September 29, 2023

Schifferdecker speaks with Congressman Jake LaTurner at this year’s March on Washington. I consider myself very blessed to grow up as a third-generation community banker. Around my house growing up, we could never plan a family vacation over the second Tuesday of the month because that was the day of the board meeting. As a

Featured Photo Above: The 2023-2024 KBA Officer Team (L-R): Doug Wareham, KBA President & CEO; Vice Chairman Julie Hower, Farmers & Drovers Bank, Council Grove; Chairman Mark Schifferdecker, GNBank, Girard; Chairman-Elect Gene Dikeman, Bank of the Plains, Hutchinson; and Past Chairman Mike Ewy, Community State Bank, Coffeyville. The 2023 CEO Summit proved to be an

Riordan Family, Solomon State Bank Timothy T. (T.T.) Riordan began the family’s banking tradition in approximately 1910 when he began working at the Solomon National Bank, being previously employed at The Niles State Bank, located approximately seven miles northwest of Solomon. Over the years, T.T. Riordan held the title of either President or Chairman until

At this year’s annual meeting, recipients who have dedicated 50 years to the banking industry were honored with well-deserved awards, celebrating this remarkable milestone. Others not in attendance were given their awards throughout the year. Rich Dickason, Exchange Bank & Trust in Atchison For more than five decades, Chief Executive Officer Rich Dickason has been

Julie Hower, KBA Vice Chairman Julie Hower is the Chairman, President & CEO of Farmers & Drovers Bank in Council Grove. She has previously served on the KBA State Affairs Committee as Chairman, KBA Board and in the BLOK class of 2007. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and her Juris

Farmers and ranchers today face numerous challenges: from the skyrocketing costs of materials to supply chain disruptions to difficulties purchasing rural land — all while interest rates are rising. As a result, many are relying more on credit than ever before. For those who are young, beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers, these obstacles can seem

Just as you have to complete due diligence before you buy a home, due diligence for banking vendors can make or break a partnership. Not completing enhanced due diligence (EDD) is like buying a house sight unseen and without doing an inspection! You never know what you might find. It only takes one cyberattack to

Alex Orel, SVP — Government Relations, along with Kathy Taylor, EVP — General Counsel, hit the road in August, visiting banks as part of the annual summer “No-Ties Tour.” Thank you, Kansas bankers, for taking the time to visit with us! We truly value these conversations!   Stan Robertson, President & CEO of Haviland State Bank

I recently joked that I have read an article every week for the past year that says a recession is starting the next month. But where is that recession? Everyone — or maybe some of us — remembers the common rule of thumb that two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth equals

Weltmer Joins Compliance First Banking Solutions Team Please join us in welcoming Sarah Weltmer to the KBA-CFBS family! Sarah will be working with KBA member banks that have contracts for outsourced compliance assistance. With an impressive background rooted in community banking, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for compliance. Hailing from

I was thinking … what better way to tell the “Why ChatGPT” story than to, well, let ChatGPT’s AI writing assistant tell you himself … or herself … not sure about this … maybe “itself?” Anyway, when I prompted the assistant to “write a 750-word article on how to get the most out of using