Amazing Outside Directors
Each spring, BankBeat honors Amazing Outside Directors. Nominations for outside directors are accepted at any time. The Amazing Outside Directors program is sponsored by Winthrop & Weinstine.
Amazing Outside Directors are people who invest in the success of their local community banks by contributing skills, insights and analysis to bank governance, all while helping their institutions develop new relationships.
Nominated individuals should serve on boards for banks located in: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan or Iowa.
Send nominations to Tom Bengtson at [tom@nfrcom.com] or mail to: BankBeat, NFR Communications, 250 Prairie Center Drive, Ste. 300, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.
Click HERE to nominate a director online.
Honorees by Year
2025
- Gary Keller, DNB National Bank, Clear Lake, S.D.
- Jack Hillstrom, Premier Bank, Maplewood, Minn., and Premier Bank Minnesota, Hastings
- Jennifer Docherty, Sunrise Banks, St. Paul, Minn.
- Brad Basse, Big Horn Federal Savings Bank, Greybull, Wyo.
2024
- Andrew Young, Starion Bank, Bismarck, N.D.
- Ashley Podhradsky, First Bank & Trust, Brookings, S.D.
- Drew Vogel, Iowa State Bank, Orange City, Iowa
- Melanie VanRoekel, United Prairie Bank, Mankato, Minn.
- Paula Phillippe, Highland Bank, St. Michael, Minn.
2023
- Laura Boyd, BankCherokee, St. Paul, Minn.
- Michael Felts, Citizens Bank of Kansas, Kingman
- Steve M. Scheel, Bell Bank, Fargo, N.D.
- Vicki Turnquist, Citizens Independent Bank, St. Louis Park, Minn.
2022
- Don Johnson, First National Bank of Henning, Grand Rapids State Bank and Minnesota Lakes Bank, Delano, Minn.
- Marcia Malzahn, Village Bank, St. Francis, Minn.
- Dan Kadrmas, Cornerstone Bank, Fargo, N.D.
- Dennis Everson, First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, S.D.
2021
- Becki Drahota, Bank Midwest, Spirit Lake, Iowa
- Fran Fleck, County Bank, Sigourney, Iowa
- Michael Vekich, BNC National Bank, Bismarck, N.D.
- Tip Enebak, Tradition Capital Bank, Edina, Minn.
2020
- Tom Palmer, Park State Bank, Duluth, Minn.
- Rick Brimacomb, Highland Bank, St. Paul, Minn.
- John Dykema, Nicolet National Bank, Green Bay, Wis.
- Kent Edson, Dacotah Bank, Aberdeen, S.D.
2019
- Howard Hagen, SHAZAM Network, Johnson, Iowa
- Jeff Halloin, Charter Bank, Eau Claire, Wis.
- Erlin Weness, First State Bank Southwest, Worthington, Minn.
- Mark Guetzko, F&M Bank, Manchester, Iowa
- Audrey Johnson, New Market Bank, Elko New Market, Minn.
2018
- Karen Grandstrand, TCF Financial, Wayzata, Minn.
- Tom Diehl, Bank of Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
- Rod Fouberg, Dacotah Bank, Aberdeen, S.D.
- Pat Oberle, Morton Community Bank, Morton, Ill.
- Greg Ebert, Bankwest, Rockford, Minn.
2017
- Steve Burggraf, Grand Rapids State Bank, Grand Rapids, Minn.
- Tom Campbell, Choice Financial Group, Fargo, N.D.
- Walter Carlson, M.D., First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, S.D.
- Jon Lancaster, McFarland State Bank, McFarland, Wis.
- Vince Robinson, First Security Bank, Hendricks, Minn.
