Independent Banker - April 2017 - 42

Leadership
fi nancial decisions they make. They are truly a part of
their individual communities, with many members of the
staff in these offi ces living and raising their families in the
same community.
Kennedy: Community banks, unlike too-big-to-fail Wall
Street megabanks and tax-subsidized credit unions, are
subject to the demands and disciplines of the free market.
A successful community bank will not only be a leading
corporate citizen but must also assemble and motivate
an outstanding workforce that can out-compete our
government-assisted rivals while meeting the reasonable
expectations of our shareholders, all within the stringent
demands of a highly regulated industry. I would say that is
cause for celebration!
Jordan: Our banks are the lifeblood and drivers of the
communities we operate in. Community banks not only
promote their interests but also those of all other businesses
in their towns and counties. We set the standard.
Williams: Community banks function as so much more
than just fi nancial institutions with checking accounts and
loans. We are local gathering places, community advocates,
small business consultants and fi nancial advisors
to our communities. Our bankers are local charity board
members, Little League coaches, and Sunday school teachers.
We build relationships over multiple generations with
customers who become family and honor us with much
more than their banking business. They give us their trust.
Community banking is the greatest job in the world, and
we have every reason to celebrate what we do.
Romero Rainey: Community banks are the lifeblood of
their communities and are committed to the long-term
survival and viability of their communities!
Hartings: Community banks are " service beyond
themselves. " They know if their consumers and small
businesses in the communities don't survive and thrive,
they will not. When I talk about community banking, I
always highlight that there is not another industry that
has a more vested interest in the communities they serve,
or has more opportunity to provide that community with
the resources to succeed. We don't cut and run when the
economy gets tough. We roll up our sleeves and work
side by side with our customers to get them through the
tough times. I think we can provide the next generation of
customers with high-tech services such as mobile check
deposit, real-time payments and text alerts, along with the
trusted service you get from a community bank. I like to
say we provide clicks and bricks.
Buhrmaster: We could fi ll this entire magazine 20 times
over with stories of how community banks have helped
our country and its citizens prosper. Community bankers
and their banks are the backbone of every community
in this nation! Every Fortune 500 company starts somewhere,
and often it is with a loan from a community bank.
Countless civic organizations would fail if it were not for
the community bank volunteers contributing their time,
talent and treasure to the most worthy of causes. Being a
community banker is the noblest of professions.
Loving: Much has been stated and written on the resiliency
of community banks; however, these words should
not be underestimated or diluted. Community banks as a
whole, and individually, have been through a lot. Having
exited, what seems like yesterday, the worst fi nancial
crisis since the Great Depression, we continue to
be the " economic engine " of our communities.
Yes, unfortunately we lost some of our brethren
during the crisis, a crisis within itself, but we
emerged and are thriving today. All this despite
the additional regulatory scrutiny and oversight
we fi nd ourselves under today.
Dream team-Derek Williams, Christopher
Jordan and Preston Kennedy
42 ICBA IndependentBanker April 2017
What is your passion outside
of work?
Heitkamp: I can't go without
saying my greatest passion is my
family, but I must say I really like
golf. I like the friendships that
are made on a golf course and the
competitiveness of playing. Each
time I go out on the course, I am
only competing with myself to
play better than I did the last
time I played. I tend to take that
competitive spirit to my bank. I
want each day to be better than it
Independent Banker - April 2017

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