Independent Banker - December 2021 - 48

$1 BILLION OR MORE
FIRST STATE BANK:
WHERE PEOPLE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET
BY KELLY PIKE
atrick Schully held his breath
when he opened an email to all
employees from First State Bank's
CEO in May 2008. Gas prices were
at a record high, the economy
was fumbling toward a financial
crisis and he had only been at the
community bank for two months. He
feared the worst.
He needn't have. Instead of layoffs
or reductions, the board announced
it was providing all employees with
a " summer fun package " : $150 a
month for four months. " You are our
most valuable assets, and we hope to
make summer a little brighter for all
of you, " read the email, which Schully
still has.
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" It really sank in then how special
this place is and how they value their
employees, " says Schully, executive
vice president and chief technology
officer at the $1.5 billion-asset bank
in Gainesville, Texas.
Treating employees as family is
part of First State Bank's mission
statement. " There are a lot of
companies that talk about work and
family values, but not many really
live it, " says CEO Ryan Morris, a
fifth-generation community banker
at the 116-year-old, family-owned
bank. " We're a family of bankers,
and we really do treat our employees
as family. "
First State Bank brings in a
First State Bank
Gainesville, Texas
Assets: $1.5 billion
firststate.bank
consultant for personality profiling,
a process that helps employees
understand their strengths and
weaknesses, as well as how they can
better work with colleagues who
think differently.
" Just like any other family, we
may not agree with everyone, but
we have to find a way to get along, "
Morris says.
Invest in employee success
First State Bank dedicates a significant chunk of its budget to
employee training, from banking school and certifications to
leadership training programs. " We want everyone in the bank to reach
their full potential, " says CEO Ryan Morris. " We recognize the value in
helping people grow their careers. "
Brad Cox, a business development officer, has participated in three
or four professional development programs since he started at the
community bank a year ago.
" A lot of corporations and other jobs I've had really focused on
productivity, where the thought of taking that much time for personal
and professional development would be perceived as that the whole
day should have been [spent] doing something more productive, " Cox
says. " But it's certainly paid off for me, and I think [the bank] will get
their money out of it. "
Take care of community
When the pandemic-related
shutdowns began in March 2020,
First State Bank hatched a plan to
help employees and struggling local
restaurants. For three months, the
community bank ordered lunch from
local restaurants for all its nearly
300 employees every day. When
implementing the Paycheck Protection
Program (PPP) required long hours,
the bank expanded the restaurant
program to include breakfast and
dinner for affected employees. All told,
First State Bank bought close to 5,000
restaurant meals.
" We wanted to support our most
44 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q December 2021
Independent Banker - December 2021

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