Community Advocate Spotlight: Northern State Bank President John H. Beirl

The following is a brief interview between WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels and President of Northern State Bank in Ashland John H. Beirl.

Rose: How did you first get into the banking industry?
John: I mostly credit my education, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, for my banking career. Neither of my parents were college grads. My mother was a secretary. My father was … well honestly … an alcoholic. Early on, I realized my only ticket out and up would be through a good education.

I couldn’t afford private college or out-of-state tuition, so I opted for Madison. First Wisconsin – Madison was my first banking job after obtaining my MBA. After First Wis, I continued to learn through positions at First of America – Michigan and NorthLand Bank of Wisconsin. Throughout my career, I have held many titles; branch manager (yes, with teller duties), consumer, mortgage, commercial lender, chief loan officer, and president.

After years away, I was offered a position to come back home — to work at the last remaining community bank in Ashland; Northern State Bank. I am living proof that you can go home again.

What is your favorite aspect of your role at the bank?
I value building relationships with my customers, fellow employees, supporting entities, and our community. Strong customer relationships are the foundation of community banking. I know the people in my hometown. A lot of them are my customers. I know their families. I know their life stories. Over the years, we’ve built a confident trust. They know I will be there for them … offering sound and honest financial options.

My fellow workers are my second family. I spend more of my waking hours with them, than I do at home. We are on the same team. We share our lives.

Building relationships with key external support partners and vendors helps us provide quality customer service. We cannot do everything internally. We form bonds with people and organizations we know we can rely on.

When our community improves, we all do better. I grew up in Ashland. My roots run deep. I volunteer … lots. We are in this together.

What do you wish the general public understood about the banking industry?
Community banking is built on trust. Most community bankers are not paid on commission. We do well when our customers succeed. Community bankers listen and match our products and services to wants and needs – to make lives better. It’s what we do. It sets us apart.

Where do you believe the industry’s greatest challenges are in the next three to five years?
I believe community banks’ greatest challenges are succession planning and finding good people who will be committed to our industry.

Do we have qualified people who will continue to carry the torch? If not, where will they come from? What about the work ethic?

Please describe your current role at your bank and share with us one of your more rewarding experiences (e.g., A time you had to go above and beyond to help a customer, a memorable customer interaction, stepping in to help the local community after a disaster, or something more personal, etc.).
I view my current role as managing, mentoring, and transferring longstanding relationships. Managing and mentoring means accepting change yet acknowledging and honoring the values, processes, and procedures that got us here … and made us successful.

Transferring my customer relationships will require both time and great care. My loan portfolio was sizeable and built over decades. Our customers are our greatest assets.

When I was grade school age, my mother worked as a loan secretary at Northern State Bank. We lived on the east side of Ashland and the Little League parks were on the west side. The bank is smack-dab in the center of town. Almost every day, a group of us sandlot kids would ride our banana bikes
to play baseball. After many a hot summer games, we would bicycle home and stop at the bank for a drink of cold water (at their water fountain) and I’d say “Hi!” to mom.

My mother retired in 1984 and was diagnosed with breast cancer that same year. She passed, after an anguishing battle, six years later. She would never live to see her son come back home and become President of Northern State Bank. Miss you, Mom!

Do you know a banker who should be recognized as a Community Advocate for the work that they do? Nominate them today by emailing Rose at ropoels@wisbank.com!