October 20, 2021

Tonya Wildin, First National Bank of Hutchinson, snapped this photo of the Keeper of the Plains statue located at the Veterans Memorial Park in Wichita. Renowned Native American artist Blackbear Bosin donated the Keeper of the Plains to the citizens of Wichita in 1974. Read more about this sculpture at: https://www.wichita.gov/Arts/Pages/Keeper.aspx.

Robert Dean “Bob” AmesAugust 26, 1944 – July 18, 2021 Robert Dean “Bob” Ames, 76, passed away July 18 at his home with his faith in the Lord still strong after a long multi-year battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Bob was born on August 26, 1944, in Chanute, Kansas, to James Wilbur and Margaret Lucille

Wilborn Takes New Role at Peoples Bank Peoples Bank and Trust of McPherson recently appointed Brian Wilborn to Assistant Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this appointment, Wilborn was the Market President for Barton, Ness and Rush County locations of Peoples Bank and Trust. He is a graduate of Fort Hays State University, Graduate School of

We are over one and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, over 500 days and 13,000 hours … not that anyone’s counting. We’ve all gotten the hang of working from home and managing our business from home. And if you haven’t taken steps to serve your customers from home, there’s no time like the present. Banks, large and small, are in the unique position of helping consumers and businesses obtain and maintain access to credit during these unprecedented times. Inevitably, your customers have needed to originate new loans; defer, extend, and modify existing loans; and open deposit accounts online, among other things. As a result, the use of “remote channels” has gone from “nice to have” to “need to have.” Over the past year, we have counseled many bank clients in their migration to electronic signatures. Below we highlight both practical and legal considerations that may need to be tackled as you consider implementation thereof.

Social and economic unrest can test even the strongest of organizational cultures. Is your bank’s culture built to withstand turbulence?

We may not always enjoy change, but we seem to always be preparing for it. Preparing for proposed changes to tax laws and other compliance issues can be especially frustrating due to the constant changes in what is being proposed versus what is later signed into law. However, implementing proactive tactics and planning in response to key proposals can result in fewer headaches and potential tax savings if implemented correctly. On Sept. 13, 2021, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HCWM) released a multitude of tax proposals as part of the $3.5 trillion tax and spending package that Democrats and the White House hope to pass this fall.

Correction from July August 2021 Issue 4 – In the previous printed issue, on page 23 from the No Ties Tour, we incorrectly identified this photo. This was taken at Peoples Bank in Coldwater, not Haviland State Bank. The Halstead Bank, Halstead Anne Williams, Executive Vice President; Alex Williams, President & CEO; Mary Taylor, KBA

Sept. 8-10 marked the KBA Young Bank Officers of Kansas (YBOK) Annual Conference, held live for the first time since 2019. The conference was held at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview in Wichita, Kansas, where over 100 bankers and associate members attended from across the state. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated in-person events and gatherings for over a year, the KBA staff was excited to welcome attendees to fun and educational networking events and activities.

America’s banks have a longstanding commitment to helping reduce the number of unbanked and underbanked individuals and families in the U.S. July marked a major milestone in that endeavor, with an announcement from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund that the number of Bank On certified deposit accounts now available has surpassed 100. At the time this column was written, it was up to 114.

KBA Chairman Mike Ewy and KBA Immediate Past Chairman Jonathon Johnson recently presented KBA’s Flint Factor Award to three Kansas banks in recognition of their extraordinary, pledged contributions to the KBA Strong Capital Campaign. INTRUST Bank, Wichita, and Farmers Bank & Trust, Great Bend, were both recognized at the KBA CEO Forum, while Farmers & Drovers Bank, Council Grove, was recognized at a recent meeting of KBA’s Board of Directors.