 16 years in the financial industry, Lindsay has held a variety of roles, from Relationship Banker to leadership positions. “I have had the pleasure of leading a contact center for many years, and I’m thrilled to bring my knowledge, experience, and passion for serving clients to One Community Bank,” Lindsay shared.
For Lindsay, community impact and organizational culture are values that deeply resonate with her. She believes that supporting the communities where we live, work and play is paramount. “I admire how One Community Bank not only supports but is actively involved in each of the communities it serves. I look forward to contributing to the continued success of our colleagues and our clients,” said Lindsay.
Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys traveling to visit friends and family, unwinding on the beach, reading, taking weekend getaways with her daughter, and enjoying lazy nights full of laughter with her loved ones.
Ladysmith Federal is pleased to announce that Taylor Engholm is the new business development and consumer loan officer.
Taylor Engholm
By Rose Oswald Poels
WBA once again has an opportunity to provide five (5) grants of $10,000 each for member banks to use for housing, economic development, and certain financial literacy purposes in 2025. The WBA Board was excited to offer members this funding opportunity to help support affordable housing and economic development initiatives for banks last year and is pleased to offer it again this year. The criteria for the grants are outlined below and applications must be received by WBA no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Monday, February 10, 2025.
In the interest of offering this opportunity to all WBA members, recipients of the 2024 grant are not eligible to apply for the 2025 grant.
There are three broad categories for which the grant proceeds may be used: housing and housing literacy, economic development/community investment, and financial or cyber literacy. The funds must be used for one of these purposes and directly benefit consumers and/or businesses in Wisconsin in 2025.
Grant recipients will be asked to submit an impact report about how the funding was used, a description of the program or project and goals achieved, and specific metrics to illustrate the consumer/business impact of the program or project. The impact report must be provided within 30 days from the date the grant proceeds were used.
Some examples of the potential purposes of the fund are:
• Host a housing clinic in areas of need (e.g., rural, low-income, incarcerated individuals)
• Host housing related forums, conferences or trainings in your community to increase the educational awareness of the challenges and how to best develop solutions
• Pay for a study (that is completed in 2025) that identifies gaps in housing or small business for a community (this can be done in collaboration with other groups such as local chambers, units of government or economic development councils)
• Create financial literacy or financial cyber safety materials, and/or host educational clinics in areas of need or that target rural, low-income or other special communities such as incarcerated individuals, youth, veterans, disabled persons, etc.
2024 was the inaugural year of this grant program and the impact of these grants was felt around the state.
Last year, WBA awarded $10,000 grants to five member banks, selected from 23 applications, to support housing and financial education initiatives across Wisconsin. Here is how these funds made an impact:
• Columbia Savings and Loan Association, Milwaukee: Provided down payment assistance to low-income borrowers in Milwaukee, continuing their century-long commitment to underserved communities.
• Premier Community Bank, Marion: Created a series of fraud prevention and homebuying videos, including resources tailored for Spanish-speaking first-time home buyers.
• Community First Bank, Boscobel: Hosted educational events developed for Realtors promoting WHEDA programs to help low-to-moderate income individuals achieve homeownership, and developed educational resources and videos for current and prospective homeowners.
• Peoples State Bank, Prairie du Chien: Partnered with Couleecap, a HUD counseling agency, to deliver a 3-part financial literacy series, Pathways to Housing, addressing housing and money management needs in Crawford County.
• Waldo State Bank: Collaborated with a local nonprofit, Family Service Association, Inc. – Consumer Credit Counseling Service, to provide financial education and counseling services.
These projects highlight the meaningful, diverse ways grant funds empower communities. Don’t miss the chance to make an impact this year; apply now!
Please complete the grant application found here by February 10, 2025, to be considered. If you have any questions about this grant opportunity you may contact me at ropoels@wisbank.com.
Mikaela Nummerdor
Horicon Bank announces Mikaela Nummerdor has accepted a promotion to Branch Manager of the Menomonee Falls location. She started with Horicon Bank at Horicon Main in 2019 as a Teller.
Since February of 2024, Nummerdor has excelled as a floating Universal Banker and Field Trainer in the southern Wisconsin market. She has already built many relationships with customers in the Menomonee Falls branch.
Throughout her career at Horicon Bank, she has gained extensive experience in various roles, including Teller, Universal Banker, eBanking Representative, and Universal Teller Training Specialist.
Nummerdor has been actively working on the Branch Manager career path and has prepared herself for the role by chairing Horicon Bank’s Art Committee, participating in leadership activities through her sorority, attending the Wisconsin Banker Association BOLT (Building Our Leaders of Tomorrow) Summits and becoming a board member for the Friends of West Bend Parks and Rec.
“We are thrilled to have Mikaela bring her versatility and leadership to our Menomonee Falls branch,” said Frederick C. Schwertfeger, president of Horicon Bank. “Her thorough understanding of banking operations, combined with her commitment to mentoring and relationship-building, exemplifies her dedication to being a leader and caring banker.”
Starion Bank has promoted Universal Bankers Jack Andrew in the Sun Prairie branch and Noah Stephenson in the Monona branch. Universal Bankers assist customers with deposits, transactions, and finding the financial products and tools that best fit their needs and lifestyle.
Jack Andrew
Jack Andrew has been promoted to Universal Banker II. Jack joined Starion in 2023 as a Universal Banker I and came to Starion with previous customer service experience. Andrew earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Northern Arizona University.
Noah Stephenson
Noah Stephenson has been promoted to Universal Banker II. Noah joined Starion in 2023 as a Universal Banker I and came to Starion with previous customer service and cash handling experience.
Forward Bank has announced an $19,000 donation to the City of Greenwood sign project, helping to signs at both ends of the city on Highway 73.
The updated signs will replace aging ones, offering a fresh and vibrant look that reflects the community’s spirit and pride. These new signs will not only enhance the city’s curb appeal but also create a more inviting atmosphere for residents, visitors, and businesses, fostering economic growth and a stronger sense of belonging.
“We are incredibly grateful to Forward Bank for their generosity and commitment to the Greenwood community,” said Mayor David Hansen. “This $19,000 donation will help close the loop on this project and allow us to begin the replacement process in the Spring. The collaboration between the city, businesses, and individuals supporting this financially that makes remarkable things happen.”
“We are honored to contribute to this important project, which underscores our commitment to backing the city’s development and shared future,” commented Bill Neville, VP / Commercial Lender in Greenwood. “I commend the group that has worked diligently to get this project going and am excited to see the beautiful new signs installed.”
PremierBank is proud to recognize several officer promotions approved by the bank’s Board Directors at its January meeting.
Russ Turk, PremierBank’s Chairman, CEO, and President, said, “These promotions reflect the exceptional hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment our bankers demonstrate daily. Their priority is always to serve our customers and communities with the highest level of care and professionalism, and their efforts make a meaningful impact on the success of our bank and the people we serve.”
Officer promotions include the following:
Peggy Stebbins, CPA, was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Interim Chief Financial Officer. Stebbins joined the bank in April 2023.
Matt Zastrow was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. Zastrow has been with the organization since 2018.
Silvia Donday-Selenske was promoted to Vice President, Bilingual Loan Officer. Donday-Selenske joined the bank in 2019.
Amanda Morgans was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager Jefferson after having been with PremierBank since 2014.
Tim Smith was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Loan Officer. Smith joined the bank in 2018.
Jeannie Deml
Prevail Bank is pleased to announce that Jeannie Deml, President & CEO of Enerquip Thermal Solutions (Medford), and Mark Scheunemann, Certified Public Accountant for Legacy Accounting (Stevens Point), were voted in by membership to continue in their roles as Board Directors of Prevail Mutual Holdings, Inc. for the next three years.
Mark Scheunemann
The Annual Meeting of Prevail Mutual Holdings, Inc. took place January 15 where Randy Zietlow, Inspector of the Election, confirmed that directors Deml and Scheunemann were reelected.
Other members of the Prevail Mutual Holdings, Inc. Board are William Weiland, Dean Carter, Gregory Krug, Michael Schaefer, and Nathan Quinnell.
Christopher Boucher
Horicon Bank announces Chris Boucher as the new Branch Manager of the New Berlin location. He started with Horicon Bank during the Cornerstone Community Bank acquisition as a Mortgage Loan Officer at the Menomonee Falls location in September 2023.
Boucher joined Cornerstone in 2010 as a Commercial and Residential Mortgage Underwriter. He transitioned to Mortgage Loan Originator in 2013 and also had commercial lending duties. In addition, Boucher worked in Underwriting and Credit Manager roles at First Union, Countrywide Home Loans and Ohio Savings Bank (AmTrust).
Earlier in his financial career, he spent three years as a Branch Manager at Norwest Financial (now Wells Fargo) overseeing consumer finance and mortgage underwriting at the Brown Deer and Brookfield locations.
“We are excited to have Chris take the reins in our New Berlin office,” said Frederick C. Schwertfeger, president of Horicon Bank. “His wealth of experience in the financial sector will bring a unique blend of expertise to the branch manager role, while his professionalism, commitment to customer service and community will be an asset to growing our New Berlin branch.”
