Celebrating its 20th year, the Bank Leaders of Kansas (BLOK) Program continues to shape the future of Kansas banking leadership. Coordinated by the Kansas Bankers Association, BLOK equips emerging leaders with the tools and knowledge to make a lasting impact on the industry.
This program focuses on four key goals:
- Deepen understanding of KBA’s structure and governance, including programs, services and advocacy efforts.
- Build awareness of legislative processes at both state and federal levels, encouraging active engagement in protecting Kansas banking interests.
- Explore the role of regulatory agencies and their interaction with KBA to strengthen industry compliance and collaboration.
- Enhance leadership and communication skills through targeted training and professional development, preparing participants for future volunteer leadership roles.
This year’s class brings together 19 talented bankers from across Kansas for four intensive sessions designed to develop strong advocates and effective leaders. The first session kicked off Feb. 3-5 in Topeka, featuring the 2026 BLOK Academy and the Harold A. Stones Government Relations Conference.
Thank You, 2026 BLOK Sponsors!
Premier
Bankers Insurance Solutions • Bankers’ Bank of Kansas • BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas • FHLBank Topeka • Market HR Services
Bronze
Professional Bank Consultants LLC • Security 1st Title • Schools of Banking
Matt Allred
Vice President-Commercial Banking Officer, Bankers’ Bank of Kansas, Wichita
Banking is in Matt’s blood. Following in his father’s footsteps as a career banker, Matt knew his career path early in life. He has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry, including management, consumer lending, mortgage lending and commercial lending roles. He puts his experience, product knowledge and customer service skills to use as Bankers’ Bank of Kansas’ Vice President – Commercial Banking Officer, where he thrives in addressing unique loan participation and bank stock loan needs of each bank. Every client gets white glove service, but the gloves come off when it comes to his passions outside of work — watching hockey and playing golf.
Dustin Barker
Vice President and Trust Officer, First State Bank & Trust, Basehor
Dustin has been with First State Bank & Trust for 10 years as a Trust Officer and Financial Advisor. Prior to joining First State Bank & Trust, Dustin spent over a decade with a large registered investment advisory firm, with responsibilities including client service, management, investment research and due diligence. He graduated from Kansas State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. In his spare time, Dustin is active in his community and enjoys spending time with his wife, Janell, and their three children.
Melanie Block
Assistant Vice President, Business Solutions Officer, First National Bank of Hutchinson
Melanie joined First National Bank in March 2022, bringing a strong background in retail business management and a passion for building meaningful relationships. She earned her Business Management degree from Emporia State University and has completed numerous leadership programs throughout her career. Melanie and her husband, Bill, live in Cheney, where they raised their three adult children. When not traveling or growing their real estate and rental business across central Kansas, she enjoys volunteering with local organizations and supporting others in their personal and professional journeys. Melanie serves on several boards and is active in community events throughout the Cheney, Goddard and Hutchinson areas.
Shannon Capps
VP-Compliance Operations Specialist, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka
Shannon began her banking career in 1986 and has almost 40 years of experience in compliance, BSA, risk management, human resources and operations. Shannon earned the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation in 1998 and the Society of Human Resource Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) designation in 2015. Shannon graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin in 2014 and earned the ABA’s Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designation in 2024. Shannon has served on numerous advisory boards, including the GSB-Wisconsin Bank Advisory Board and Kansas State SHRM Council. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with a good book and camping with her husband and fur babies.
Ethan Deneke
Assistant Vice President, Loans and Credit Analyst, The Guaranty State Bank & Trust Co., Beloit
Ethan is a native of north central Kansas who began his banking career in 2017. Having grown up around the industry through his father’s career in banking, he developed an early interest in the field. Ethan graduated from Kansas State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in statistics. Following graduation, he worked at a bank in Goodland, Kansas, in a credit review role. After two years in western Kansas, he took the opportunity to return home to Beloit. He joined The Guaranty State Bank & Trust Co., where he currently serves as a Loan Officer, Loan Compliance Officer and Credit Analyst. Outside of work, Ethan is actively involved in the community, volunteering with the local Ducks Unlimited chapter and supporting local events. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors as an avid hunter and fisherman and attends sporting events with his wife.
Andrew Dunsing
Assistant Vice President, Loan Officer, United Bank & Trust, Seneca
Andrew was raised in Olathe, Kansas, and is a graduate of the University of Kansas. In 2016, he moved back to Seneca, his wife’s hometown. With no prior banking experience or bank-focused education, he took a leap of faith with United Bank & Trust and discovered a purpose he never expected. Now, approaching 10 years in banking, Andrew has worked from the ground up in deposit and customer-facing roles, loan processing and consumer lending. Andrew’s current role as a Loan Officer and Assistant Vice President in a community-focused bank allows him not only to make a diverse selection of loans, but also to use his depth of experience to help those in the community he now calls home. In his free time, Andrew enjoys traveling, mountaineering, cheering on the Jayhawks and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Chris Godwin
VP, Private Banking, Farmers Bank & Trust, Overland Park
Chris was born and raised in the Kansas City area and attended Mid America Nazarene University in Olathe. He began his banking career with Capital City Bank (now Capitol Federal) in Lawrence in 2008 as a teller. After holding various roles in the banking industry, he is currently in Private Banking/Treasury Management at Farmers Bank of Kansas City, a branch of Farmers Bank & Trust. In his free time, he enjoys serving as a Board Member for Cancer Action, running and riding his bike. Chris currently resides in Gardner with his wife, Jenny, and their four children: Jacob, Isaac, Cameron and Josie.
Aaron Graf
Commercial Relationship Manager, INTRUST Bank, Wichita
Aaron graduated from Wichita State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He began his career in the oil and gas industry and transitioned to the banking industry in 2015, joining INTRUST Bank as a Credit Analyst. He spent three years underwriting commercial credit before transitioning to the Hospitality Lending Team, where he continues to support business owners by providing tailored banking solutions for the hospitality industry. In addition to his professional work, Aaron has served on a community board, where he strengthened his leadership skills and deepened his understanding of the challenges facing local businesses and nonprofits. Aaron resides in his hometown of Cheney with his wife, Sydney, and their two children, Laken and Evelyn. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outdoors, restoring classic cars and being with his family.
Justin Harris
Regional CEO, Community West, Equity Bank, Wichita
Justin has been in the banking industry for over 25 years. He began his career with Wells Fargo as a bank manager and worked his way into various commercial management roles. He had the opportunity to serve a variety of customers as a banker in Arizona, Texas and Arkansas prior to moving to Kansas. Justin holds an accounting degree from Utah State University, an MBA from the University of Arizona, and a graduate banking degree from Southern Methodist University (Southwest Graduate School of Banking). He is currently a Regional Chief Executive Officer for Equity Bank, managing the operations and growth of all their community banks in Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle. He enjoys building great teams and helping people reach their true potential. Justin and his wife, Amber, currently reside in Andover, and in their spare time, they find the best places to hike and kayak.
T.J. Haverkamp
Executive Vice-President, IT Director, First Heritage Bank, Seneca
T.J. is currently an Executive Vice-President and IT Director at First Heritage Bank in Seneca, Kansas. T.J. attended Kansas State University, earning a degree in business administration and economics. He began his career as a business consultant for Arthur Andersen and MarketSphere Consulting in Kansas City. In 2007, T.J. and his wife decided to move back to Seneca, where he began his banking career as the IT Director for two Seneca banks. T.J. is an active member of the KBA Technology Committee, involved with the Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church and School, and recently retired from the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Board of Directors. T.J. resides in Seneca with his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters, Sadie (a freshman at KSU) and Mollie (a high school freshman).
Lance Liby
Senior Vice President, Chief Business Officer, FHLBank, Topeka
Lance joined FHLBank Topeka in May 2013 as Director of Credit Analytics. He was promoted to Chief Credit Officer in 2017 and was named a First Vice President in 2018. Liby became Chief Business Officer in 2024. Prior to joining FHLBank, Liby was Vice President at Mortgage Liquidity Solutions and a consultant with the Rochdale Group. In addition, he served as Senior Manager of Credit Risk at U.S. Central Federal Credit Union for eight years. Liby has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Kansas State University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Dahx Marrs
Managing Partner, Kansas Bankers Technologies LLC, Salina
Dahx received a bachelor’s in business administration with a minor in organization consulting from the University of Notre Dame. In 2014, he founded Kansas Bankers Technologies LLC. He has over 15 years of banking experience, having previously worked at Sunflower Bank and Fiserv. With a passion for community growth, Dahx has contributed to local economic initiatives and served on various advisory boards supporting Salina’s development, including the Marymount College renovation. Dahx is an advocate for entrepreneurship and actively promotes cultural and educational opportunities across the state. Dahx and his wife, Colleen, have four boys: Jason, Ben, Will and Eli.
Ryan Pierce
Senior Vice President, Correspondent Banking Officer, The Bankers Bank, Oklahoma City, OK
A 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, Ryan began his career as a teller at Emprise Bank mere days after high school, a foundational experience that sparked his lifelong commitment to customer success. Before joining The Bankers Bank in 2024 to return to his roots in community banking, he managed high-level partnerships for the nation’s largest financial institutions as Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Vericast. As a Wichita native, Ryan is a graduate of Wichita State University and the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. When he isn’t traveling across Kansas to support community bankers, he enjoys life in Wichita with his wife, Kary, and their four sons, as well as cheering for Williams Racing in the latest Formula One Grand Prix.
Lucas Regier
Executive Officer, Stockgrowers State Bank, Ashland
Lucas grew up on a family farm in Western Nebraska. He is a 2006 graduate of Tabor College with a degree in computer science. His banking career began in 2011 as the IT Officer at Stockgrowers State Bank, where he now serves as an Executive Officer. Lucas lives on a small farm just outside of Ashland with his son, where they enjoy honing their cooking skills, 3D printing, and playing a variety of games. In his spare time, Lucas volunteers his technical assistance to local community groups, churches and small businesses.
Chrissy Rippey
VP, Compliance, Union State Bank of Everest
Chrissy has worked in the banking industry for 25 years, holding various positions throughout her career. She currently works for Union State Bank of Everest in northeast Kansas as the Vice President of Compliance and has been with the bank for over 13 years. Raised in central Missouri, Chrissy earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. She has learned to utilize her degree to better understand current banking regulations and the events that informed and shaped them.
Tonia Shirk
Regional Retail Manager, Central National Bank, Wichita
Tonia currently lives in Wichita and has over 30 years of banking experience. She started as a teller at Capitol Federal in Topeka and has worked at various financial institutions over the years in varying roles. She has been at Central National Bank since 2008 and was promoted to Regional Manager in 2016. She currently manages and leads the Retail Team for 16 branches across Kansas and one location in Nebraska. She graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado in 2022 and has been married to her husband, Ryan, for 30 years. They have three grown children and one granddaughter, and love to travel and attend sporting events and concerts in their free time.
Mark Starr
Vice President, Ag Commercial Lending, GNBank, Holton
Mark grew up in Goodland and graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s in business administration. Mark is also a 2022 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. Mark worked for FNB Bank of Goodland for 10 years before moving to Holton to work for GNBank. He has worked as an agricultural/commercial lender for the past 13 years of his banking career. Outside of banking, he serves as an assistant wrestling coach, is Treasurer of his local Knights of Columbus chapter, and sits on his church’s finance council. Most importantly, he has a wonderful wife, Elyse, of seven years. They have two young children, Andrew (3) and Clara (1).
Chanse Stephens
AVP Information Security, Legacy Bank, Wichita
Chanse has been in banking for nearly a decade, specializing in cybersecurity and risk management. In his current role as Assistant Vice President of Information Security, he leads efforts to safeguard digital assets and ensure regulatory compliance across the organization. Chanse earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Fort Hays State University and has a strong background in threat analysis and the implementation of secure technologies. Outside of work, Chanse enjoys life as a father to five young children, and spends his time making slime, baking muffins and assembling deceptively complex toys.
Tasia Zouzas
First Vice President, Audit Services Director, Capitol Federal Savings Bank, Topeka
Tasia has been in banking for 15 years, nine of those with Capitol Federal. Tasia earned a bachelor’s degree in business finance from the University of Kansas. She is an active member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and has served on the IIA Topeka Chapter Board for the past five years. She also sits on the Audit Committee for the United Way of Kaw Valley. Tasia holds Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and Certified AML and Fraud Professional (CAFP) designations.
