Posts
By Daryll Lund
The start of the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s (WBA) new fiscal year presents an ideal moment to spotlight the abundant opportunities available for both new and seasoned bankers to advance their professional development and build meaningful industry connections. Representing over 30,000 individual bankers, our Association thrives on their energy and desire to learn. Members’ insights, creativity, and expertise propel WBA to advance our mission
of advocacy and education.
On June 5, 2024, Al Araque, senior vice president and director of consumer, private, and business banking at Johnson Financial Group in Racine, was installed as Chair of WBA’s Board of Directors. During the ceremony, he emphasized his priority of amplifying the Association’s impact and encouraged bankers to seize the opportunities WBA offers.
WBA’s commitment to professional development is unwavering, evidenced by our top-notch programs and resources. For over 130 years, we have facilitated connections between bankers and experts on a wide array of banking-related subjects while also fostering peer relationships. We offer 80 in-person conferences, schools, and events across Wisconsin, alongside numerous convenient virtual options.
One of the standout opportunities for current and emerging leaders is the Building Our Leaders of Tomorrow (BOLT) program. Now in its 11th year, BOLT ensures the continued success of community banks by emphasizing talent development. Thousands of bankers have been equipped with tools to connect, learn, and advocate for their industry through BOLT. Participants in the BOLT program can, in turn, shape the next generation of leaders.
The WBA Advocacy Officer program is another essential leadership opportunity. Advocacy Officers coordinate regulatory, legislative, and community advocacy efforts for their banks in collaboration with WBA. They work with fellow bankers, WBA staff, and representatives at local, state, and federal levels, as well as other state and national trade groups. By sharing stories of how legislative issues impact their professions and communities, Advocacy Officers play a crucial role in influencing change.
Our Employee Resource Group (ERG) aims to connect all members, especially those from historically underrepresented groups. This virtual forum offers a safe space for bankers to converse, share experiences, ask questions, and learn from one another. We are pleased to have Beth Ridley, CEO and founder of Ridley Consulting Group, moderating the group in 2024.
Another invaluable resource is WBA Connect, a collection of peer networks. These groups, covering topics from human resources to commercial lending, provide a banker-only peer community where members share challenges, wins, ideas, and inquiries specific to their roles.
Whether through participation in training and educational programs or volunteer opportunities, your active involvement in WBA helps amplify the positive impact member banks have in their communities and our industry.
Waumandee State Bank is thrilled to announce that seven recent high school graduates have been awarded $500 scholarships to further their education in business-related fields. Waumandee State Bank awarded a total of $3500 in scholarships this year to students across its four-county area. Each year, students from nine area schools have the option to apply for bank scholarships.
2024 scholarship recipients included students from these local high schools:
Gilmanton High School
Arcadia High School
Cochrane-Fountain City High School
Durand High School
Mondovi High School
Black River Falls High School
Blair-Taylor High School
PNC Bank recently introduced an enhanced program that will award $10,000 scholarships to 12 deserving students attending or planning to attend college across the country.
PNC’s existing, decade-long scholarship program currently awards $2,000 scholarships to 12 students each year. This enhanced program will build on the successes of PNC’s current program and provide students with additional resources to help make their dreams of higher education a reality.
“We’ve seen first-hand how accessing higher education can be life-changing for students,” said Harjas Sidhu, PNC Bank’s head of Personal Lending, Student Lending and FlexPay. “Expanding our scholarship program further underscores our commitment to helping our nation’s future leaders access the necessary resources they need to reach their higher education goals.”
Aligning with the academic year, the program offers scholarships in two application periods: from June 1, 2024, to Nov. 30, 2024, and Dec. 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. Students who apply for the first registration cycle but don’t win a scholarship, will remain in the running for the next application cycle ending May 31, 2025.
Students can access the scholarship rules, check school eligibility and enter here.
Mark Oldenberg, president and CEO of Security Financial Bank (SFB), is pleased to announce that 10 area recent high school graduates each have been awarded a $500 scholarship to be used to further their education.
Recipients include:
• Katelyn Bignell, a graduate of Durand-Arkansaw High School, will attend Winona State University.
• Ashley Chilson, a graduate of Regis High School, will attend Ava Maria University.
• Mazalyn Day, a graduate of Bloomer High School, will attend the University of Minnesota–Duluth.
• Nicholas Dutton, a graduate of Black River Falls will attend the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
• Emma Lechleitner, a graduate of Lake Holcombe High School, will attend North Dakota State University.
• Olivia Price, a graduate of Bloomer High School, will attend Grand Canyon University.
• Levi Suckow, a graduate of Durand-Arkansaw High School, will attend the University of Arizona.
• Nicholas Szczech, a graduate of Stanley-Boyd High School, will attend the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
• Matthew Woelfer, a graduate of Ladysmith High School, will attend the University of Wisconsin–Stout.
• Kaleb Wyss, a graduate of Lincoln High School, will attend the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
Recipients are chosen based on involvement in school, youth organizations, and community events with particular preference given to students pursuing a career in finance, accounting, or business administration.
By Rose Oswald Poels
Every October, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) Board of Directors meets for a planning session that always involves extensive discussions about where the industry is heading and the strategic positioning of WBA to maintain its role as a robust resource for our members. WBA staff update our progress on the plan prior to every Board meeting to ensure our strategic priorities remain at the forefront of work done by both the staff and Board.
This past year, we hired Wipfli as our facilitator and Robert Zondag (and his team) helped us revise and refocus our current strategic priorities to take us through the next few years. While some of the concepts were carried over from our current plan, the priorities are more focused to help ensure WBA continues providing value to the ever-evolving banking industry.
WBA’s revised plan is as follows:
Be THE leading state banking association through:
- MEMBER ENGAGEMENT → Improve engagement across all forms of membership
- PEOPLE → Build a culture to grow and retain talent
- EDUCATION → Be the solution for banking education and professional development
- ADVOCACY → Be the unified voice for Wisconsin Bankers
- INFRASTRUCTURE → Create a dynamic data infrastructure to best serve our members
Given the rapidly evolving landscape of the financial institution industry, for WBA to continue to be successful, it is imperative that we foster increased member engagement. The successes highlighted in various ‘Executive Letter’ e-publications throughout 2023 illustrate that a more connected and engaged membership only enhances the collective strength of WBA. Staff will work to grow active participation from all member banks, and all levels of bankers, which will help us better target our advocacy efforts, education programs, products, and services to better meet your needs.
WBA has long been an association comprised of top-quality talent and that continues across the organization today. Just like your banks, it is our staff who are essential for the long-term success of your Association. The Board agreed that this priority should be clearly identified in our plan, and we are finalizing various tactics to make sure WBA offers a positive and nurturing work environment not only to attract top talent, but also to encourage staff to stay and invest their skills and dedication into the meaningful work we do on behalf of Wisconsin’s banking industry.
Along with an internal focus on our talent, WBA is always focused on the industry’s talent as well. The professional development opportunities offered by WBA’s education programs are second to none. Our members provide input into the development of our programs, and we will continue to improve our content with a focus on fostering leadership skills, and addressing the evolving knowledge and skill set needs of the bankers of tomorrow.
Advocacy on behalf of our members remains a top priority. Our pinnacle achievement of an unprecedented state income tax exemption for certain loans would not have occurred without the continued membership of banks located in Wisconsin which provides us resources, and the collective grassroots and political involvement of bankers over the years. This combination needs to continue well into the future for WBA to remain a strong voice for the industry.
Finally, like many of you, WBA needs to continue our digital transformation and adoption of innovative technologies to become more operationally efficient while providing a better experience for you as individual banker members.
These five strategic priorities build upon the strength of our Association’s more than 130-year history by taking an innovative approach that will keep WBA at the forefront well into the future. The WBA Staff and Board look forward to continuing to collaborate with the membership to ensure that our Association is your premiere partner in ensuring the success of your bank, our industry, and the communities we serve.
By Rose Oswald Poels
For many of us, the beginning of autumn marks back to school. While hundreds of bankers across the state prepare for new professional development opportunities, many of our future colleagues and leaders are as well.
As bankers are well aware, a shrinking talent pool threatens the long-term viability and competitiveness of our industry. Led by Chair Donna Hoppenjan, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is encouraging the membership to consider the ways in which we each can engage — or “inspire” — the next generation to consider a career in banking. It is vital that bankers today are proactive in ensuring our industry’s future success by connecting with students and demonstrating the opportunities available to them.
With talent recruitment at the top of mind for many banks, the Association will once again be hosting several “career night” presentations in the coming months. With the goal of closing the gap between students and banking professionals, these upcoming events are open to students interested in learning more about the industry, what careers are available to them, and why the banking industry might be a good fit for them. Starting this fall, and throughout the academic school year, career nights will take place at Marquette University, UW–Eau Claire, UW–Green Bay, UW–La Crosse, UW–Madison, and UW–Whitewater, with the possibility of more locations being added.
If you, or someone from your bank, are interested in partnering with the Association to serve as a panelist at one of these upcoming events, please contact our team.
In addition to directly connecting with students during a career fair or panel presentation, bankers are also encouraged to share opportunities to further students’ experiences and engagement with the banking industry. Internships are a great example of this, and WBA members may post internship job ads at no cost in our Banker’s Marketplace.
Additionally, sharing the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation’s (WBF) fourth annual Agricultural Banking Scholarship opportunity widely among your networks is an easy way to invest in the students who are interested in a banking career and driving our agricultural sector. The application period is open through November 15, 2023, for students currently enrolled at an accredited Wisconsin college, university, or technical college who are pursuing a career related to agribusiness. Two scholarships of $1,500 each are available.
Like our members, WBA is dedicated to ensuring a bright future for the industry. With your help, we can demonstrate the diverse and rewarding career paths available within the banking sector, foster relationships with students eager to explore these opportunities, and provide the necessary support for them to thrive in our industry.
By Rose Oswald Poels
As part of the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s (WBA) mission to support bankers across the state, our team — often in collaboration with the membership — regularly creates resources to assist WBA-member bankers in expanding their knowledge and expertise. Recently, WBA launched several valuable compliance resources that your staff will find useful in maneuvering the ever-changing banking compliance landscape. Our objective with these services is to continue to make training accessible and more flexible for all WBA members at a reasonable cost.
I am excited to announce our new WBA Legal In-House Compliance Training resource. Member banks are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to bring compliance training by the WBA Legal team directly to your bank. The training may be conducted in-person or as a virtual meeting and will be customized to your bank’s needs. All training will be conducted by WBA Legal; the presenter selected is dependent on the topic and timing of the training.
Additionally, I am excited to share that the new WBA Account Titling Video Series is now available. This series is designed for your bank to use as a new employee onboarding tool or a refresher for frontline retail staff. The series is built upon WBA’s longstanding and popular, comprehensive account titling workshop and is meant to help frontline staff develop an awareness of the laws related to account titling, analyze a variety of deposit account ownerships and fiduciary roles of deposit account relationships, recognize the legal and practical importance of an account title, and identify various documents which make up a deposit contract and understand their significances.
The new series provides information about account titling in short, topic-specific videos. Each video is supported by written materials. When utilizing the videos as training, there are also exercises to illustrate concepts shared within the videos. Managers are encouraged to supplement the information in the series with bank-specific policies, procedures, and operational requirements, so frontline staff know of any additional actions bank management expects frontline staff to execute.
The new resource consists of 11 modules, covering 60 topics with over five hours of video material! Each video ranges between two and 10 minutes in length — making training very flexible. Also included are manager/trainer resources such as a viewing sequence listing, tracking resource, examples, and test questions with an answer key.
As our legal team has provided for decades, new materials and resources are routinely added to the WBA Compliance page on the WBA website, so I encourage your compliance team to monitor this site and our e-publications for updates. The newest release is a Lender’s Guide to the Marital Property Act. The guide answers frequently asked questions lenders have regarding the Act and is just one of several other available guides for members. Other such resources include a Banker’s Guide to LLCs and a Transfer by Affidavit Guide.
Finally, many other resources created by bankers serving on various WBA Sections and Committees may be found in the WBA Best Practices Library on our website. The Best Practices Library is password protected. If you do not have the password, please reach out to WBA Legal.
WBA strives to provide comprehensive compliance resources for its members. If you have requests for new content or other materials, please let me know and we will incorporate all feedback into our new product development process.
By Rose Oswald Poels
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) began its 2023–2024 fiscal year. A ceremony, held on June 7, formally installed Mound City Bank President and CEO Donna Hoppenjan as WBA’s chair of the Board, welcomed several new Board officers, and thanked those members who ended their term in 2023 for their valuable contributions to the Association.
Donna was able to sit down with me for a short conversation to introduce herself to the membership and highlight the goals she has for the organization for the upcoming year.
Donna first started her career in banking in 1977 as a teller at Mound City Bank in Platteville. After gaining experience in several areas of the bank — including human resources, audit, and trust — she was promoted to her current role as president and CEO in 2013.
As chair of the WBA Board of Directors, Donna encourages members to be an inspiration to their peers, to their community members, and on behalf of the banking industry in the upcoming fiscal year. As members continue to invest in the future of our industry, bankers throughout the state are encouraged to utilize WBA programs, resources, and events to not only gain expertise themselves, but also to inspire others in their organizations to do the same.
Through the Association’s various education opportunities — including in-person schools, conferences, and summits — bankers can develop their skills and network with their banking peers. WBA also offers a host of peer groups to connect with others, share ideas, and help one another grow in their careers; volunteer opportunities that inform WBA staff and elected officials; and resources — such as the Best Practices Library — that are created by bankers, for bankers.
Not only does the Association provide opportunities for bank leaders to encourage growth within their organization and train the next generation of banking leaders, programming presented by the WBA also extends beyond the walls of both member banks and the Association to benefit our entire industry.
Career night presentations and Power of Community Week are just a few examples of the ways in which WBA encourages bankers to be inspirations throughout their local communities. As Donna mentioned in her address to the Board, it is vital for the continued success of our industry that each of us also takes an active role in demonstrating the opportunities provided by a career in banking to students of all ages.
Whether you and your team choose to engage by volunteering as an Advocacy Officer, furthering your knowledge in a WBA Connect peer group, or working alongside students to expand their financial capabilities, our Association is excited to work alongside each of you to inspire our future.
To learn more about WBA Board Chair Donna Hoppenjan and her goals for the upcoming fiscal year, please enjoy watching the video and keep an eye out for a detailed article in WBA’s upcoming July/August Wisconsin Banker.
