News & Releases

FIRST STATE BANK ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

Ted Bentley, President and CEO of First State Bank, announced that Georgann Martinez has been promoted to the position of Vice-President, and Monica Koerwitz has been promoted to the position of Vice-President and Human Resource Officer. Mr. Bentley stated, “ Both Georgann and Monica have been instrumental in the success of First State Bank. We are very fortunate to have them as part of our team.”

Ms. Martinez joined the First State Bank team in April, 2008 as an Assistant Vice President/Mortgage Lender; she has twelve years of banking experience.

Georgann is a graduate of Wheatland High School. She attended Western Nebraska Community College, earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration.

Georgann is the daughter of Tom and Sandy O’Neill, of Wheatland. Georgann has three children: Breann, age 17; Kendrick, age 15; and Alexis, age 12.

Monica Koerwitz Ms. Koerwitz has eighteen years of banking experience. She began her employment with First State Bank in March, 1998, as the Executive Assistant. Monica has been responsible for various payroll and personnel issues for many years, and has been the First State Bank Wellness Coordinator since 2009.

Monica is the daughter of Jim and Jeanette Pontarolo, of Ft. Laramie. She graduated from Lingle-Ft. Laramie High School, and attended Eastern Wyoming College, earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Business.

Monica and her husband, Wayne, moved to Wheatland in 1980. They have three children: Logan, age 26; Nichole, age 23; and Jordan, age 20.

2011 COMMUNITY BANKER APPOINTED TO ICBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Local Leader Helps Deliver Community Banking Voice to Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C.( September 13, 2011)-- The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) announced that local community banker, Mike C. Daly, Chairman of the $275 million asset First State Bank, Wheatland, Wyoming, was appointed to the ICBA board of directors. ICBA is the nation’s voice for community banks.

“I am honored to be appointed to this position,” Daly said. “It gives me a chance to work for community banks across the country that practice trusted common-sense lending and offer hands-on personal service and invaluable financial expertise to local consumers and small businesses.”

In addition to helping shape and advocate ICBA’s national policy positions and programs, Daly’s duties include being a liaison between independent community bankers in Wyoming and ICBA staff and leadership in Washington, D.C. He will also work to recruit new members to ICBA.

ICBA is the only national trade association dedicated exclusively to promoting the interests of locally operated community banks and savings institutions. With trusted financial expertise and high-quality customer service as their hallmarks, community banks offer the best financial services option for millions of consumers, small businesses, farms and ranches.

“Mike Daly is a dedicated community banker who is respected by his industry peers,” said ICBA Chairman Sal Marranca, president and CEO of Cattaraugus County Bank, Little Valley, N.Y. “We are delighted he will be generously offering his time and valuable professional talents to the service of the community banking industry.”

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America, the nation’s voice for community banks, represents 5,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types throughout the United States and is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and the communities and customers we serve. For more information, visit www.icba.org.

DAN SISSON NAMED TO THE CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE'S "TOP TWENTY UNDER 40"

April 29, 2011: First State Bank would like to congratulate Dan Sisson for being named to the Casper Star-Tribune's "Top Twenty Under 40". The following was the section about Dan, as published in the April 29, 2011 Casper Star-Tribune, written by Margaret Matray, Star-Tribune Staff Writer:

Born in Guernsey, 32-year-old Daniel Sisson returned to Guernsey.

With a lack of employment opportunities, coming home and staying home is not always possible, said Gail Heimbuck, who nominated Sisson. But she and her husband watched him grown up, their eldest son's best friend, and Sisson has always been a Guernsey guy.

"I think it shows an appreciation for the people you grew up with and the people who influenced your life," Heimbuck said of returning to the community.

Sisson's family has lived in the area since the 1930s. His grandfather worked for the iron ore mine in Sunrise. His father moved away for a period, married, and when Sisson was one year old, the family moved back to Guernsey.

Sisson is a University of Wyoming graduate and worked with the Cheyenne Police Department before he was hired by Community First. Sisson worked in Sheridan and Gillette and later served as vice president of First State Bank in Torrington. Sisson has been with First State Bank in Guernsey for about three years and serves as its president.

His work motto is to conduct business in a sound way that allows him to give back to the community.

And Sisson has given back. He is a member of the Guernsey Lions Club, treasurer of the Guernsey Economic and Tourism Development Corporation and a board member of the Platte County Chamber of Commerce.

For Sisson, Wyoming is the state he's always wanted to call home.

"I've never been a city person, I prefer the more rural environment," he said.

He loves the wide-open spaces, the friendliness and safety, the small-town atmosphere that allows you to leave the doors unlocked and let your kids play out in the street.

Roots are what motivate Sisson. "I've been brought up in a way you get up and go to work, take care of business," he said. He would like to one day have a family of his own and continue to be part of a community where he can give back.

Managing a small town bank comes with its challenges. Sisson said he must balance a desire to help people - people he grew up with - with making sound business judgments.

"That's one of the hardest things," he said.

Heimbuck said Sisson has been a community leader his whole life. She remembers him as a strong high school student, a part of the Future Business Leaders of America. Years later, Sisson is still "true to the values he was raised with," Heimbuck said.

"Dan is just really dedicated to his customers," she said.

This is the seventh year the Star-Tribune has honored Wyoming's most impressive and inspiring young people. Though each has a unique story, they have at least two things in common: a record of achievement, and the demonstrated potential to help lead Wyoming in the decades to come. The list doesn't aim to identify Wyoming's 20 smartest young people, or the 20 most powerful, or the 20 most successful. Instead, with help from readers, it simply recognizes 20 inspiring standouts among the many young people whose talents are hard work and helping to build Wyoming. By honoring these individuals, the hope is to encourage other Wyomingites to pursue personal achievement and public service in the Cowboy State.

The 2011 selection process began with an invitation for nominations. The Star-Tribune asked readers to tell them about people they admired in their communities. All nominations told impressive stories of accomplishment and commitment to working in and for Wyoming. After studying the nominations, the selection committee met to choose this year's honorees. In order to ensure a diverse group of winners, there was no specific criteria. Each committee member made individual judgments, looking for qualities such as professional achievement, entrepreneurship, community leadership and humanitarianism. Each honoree was under age 40 at selection time. The resulting list is a group that should make Wyoming proud.

TED BENTLEY NAMED TO FEDERAL RESERVE COMMUNITY DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION ADVISORY COUNCIL

January 12, 2011: The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City recently announced the establishment of a Community Depository Institution Advisory Council (CDIAC). Council members will provide input to the Federal Reserve Bank and its senior management on the economy, lending conditions and other issues. Ted Bentley, President and CEO of First State Bank was named as a member of the Advisory Council. Members, who will serve staggered terms through 2013, represent banks, thrift institutions and credit unions and provide diverse views from community institutions across the Tenth Federal Reserve District. One member from the CDIAC, Michael Kloiber, president and CEO of Tinker Federal Credit Union, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., will serve as the Tenth District’s representative to meet twice a year with the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.

As the regional headquarters of the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and its branches in Denver, Oklahoma City and Omaha serve the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, northern New Mexico and western Missouri.

FIRST STATE BANK ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

January 2, 2011: The First State Bank Board of Director’s, Officers, and Staff extend their congratulations in announcing that Jennifer Burns, Holly Crowley, and Mark Jespersen have been promoted to the position of Vice-President.

Mrs. Burns has been with First State Bank since March, 1999. She started in the teller area, moved up through the loan department and was promoted to loan officer in 2004. She then moved to Operations Supervisor to supervise tellers and the New Accounts Department.

Jennifer is a Wheatland High School graduate and was born and raised in the Wheatland area. She and her husband Ross have two children, Ashley and Jacob. Ross has been with the USPS in Wheatland for several years. Jennifer recently was
on the Wheatland Country Club Board and is very active at both of her children’s schools.

Jennifer is the daughter of LaVern and Alice Wichert also of Wheatland. She enjoys sewing and scrapbooking, but spends the majority of her time being a wife and mother, which she enjoys most of all.

Mrs. Crowley joined First State Bank in May, 2006. She is currently a loan officer in Wheatland with experience in commercial, agricultural, and consumer lending. Holly attended the University of Wyoming and graduated in May, 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science and a Minor in Farm and Ranch Management. She has worked in banking for seven years.

Holly and her husband, Will, currently own and operate a small hay farm in Platte County. She is the daughter of Rodger and Lindy Schroeder of Chugwater where she was born and raised. She is very active in Platte County and is currently serving on the Platte County Fair Board, Chugwater Economic Development, and Laramie Peak Cattlewomen.

Mr. Jespersen is currently the Controller and Chief Information Officer and is based out of the Wheatland bank. He has been with First State Bank since February, 2007. Mark is in charge of overseeing internal operations, information technology, and regulatory reporting, as well as the internal auditing and accounting functions.

Mark graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and received his Master’s Degree in 2001. He has previously worked both in public accounting and for a privately owned company. He also currently serves as the Treasurer for the Wee Pals Preschool Parent Board in Torrington.

Mark, his wife Erin, and his two daughters Avey and Nora live in Torrington. Erin is the music director for the Lingle-Ft. Laramie schools. He enjoys sports, especially golf, and spending time with his family.

MIKE DALY RECOGNIZED BY THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF SEATTLE

The following is a letter from the FHLB of Seattle's Board Chairman William V. Humphrey, as written in their December 21, 2010 Member News:

"As 2010 comes to a close, I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to our outgoing directors, Mike Daly and Dan Fauske, for their service to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle (Seattle Bank) Board of Directors and for their dedication to the Seattle Bank cooperative.

It’s hard to overstate Mike Daly’s contribution to the Seattle Bank. Chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Wheatland Bankshares in Wheatland, Wyoming, Mike has served on our board as a member director since 2002. As the Seattle Bank’s chairman from 2005 through 2009, he led our cooperative through some of the most challenging times in its history. Not long before Mike assumed his chairmanship, the bank had entered into a written agreement with its regulator that required nothing less than a complete change in the bank’s strategic direction—a transition from a focus on mortgage acquisition to a focus on lending. Mike successfully guided our board and our cooperative through that three-year transition only to confront the most serious economic recession since the Great Depression. Once again, he stepped up to lead us through a whole new set of challenges.

As shareholders in the Seattle Bank, we have surely benefitted from the leadership, intelligence, perseverance, and countless hours of hard work Mike has devoted to our cooperative over the past eight years. I know that the members of our Board of Directors—those of us who have worked closely with Mike over the past several years—are very grateful for his leadership and service. We are truly fortunate to have had Mike as our leader during these challenging times.

I also wish to recognize and thank Dan Fauske, chief executive officer and executive director of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, for his seven years of service as a Seattle Bank independent director. Dan’s extensive knowledge of housing finance, his strong commitment to the Seattle Bank, and his tireless advocacy of our affordable housing programs have strengthened our cooperative and helped us to fulfill all aspects of our mission even in challenging times. Dan has a great sense of fairness and balance and has been a strong and consistent member advocate. We will miss his contributions as we discuss important issues going forward.

Again, I extend my thanks to Mike and Dan for their valuable service on our board, and I thank you for your ongoing support of the Seattle Bank cooperative."