Now in its 18th year, the Bank Leaders of Kansas (BLOK) Program is a leadership development program coordinated by the Kansas Bankers Association. The BLOK program is designed to improve the leadership skills of Kansas bankers and accomplishes that goal through four primary objectives:
- To increase the individual banker’s understanding and knowledge of the structure and governance of the KBA, including a complete overview of programs, services and representation provided by the KBA.
- To increase the individual banker’s understanding of the state and federal legislative process and increase their willingness to actively support and defend the Kansas banking industry.
- To increase the individual banker’s understanding and awareness of the various state and federal agencies that govern the banking industry in Kansas and how those agencies interact with the KBA.
- To improve the individual banker’s leadership and communication skills through professional development and leadership training sessions and to provide a clear understanding of the individual banker’s role as a volunteer KBA leader.
This year’s class will include a wide range of banking industry talent from across the state. Twenty-four Kansas bankers will participate in four BLOK training sessions that will arm them with the knowledge and information needed to be credible and effective advocates for the Kansas banking industry. The first session is scheduled for Feb. 6-8 and will center on the 2024 Harold A. Stones Government Relations Conference in Topeka.
2024 BLOK Sponsors are:
- Premier: BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas; KBA Insurance Inc.
- Platinum: FHLBank Topeka
- Silver: INTRUST Bank, N.A.
- Bronze: Bankers’ Bank of Kansas; Professional Bank Consultants LLC; Schools of Banking
Introducing the 2024 BLOK Class
Stephen Austin — Vice President — Commercial Lending, Bank7, Montezuma
Stephen Austin manages two Southwest Kansas branches and has nine years of banking and lending experience, with the most recent four years being at Bank7 specializing in commercial and ag lending. After graduating from Sterling College in 2013, Stephen moved back to Cimarron, where he currently resides with his wife, Sarah, and two children, Kynlee and Kian. In the past, he has served on the Main Street Dodge board and, most recently, the Cimarron Golf Club board. In addition to the boards, he volunteers for multiple youth sports and activities with the Gray County Recreation Commission. In his free time, Stephen enjoys golfing and traveling with his family.
Ali Aylward — VP, Real Estate Loan Officer, Bank of Commerce, Chanute
Ali Aylward attended Kansas State University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in accounting and agricultural economics. After K-State, she worked as an analyst at Koch Ag and Energy Solutions in Wichita before returning to Chanute in 2019 to pursue a career in her family’s banking organization. At Bank of Commerce (BOC), Ali is a loan officer where she primarily focuses on real estate and agricultural lending. Ali is also very involved in the general accounting and managerial reporting of the banks. She has recently completed the acquisition accounting for two bank purchases and uses her analytical skills to continue to foster improvement and changes across multiple other facets of BOC. Ali is active in the Chanute community, where she serves on the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum Foundation Board and has also helped bring Kansas State Catbacker events back to Southeast Kansas. In her free time, Ali likes to run, attend K-State games and travel to the Florida Keys.
Shannon Beal — Community Bank President, VP, Citizens Bank of Kansas, El Dorado
With over 25 years in banking, Shannon Beal is an experienced lender specializing in commercial, real estate and consumer lending. Shannon graduated from Wichita State University with a B.A. in business administration. She serves on the boards for El Dorado Inc., El Dorado Chamber, El Dorado Rotary Club and the Circle Booster Club. She is a member of Women in Commercial Real Estate and is a graduate of Leadership Butler and Wichita State University Leadership Elite. Shannon and her husband, Brandon, reside in El Dorado with their three teenage children.
Brian Berkley — Loan Officer, Senior Vice President, Solutions North Bank, Stockton
Brian Berkley has been with the Stockton branch of Solutions North Bank (SNB) for over five years. Brian has over 15 years of lending and banking experience, having previously worked in Wichita. Brian sits on the Board of Directors at SNB and is also a member of their ALCO, Executive Loan, Compensation, IT and Compliance Committees. Brian is active in the local community, sits on the Stockton Childcare committee and is a board member for the Rooks County Public Golf Course. Brian graduated from the University of Kansas School of Business in 2007 with a degree in finance. Brian lives in Stockton with his wife, Quincy, and their 16-month-old son, Alexander. During his free time, Brian enjoys spending time on his family’s farm in Nebraska, golfing and skiing in Colorado.
Michael Carlson — Vice President — Loan Officer, Denison State Bank, Holton
Michael Carlson has been in banking for 27 years, all at Denison State Bank. He has served on the Senior Loan Committee for 10 years and serves on the bank’s Information Technology Committee. Michael is active in the Holton area community and was recently appointed to serve on Kanza Mental Health and Guidance Center Inc.’s Governing Board of Directors. He also has previously served as mayor and city councilman for the city of Mayetta, and treasurer and board member for the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Michael grew up in Topeka, graduated from Washburn University and immediately went to work at Denison State Bank. Michael resides in Holton with his wife, Heather, and has three daughters.
Kerry Clark — Staff Attorney/Publications Editor, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka
Kerry Clark began with the KBA as a legal intern in 2019 and joined full-time in 2021. Kerry attended Washburn University School of Law in Topeka. Before attending law school, she worked as a paralegal for several years. Originally from Virginia, Kerry currently resides in Waynesville, Missouri, with her husband, Will, as he is stationed at Fort Leonard Wood with the Army.
Alison Clutter — Vice President, Lender, Bankers’ Bank of Kansas, Wichita
Alison Clutter has worked within the Kansas banking system for 20 years, holding various positions along the way. It was her passion for community banking and her desire to contribute to the success of community banks that led her to Bankers’ Bank of Kansas in 2019. Alison was born and raised in rural Oklahoma and is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. While attending college, she accepted a position at a local community bank. After her graduation, she moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she has continued her banking career and currently resides today.
Loren Erway — Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operational Officer, Farmers Bank & Trust, Atwood
Loren Erway has been with Farmers Bank & Trust for three years. Prior to this, Loren worked for Almena State Bank for five years. He was a loan officer/branch manager for Almena’s Atwood branch for three years, then was the assistant cashier/BSA officer/HR administrator for two years for Almena’s Norton branch. Loren attended Tabor College on a four-year baseball scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s in business management and accounting finance. He spends part of his summer helping coach local baseball teams. He is also a volunteer firefighter for the city of Atwood. Loren loves spending time with his wife, Chelsie, going to concerts and going hunting and fishing with his daughter, Aria, and son, Nolan.
Jenny Figge — Senior Vice President, Insurance Operations, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka
Jenny Figge has been with KBA Insurance for four years in March and has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She currently manages the day-to-day operations of the agency and assists with the Bond/D&O renewals. She’s spent the last four years converting the agency from a paper file system to almost a completely digital system. Jenny grew up in Brookville, Kansas, and graduated from Friends University with a bachelor’s in business management. She resides near Westmoreland with her husband, Brian, two dogs, a cat and a turtle. She has two adult children: Devan, who graduated from KSU in December 2023, and Nevaeh, who is a dental assistant in Manhattan.
Ryan Fleck — Vice President — Information Technology, Legacy Bank, Wichita
Ryan Fleck started with Legacy Bank in 2010 and has been in his current role for 13 years. Ryan has helped develop and guide Legacy and its technology systems through a period of strong growth, with the bank more than doubling in assets, nearly doubling its locations and acquiring two banks. This growth and change have required a near-constant evolution of the bank’s processes, security and technology in which Ryan’s guidance has been instrumental. In addition to his work at the bank, he was a participant in the Young Professionals of Wichita’s Mission Wichita program, an Airforce/civilian community collaboration initiative. Ryan has attended the Graduate Schools of Banking’s Bank Technology Management school in Madison, Wisconsin, and is a graduate of Fort Hays State University. He’s a native of Valley Center, Kansas, and now resides in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife, Jessica, and two little girls, with a baby boy on the way.
Mark Galloway — Vice President of Leadership and Development, The Bank of Tescott, Salina
Mark Galloway is on a mission to radically and positively impact the northcentral Kansas communities in which The Bank of Tescott serves. He is committed to creating a transformational culture of excellence by elevating employee morale, purpose and empowered internal and external customer service.
Since joining The Bank of Tescott in September 2022, Mark has brought a wealth of diverse expertise that transcends industries as he is the founder of Blacksmith Coffee Roastery, is an advisory board member for Zing Drone Solutions, a former Lindsborg Chamber of Commerce member, contributor to various Kansas rural business initiatives and consultant to small-business start-up entrepreneurs and the powersports industry. Mark recently directed “Best Day Ever,” a bank-sponsored community effort to raise awareness of the Salina childcare crisis and “Blue Envelope giveaways” to show love and appreciation to community members. Mark resides in McPherson County, Kansas, with his wife, Nancy, and is father to three adult children and has two grandchildren.
Kate Haverkamp — Vice President — Deposit Operations, First Heritage Bank, Centralia
Kate Haverkamp oversees First Heritage Bank’s data processing operations and payment systems. She has worked for over 13 years in the banking industry and has obtained her Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) designation from NACHA. Kate uses the knowledge and experience she has gained to problem solve, develop staff education and find efficiencies in the bank’s workflow. Kate is actively involved in the Centralia community and at the local school, where she assists with the bank’s scholarship program as well as various local fundraising campaigns. Kate also volunteers at church, where she has been a teacher for the religious education program for the past six years. Kate is a graduate of Kansas State University and currently resides in Vermillion with her husband, Mark, and their five children.
Jenell Hulse — Commercial Loan Officer/Construction Division Manager, Bank of the Plains, Salina
Jenell Hulse grew up in Lindsborg, Kansas. She graduated from Kansas State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration — Finance, with a minor in Leadership Studies. Shortly before graduating from K-State, Jenell started working at what is now the Bank of the Plains. Outside of the bank, Jenell is involved in the Salina community, as she recently completed her term as president of the Salina Rotary Club and currently serves as a board member of the Kansas Wesleyan University Foundation and Salina Area Builders Association. She is also involved in the Lindsborg community, serving as chair of Svensk Hyllningsfest, president of the American Legion Auxiliary and a member of the City of Lindsborg Planning Commission. Outside of banking and community involvement, Jenell is an avid explorer. Her goal is to see the whole world, and is making her way there by having visited all 50 states, and this year, she has plans to visit her 30th country.
Jessica Kerr — Chief Compliance and Marketing Officer, Golden Belt Bank, Hays
Jessica Kerr has served in her roles at Golden Belt Bank for almost 15 years. An accidental banker — falling into the career after seeking out a part-time teller position to pay the bills during college — Jessica worked in several other positions before leaving to serve as a bank examiner for the Kansas Banking Department. She returned to Golden Belt Bank as the bank’s compliance officer, later adding marketing responsibilities to her position. Jessica received her Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager designation in 2019. Jessica is a graduate of Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. Jessica resides in Hays with her husband, Greg, and two children, Eli and Ila.
Cher McLachlan — SVP and Manager, Retail Banking, First National Bank of Hutchinson, Hutchinson
Cher McLachlan has been in banking for over 30 years, with the last two years with First National. She serves on the Advisory Board for Salvation Army of Reno County and is a Board member of the K-96 Corridor Development Association. Cher has also served on the United Way of Plains Grant Allocations Committee. She has completed both the School of Banking Fundamentals and Operations School. She has also completed two certificate programs for Supervision and Mini MBA through the Center for Management Development at Wichita State University. Cher resides in Wichita with her husband, Sean, and their two kids, Katie and Keegan.
Taylor Sharp — SVP, Chief Financial Officer, TriCentury Bank, De Soto
Taylor Sharp has been with TriCentury since 2014. He has been in banking since 2012, starting as a part-time teller while still in school at the University of Kansas. While progressing to his current role, he has held many titles and has been involved in all areas of the bank’s operations. In his current role, he oversees the finance, the Information Technology and Security programs and the operations of the bank. He currently serves on many of the committees within the bank, including the IT Committee, ALCO Committee, Audit/Compliance Committee and the Loan Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas, and a native of Shawnee, Kansas. Taylor currently calls Overland Park home with his wife, Kristen, and two young boys, Lincoln and Reid.
Billy Skrobacz, Jr. — Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Operations Officer, Capitol Federal Savings Bank, Topeka
Billy Skrobacz, Jr. joined Capitol Federal Savings Bank as chief strategy officer in July 2021 after obtaining his MBA from The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Starting by amassing experience with bank customers while working throughout the bank’s branch system, he then continued moving through various departments within the organization, helping to implement efficiencies and drive growth within their commercial lending and business development efforts while also familiarizing himself with the bank’s regulatory environment. Prior to his time at the bank, Billy worked in Washington, D.C., for Nuvasive Inc. from 2013-2021 in a regional sales and operations management capacity. Billy is active in the Topeka community through participation in Capitol Federal Foundation events and serving on boards for The 20/30 Club of Topeka and Stormont Vail Health’s Foundation, respectively.
Andy Stegman — Community Branch President, GNBank, N.A., Offerle
Andy Stegman has been employed at GNBank for over 10 years. In addition to his duties as branch president, he is also an ag and consumer lender. Andy grew up on a farm near Offerle and continues to operate it with his family, bringing a wealth of agricultural knowledge to his work. After college, he briefly worked at K-State Agricultural Research Center — Hays, helping to develop new wheat varieties before transitioning to the banking industry. Andy is an active member of the Kinsley/Offerle community and serves on the Edwards County Economic Development Board, St. Joseph Church Property Council and Knights of Columbus. He also recently completed an eight-year term on the USD 347 School board and coaches his two young boys in all their sports activities. Andy is a graduate of Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and currently lives in Offerle with his wife, Joni.
Taylor Stos — Vice President/Senior Credit Analyst, First State Bank & Trust, Tonganoxie
Taylor Stos has served as the head of the commercial underwriting department for almost three years. She has over eight years of experience in community banking, including several years serving as a state bank examiner for the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. Taylor is also a member of the KBA’s Young Bank Officers of Kansas Division and recently graduated with the 2023 Class of Leadership Southern Leavenworth County. Taylor is a graduate of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and holds a certificate in business and commercial lending through the American Bankers Association. She resides in Topeka with her husband, their two sons and four fur babies. She is actively involved in the community through her sons’ activities, which include coaching youth basketball and assisting in activities for the local cub scout pack.
Lance Tilton — Regional President, Astra Bank, Chapman
Lance Tilton has over 15 years of experience in community banking and agricultural/commercial lending, with the past nine years at Astra Bank. He serves on Astra Bank’s Asset-Liability Committee, Special Assets Group, and is chair of the East Regional Loan Committee. Lance is perpetually active in his community, serving on boards of the Chapman Community Foundation, Irish Foundation for Educational Excellence, Chapman Lions Club, United Way of Geary County and Neighbor-To-Neighbor Abilene. Lance is a native of Quinter, Kansas and a 2008 graduate of Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He is also a 2021 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking (GSB) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, holds a Certificate of Executive Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, and is on the GSB Alumni Council. Lance loves living in Chapman, Kansas, with his wife of 12 years, Erin, and their daughter, Quinn.
George von Leonrod — President & CEO, First National Bank of Dighton, Dighton
George von Leonrod has been in the banking industry for over 20 years. Born and raised in western Kansas, George is a graduate of Kansas State University and the Graduate School of Banking at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is active in his community, serving on the City Council and Lane County Economic Development Board and volunteering on many more local and church committees. Currently, he serves as a Director of First National Bank and is a member of the School Board and the KBA State Affairs Committee. During George’s career, he has worked hard to improve the quality of services offered at his local bank, community and in the state. George currently lives in Dighton with his wife, Carrie, and their five children.
Andy Watkins — Senior Commercial Relationship Manager, INTRUST Bank, N.A., Wichita
Andy Watkins brings over 20 years of experience to Kansas banking. He has worked for INTRUST Bank for eight years in the commercial and industrial lending group. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Kansas State University, his MBA from Pittsburg State University and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. Andy recently finished serving on his local school board, where he also served as president of the board. He previously served as a board member of the Risk Management Association (RMA) — Kansas Chapter, where he served as president of the chapter in 2018. He was a member of the 2015-2016 Emerging Leader class through the Wichita Business Journal. Andy and his wife, Jayme, have four children and are active members of South Rock Christian Church in Derby.
Gant Welborn — VP and Director of Product Administration & Lending, FHLBank Topeka, Topeka
Gant Welborn has been with FHLBank of Topeka for 19 years. FHLBank is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks across the country. Gant has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, having previous experience as a consumer and mortgage lending examiner for the Office of the State Bank Commissioner of Kansas before coming to FHLBank. He chaired the FHLBank system Operations Working Group for the Bank President’s Council in 2019 and 2023 and serves on many management committees within FHLBank as well as externally in the FHLBank system. He is a 2009 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado. Gant and his wife, Michelle, attend Fellowship Bible Church and currently reside in Tecumseh.
Candace Wolke — Market President/Chief Credit Officer, Vintage Bank Kansas, Conway Springs
Candace Wolke has been in banking for over 20 years. She has enjoyed working in multiple positions, starting as a part-time teller while attending college. Candace has had the opportunity to lead the loan portion of four acquisitions and has opened four de novo branches for Vintage Bank Kansas. Candace is an integral part of the executive team that has grown Vintage Bank Kansas from a $40 million three-branch financial institution to a $240 million 12-branch financial institution. Candace is a graduate of Wichita State University and graduated in the top 10% of her class at the Colorado School of Banking. Candace currently resides in Conway Springs with her husband, Mike, and their three children, Jera, Micah and Caven. Candace is active in the Conway Springs community and partners closely with the local Conway Springs schools, serving as a member of multiple site councils within the district.
