American Banker Magazine on Monday published its fifth annual list of the 75 best banks to work for. South Dakota's First Bank & Trust in Brookings and Sioux Falls was named number 20, and First PREMIER Bank in Sioux Falls was named number 61. SDBA associate member Bell Bank in Fargo was named number five.

First Bank & Trust each year hosts a 5K for employees and their families that raises money for charity, and the bank's Community Brigade program authorizes employees to provide up to $150 to a person in need, reimbursed by the company. The bank's "Be the 1" program provides cash rewards for employees who think on their feet and make decisions. 

ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols on Tuesday called on bankers to join ABA in supporting the response to Hurricane Harvey on the Gulf Coast and invited them to contribute to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund set up by the Texas Bankers Association (TBA) and the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT).

ABA and its subsidiaries will contribute $100,000 to the fund, which will provide relief for people displaced by the storm, including bank employees and their families. Contributions to the fund are tax-exempt, and TBA and IBAT are absorbing all credit card processing fees to ensure 100 percent of funds reach those in need. ABA will also match its own employees’ contributions to Harvey relief efforts.

“It will come as no surprise to you that the industry’s response to date has been caring, generous and committed,” wrote Nichols in an email to bank CEOs nationwide. “I have no doubt all banks whose customers have been harmed by Hurricane Harvey will make a priority of helping them through this difficult time.” He cited a wide range of responses, from community banks that have opened mobile branches to institutions waiving service fees to million-dollar relief pledges from large nationwide banks.

"Like Rob, I too have received inquires from bankers wondering what they here in South Dakota might do to help bankers who lives have been turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey," said SDBA President Curt Everson. "To the extent that any bank or banker would like to make a contribution to help in relief efforts, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund set up by the TBA and IBAT is one way to facilitate a financial contribution."

Nichols also pointed to several ABA resources for banks dealing with the storm, including constant coordination with federal, state and local authorities through the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center to ensure the banking system continues to function, as well as communications resources for banks on the front lines of disaster.

Farmer Mac is hosting a series of free, credit-focused workshops throughout the country this September and October. Farmer Mac will be in Bismarck on Sept. 18, Sioux Falls on Sept. 19 and Rapid City on Oct. 13.

Attendees can prepare for the upcoming lending season and hear about the latest secondary market tools available through Farmer Mac's programs. The sessions are designed for new as well as existing program participants.

The meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided. A bonus session will be held from 1-2 p.m., where attendees will receive additional insight on winning strategies successful Farmer Mac lenders use to structure and price their loans.

Attract, Develop, Engage. The SDBA will host a series of regional meetings across the state this fall to build and deepen the connection of the next generation of banking leaders to the Association. The SDBA invites member bank leaders to bring at least one of their bank’s young, emerging leaders to the meetings.

The general business session will be a chance for bankers to learn more about the SDBA, current issues of concern to the industry, how they can engage in public policy debate, and a discussion on ideas for further engagement with emerging industry leaders. The meetings will also provide an opportunity for networking and social interaction with peers during lunch, an afternoon of optional sporting clays/trap shooting and refreshments to follow. 

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, has appointed Rick Nath, Citibank, N.A., Sioux Falls, to fill a vacant seat on its Board of Directors. Nath will represent banks in the Credit Card Category.

Rick Nath serves as Citi’s sixth site president in Sioux Falls. Nath, as the site president, is responsible for driving and executing site governance, people strategy, site culture and community involvement.

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, recently elected officers for its 2017-2018 Board of Directors. The SDBA is honored to have the following individuals serve as officers:

Chairman: Dave Rozenboom, President, First PREMIER Bank, Sioux Falls
Chairman-Elect: Karl Adam, Market President, First Dakota National Bank, Pierre
Vice Chairman: Shawn Rost, South Dakota Market President, First Interstate Bank, Rapid City
Immediate Past Chairman: Paul Domke, President/CEO/CCO, Heartland State Bank, Redfield

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, recently held elections for three of the nine seats on its Board of Directors. Elected to serve on the SDBA Board of Directors were:

• Steve Bumann, Chief Financial Officer, BankWest, Pierre
• Craig Davis, President/CEO, First National Bank, Pierre
• Shawn Rost, South Dakota Market President, First Interstate Bank, Rapid City

This is Davis’ first term on the SDBA Board of Directors and Bumann and Rost’s second terms. They started their three-year terms on May 1, 2017.

Elections for the SDBA’s Board of Directors for 2017 are scheduled for March and April. Three directors have terms that expire on April 30, 2017. Elections will take place in geographic Group 4 and Group 5 and the Large Community Bank Category.

Steve Bumann, BankWest, Pierre, is the current director for Group IV. He has served one term and is eligible to run for a second term. Shawn Rost, First Interstate Bank, Rapid City, is the current director for Group V. He has served one term and is eligible to run for a second term. Kevin Whitelock, Pioneer Bank & Trust, Spearfish, is the current director for the Large Community Bank Category. He has served two, consecutive terms and is not eligible to run for re-election.

Are you interested in becoming an officer of the South Dakota Bankers Association?

SDBA officers include the chairman, chairman-elect, vice chairman and immediate past chairman. The SDBA is currently seeking people who are interested in running for the vice chairman position, which will be elected at the SDBA Annual Convention on June 6, 2017, in Rapid City.

The SDBA unveiled the latest results of its Banks Make a Difference Project during its State Legislative Day on Feb. 8, 2017, in Pierre. Copies of the promotional handout were provided to all attendees and to all state legislators. Copies will also be mailed to all member banks and branches.

Each January, the SDBA surveys its member banks and collects data on the importance of banks to their local communities and to the state as a whole. The annual project demonstrates that banks are great corporate citizens and serve as “stewards” of their communities and the state in ways beyond routine banking services.

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, recently appointed Jerry Nachtigal, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Citibank, Sioux Falls, to its Board of Directors. Nachtigal began his three-year directorship on June 12, 2016. This is his first, three-year term on the SDBA Board of Directors.

Nachtigal joined Citibank in 2003 after nearly 18 years as an Associated Press reporter in Missouri and Arizona and after working as communications director for three Missouri governors from 1999-2002. At Citi, he handles internal and external communications for the bank’s flagship credit card site in Sioux Falls and its nearly 2,100 employees, as well as community relations and government relations. He also administers much of Citi’s philanthropy budget in South Dakota. Nachtigal has a journalism degree from South Dakota State University in Brookings.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) on July 11, 2016, introduced the TAILOR Act, which would require financial regulators to consider bank risk profiles and business models when taking regulatory actions. The bill--a signature part of ABA’s Agenda for America’s Hometown Banks--has been strongly advocated by ABA and the alliance of state bankers associations, including the South Dakota Bankers Associaton.

In addition to requiring a tailored approach for future rulemakings, Tipton’s bill would require a review of regulations issued in the past six years and a report on how they might be better tailored. Regulators would be required to state in notices of proposed rulemaking how they applied the TAILOR Act.

The bill closely resembles the House version of the TAILOR Act, which was strongly pursued by ABA and the state associations. Championed by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.), the TAILOR Act cleared the House Financial Services Committee earlier this year.

“South Dakota is home to some of the smallest and the largest banks in the world, with wide variations in their business models,” commented SDBA President Curt Everson. “Bankers from those institutions agree that today’s one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme doesn’t make sense. We applaud Sen. Rounds for introducing the TAILOR Act to start the conversation about matching bank regulation to risk.” Read more.

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, recently elected officers for its 2016-2017 Board of Directors. The SDBA is honored to have the following individuals serve as officers:

Chairman: Paul Domke, president/CEO/CCO, Heartland State Bank, Redfield
Chairman-Elect: Dave Rozenboom, president, First PREMIER Bank, Sioux Falls
Vice Chairman: Karl Adam, president, First Dakota National Bank, Pierre
Immediate Past Chairman: Rick Rylance, regional president, Dacotah Bank, Rapid City

There are many "red flags" which can be potential signs of elder exploitation.

The South Dakota State Bar Elder Law Committee, whose goals is to educate people about elder exploitation, has created a list of warnings signs of possible elder exploitation. The list can be shared with bank employees and customers or posted at the bank.

View or print the list.

Every year, thousands of seniors fall victim to impersonation scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, between 2012 and 2014, consumers reported more than $42 million in losses from scams involving the impersonation of family members and friends. These scams, commonly known as the “grandparent scam,” is a form of financial abuse that deliberately targets older Americans.

To commit this crime, fraudsters call claiming to be a family member in serious trouble and in need of money immediately. The scammer might say he’s stranded or has been mugged and call in the middle of the night to add to the urgency and confusion. Once the money is wired, the victim later finds out that it wasn’t their grandchild they were helping, it was a criminal.  

The South Dakota Bankers Association (SDBA), the professional and trade association for South Dakota’s financial services industry since 1884, recently held elections for two of the nine seats on its Board of Directors. Elected to serve on the SDBA Board of Directors were:

• Kristina Schaefer, General Counsel & Director of Risk Management, First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls
• David D. Nelson, Sr. Vice President & Branch Manager, First Fidelity Bank, Platte

Schaefer and Nelson began their three-year directorships on May 1. This is their first term on the SDBA Board of Directors.

Kristina Schaefer:
Kristina Schaefer serves as general counsel and director of risk management for Fishback Financial Corporation (FFC)/First Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. As the primary legal resource for the organization, Schaefer provides advice and counsel on all legal matters, including lending transactions, payment systems issues, contracts and corporate governance. In addition, Schaefer oversees the compliance, fraud, BSA/AML, and third-party oversight functions, and serves on the governing policy body for FFC. During the past eight years, she has also held the titles of general and corporate counsel. Prior to joining FFC, Schaefer worked as an attorney in a private practice where she specialized in banking law and general corporate law. Before attending law school, she was employed at First Bank & Trust and worked in customer service and risk management. Schaefer currently serves on the SDBA Legislative Committee, which she has chaired, and the American Bankers Association (ABA) Regional Bank General Counsels Group and the ABA Cyber and Information Security Working Group.

Today, the average American family will pay $14,057 in federal income taxes. The $1 trillion credit union industry will pay $0. Credit Unions—it’s time to pay your fair share! This message is brought to you by your local tax-paying banks. aba.com/ItsTimetoPay

SDBA Joins ABA Foundation's Safe Banking for Seniors Campaign

Educational program to prevent elder financial fraud.

The SDBA has joined the American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation’s Safe Banking for Seniors campaign. Through this campaign, the SDBA will mobilize bankers across South Dakota to educate older Americans and their caregivers about elder financial abuse and how to prevent it.

“We’ve found that bankers are often the first line of defense against elder financial fraud from educating and advising customers to spotting the signs of abuse,” said SDBA President Curt Everson. “We take our role seriously, and the more we can educate seniors and their caregivers, the better protected they can be.”

SDBA Seeks Candidates for 2016-2017 Officers

Are you interested in becoming an officer of the South Dakota Bankers Association?

SDBA officers include the chairman, chairman-elect, vice chairman and immediate past chairman. The SDBA is currently seeking people who are interested in running for the vice chairman position, which will be elected at the Annual Convention on June 14, 2016, in Bismarck, N.D.

Scholarships Available for SD Bankers to Attend Emerging Leaders Forum

The American Bankers Association (ABA) is offering two South Dakota bankers a $750 scholarship to help cover expenses to attend its 2016 Emerging Leaders Forum on March 14. The Forum is being held in conjunction with the ABA's 2016 Government Relations Summit March 14-16 in Washington, D.C.

The Emerging Leaders Forum is an opportunity for new voices in banking to share challenges and strategies, network with peers from across the country and gain new perspectives on leadership. There will be a private reception following the Forum. While there is no fee to attend, the scholarship will help cover travel expenses. Pre-registration is required.​​​