OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE KANSAS BANKERS ASSOCIATION

2025 Pub. 14 Issue 6

Kansas Bankers as Leaders

We are proud to honor our Kansas bankers who actively serve on national, state and industry-related boards. Your dedication and hard work are invaluable in advancing our industry, and we deeply appreciate your commitment and the impactful contributions you make. Thank you for your service!

ABA Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee

The Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee provides information, programs and policy recommendations that offer opportunities for improvement and profitable management of banks that provide financial products and services to agricultural and rural America.

David White
Commercial Relationship Manager
INTRUST Bank N.A., Wichita
Chair

ABA Community Bankers Council

The council’s role is to increase community banker involvement in ABA by identifying and responding to community bank priorities, aggressively representing community banking in ABA’s government relations policy-making process, developing a broad range of association products and services to make community banks more competitive, and publicizing ABA’s commitment to community banking.

Brent Padgett
President & CEO
The Citizens National Bank, Lansing
Member

Jilinda White
CEO
First State Bank & Trust, Tonganoxie
Member

J.C. Long
President
Bank of Commerce and Trust Company, Wellington
Member

Doug Wareham
President & CEO
Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka
Member

ABA Emerging Leaders Council

The mission of the council is to attract, connect, and develop the current and next generation of bankers to lead our industry. The council will guide ABA in creating new opportunities to engage emerging leaders in leadership development, networking, mentoring and advocacy. They will seek to complement, reinforce and integrate the emerging leader programming developed by state bankers associations and identify opportunities to build on existing financial literacy and community engagement programs.

Paige Meader
Vice President, Senior Credit Officer
First National Bank of Kansas, Waverly
Member

ABA Government Relations Council

The Government Relations Council (GRC) is the leadership committee with the exclusive responsibility for recommending annual policy priorities to ABA’s Board of Directors. The GRC provides ongoing policy guidance to ABA leadership as policy issues arise during the year. Its diverse membership is reflective of the industry at large, representing banks from across the country of varying asset sizes, charter types and business structures, making it a critical committee in representing both the specific interests of industry segments and the broader industry.

Natalie Haag
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Capitol Federal Savings Bank, Topeka
Member

Mark Schifferdecker
President & CEO
GNBank, N.A., Girard
Member

ABA Membership Council

Membership Council Representatives play an integral role in supporting ABA’s success, helping to achieve goals focused on dues revenue, retention, member satisfaction, sustained membership growth and increased market share. Council Representatives work in concert with the ABA membership staff to develop and execute strategies geared to recruit new members, retain existing members and effectively convey the value of ABA to the state banking community.

Sara Girard
President
Central National Bank, Junction City
Member

ABA Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Council

The Minority Depository Institution Advisory Council (MDIAC) is a board-appointed ABA council that engages MDI members and provides additional support to these important institutions. While ABA is uniquely positioned to provide greater support to the broader MDI community, the MDIAC is jointly staffed with the National Bankers Association, the trade organization that solely represents the interests of MDIs in accordance with the associations’ joint strategic partnership.

Suchitra Padmanabhan
President & CEO
CBW Bank, Topeka
Vice Chair

ABA State Alliance Executive Committee

The American Bankers Association and 51 autonomous state bankers associations collaborate in an alliance to more effectively represent the banking industry and promote the varied interests of our members, particularly in advocacy. ABA and state associations work together to improve the competitive positions of America’s banks.

Doug Wareham
President & CEO
Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka
Member

State Banking Board

The mission of the Kansas Banking Board is to prudently, equitably, ethically and efficiently administer all of its statutorily delegated powers and duties so as to promote competitiveness, financial stability, safe and sound banking practices, protection of Kansas consumers and public confidence in the state-chartered banking industry.

Irv Mitchell
President & CEO
Wilson State Bank, Wilson
Chairman

MaryAnn Berry
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Stryv Bank, Wichita
Member

Taylor Hight
President & CEO
American Bank of Baxter Springs, Baxter Springs
Member

Leonard Wolfe
President & CEO
United Bank & Trust, Marysville
Member

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Board of Directors

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the nation’s central bank. They work in the public interest by supporting economic and financial stability.

Alex Williams
Chairman, President & CEO
Halstead Bank, Halstead

FHLBank Topeka Board of Directors

FHLBank Topeka’s Board of Directors oversees policy decisions and ensures that FHLBank’s senior managers prudently operate the bank. Currently, 17 directors serve on the board.

Lance White
Chairman, President & CEO
Bank of the Flint Hills, Wamego

Craig Meader
Chairman & CEO
First National Bank of Kansas, Burlington

Christopher Wente
President & CEO
Golden Belt Bank, FSA, Hays

Get Social and Share!

Sign Up to Receive this Publication in your inbox

More In This Issue