GSB Archives - Wisconsin Bankers Association

GSB-Wisconsin Welcomes Mary Hermes as Vice President, Education & Professional Development

Mary Hermes

The Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, consistently rated one of the top banking schools in the United States, is pleased to welcome Mary Hermes as its vice president of education and professional development.

Hermes draws on more than 15 years of experience in curriculum design, leadership development, and data-driven program assessment. She will lead GSB’s initiatives to innovate and expand the curriculum while equipping students with technical and leadership skills to thrive in today’s dynamic banking landscape. Her background includes customizing educational programs to meet the professional development needs of current and emerging organizational leaders.

“Mary will play a key role in delivering on our mission to develop bank leaders so they can positively impact their organizations and the communities they serve. Her passion and results-driven approach will be invaluable in designing the future of our programs while shaping the bank learning landscape for years to come,” said Paul C. Katz, president.

Most recently, Hermes served as the director of experience and engagement at Stoughton Health, Stoughton, Wis., a community health care network, where she oversaw learning and development strategy, employee engagement, and culture.

She holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and was previously an early learning principal in a Madison-area school district. In this role she led large employee teams and oversaw all aspects of the educational settings – including operations, budgeting, curriculum development and educational execution.

The School, which is sponsored by state banking associations from across the central United States, as well as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was established in 1945 to provide bankers with an opportunity for advanced study and research in banking, economics, and leadership. In addition to its flagship Graduate School of Banking, GSB offers specialty schools for Human Resource, Technology, Information Security, Sales, Marketing and Finance leaders in banking—plus online seminars across all areas of bank management.

December 26, 2024/by Katie Reiser

Community, Member News

2024 GSB Banker Advisory Board Scholarship Winner Announced

Pictured (from left to right) Sarah Rogers branch manager and retail lending officer at
Mound City Bank, and Kathy Berman, GSB’s vice president, marketing and communications.

Sarah Rogers, branch manager and retail lending office at Mound City Bank in Cuba City, was named the 2024 Graduate School of Banking (GSB) Banker Advisory Board Scholarship winner. GSB’s Kathy Berman attended the recent WBA BOLT Summer Leadership Summit and was able to present the scholarship to Sarah 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.

June 19, 2024/by Katie Reiser

Member News, News, Uncategorized

GSB Prochnow Educational Foundation/WBA Scholarship Winner Announced

Pictured (from left to right) Sara Taylor, vice president at Ladysmith Federal and Kathy Berman, GSB’s vice president, marketing and communications.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) is excited to award the 2024 WBA/Prochnow Educational Foundation Scholarship for the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison to Sara Taylor, Vice President at Ladysmith Federal. GSB’s Kathy Berman attended the recent WBA BOLT Summer Leadership Summit and was able to present the scholarship to Sara 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, Sara!

June 18, 2024/by Katie Reiser

Education, News

Graduate School of Banking at UW–Madison Welcomes New Leadership

Paul C. Katz Selected to Succeed Retiring President and CEO

Paul C. Katz

The Board of Trustees of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (GSB) is pleased to announce that Paul C. Katz has been selected as the next GSB/Prochnow Educational Foundation (PEF) president and CEO. Katz succeeds Kirby Davidson, who announced his retirement in October of 2023. Katz will begin as president on June 1, 2024, and assume the role of CEO upon Davidson’s retirement on December 31, 2024.

Katz comes to GSB following 25 years in banking industry leadership roles. He most recently served as managing director & head of bank relations at Promontory MortgagePath in Danbury, Conn. Prior to that, he was EVP of the State Association Alliance with the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C. where he collaborated with 51 state bankers associations to improve the competitive position of the nation’s banks. In both roles, he established himself as a strategic thinker with a proven track record for growing existing business. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in political science from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program — Leadership for Extraordinary Performance — at the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business.

“I have the highest respect for GSB and its students, alumni, faculty, and staff,” said Katz. “I am honored to be entrusted to lead the organization and look forward to building on its longstanding tradition of educating professionals and creating leaders.”

A national search, managed by The QTI Group of Madison, yielded applications from more than 300 candidates for the position. It was important to the Board of Trustees that the search committee include various perspectives and backgrounds. For this reason, the eight-member committee consisted of state association executives, banker alumni, and faculty. The seven-month process included surveys and input from key constituent groups including Trustees, bankers, faculty, and staff.

“The Board of Trustees is very thankful for the thorough effort the search committee put into this important leadership position,” said Randy Hultgren, president and CEO of the Illinois Bankers Association and chair of the GSB Board of Trustees. “Paul will be an outstanding leader and intuitive thinker, who will help shape the School and its various in-person and online educational programs for years to come.”

Current GSB/PEF President and CEO Davidson said, “GSB has always been recognized as the best and most progressive graduate banking school in the country. I am confident that under Paul’s leadership this tradition will continue. We are on the cusp of some major enhancements and additional offerings that, with Paul’s background, will serve the School well in the years to come.”

More information on the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin–Madison can be found at gsb.org.

May 6, 2024/by Cassandra Krause