Emmans to retire from BHCA after 17 years

"It has been an honor and a privilege to be the executive of one of the finest trade associations in terms of providing educational value," commented W. Dennie Emmans, who retires as the executive director of the Bank Holding Company Association at the end of this month. Emmans, a former banker, has been leading the Bank Holding Company Association since 1994.. The BHCA represents small bank holding companies in Minnesota and surrounding states. Current membership is around 200 institutions, down from its peak of about 300 in the late 1990s. Most members are one-bank holding companies for institutions of $150 million in assets or fewer.. The hallmark of the association is its two annual seminars, one in the spring and one in the fall. The seminars, which typically attract 200 to 250 people, offer general session speakers who address topics of interest to bank owners and senior managers. Breakout sessions often address tax planning, compliance, regulatory and legal issues.. Because the association does not engage in lobbying, it maintains an industry independence that allows it to try things other associations might find difficult. For example, in 1999, when Scott Jones was president of the American Bankers Association and Bob Barsness was president of the Independent Community Bankers of America, Emmans had both bankers appear together at a BHCA seminar. Both bankers are from Minnesota.. Emmans described subtle changes in the seminar format over the years. "The opening Monday night program used to be a regulator panel," Emmans explained. "We have shifted that to something more entertaining. Now we make the evening a little more appropriate for a spouse to attend.". Emmans said the seminar is usually hosted at a hotel near the airport and near the Mall of America. "We make it easy for people to get here, and many like to bring their spouse who seem to appreciate the shopping," Emmans said of the format, which has proven highly durable.. Although the regulator panel was dropped as a regular feature, it is resurrected on an as-needed basis. Emmans said the association has a great relationship with the local regulatory community. Officials from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank are a staple at the seminars. Kinney Misterek, an assistant vice president at the bank, provided a look at the Dodd-Frank legislation and the latest Basel developments at a presentation during the most recent seminar.. Emmans said he marvels at the time his volunteer directors are able to devote to the BHCA. "These are people with a full plate, and yet they find time to serve the association," he noted.. The BHCA was formed in 1981, during an era when many banks opted to form one-bank holding companies. Barsness, president of Prior Lake State Bank, Prior Lake, Minn., served as its first president. Back then, it was a Minnesota-only group and the focus was resistance to branch banking. Its office was in a bowling alley. At the time, there was a similar, unrelated, group operating in Arkansas, but it has since disbanded. In 1993, the Bank Holding Company Association of Minnesota, as it was called then, began attracting members from as many as 12 states and it dropped "of Minnesota" from its legal name. For many years, the association maintained an office in the Richfield Bank and Trust Building. Today, the association office is in an office tower in Coon Rapids, Minn.. George Howes was the association's only previous executive director. He stepped down in 1993 due to a bout with cancer. Ironically, Emmans is also fighting cancer, a struggle he shared in a recent column that appears in the association's quarterly newsletter.. "Back in 2005, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Through a series of surgical operations, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, I have been able to cope with this disease for the past five years and still maintain a somewhat reasonable quality lifestyle and work schedule. A recent PET scan has indicated that the cancer has now spread to other organs of my body and therefore I am now classified as a Stage IV cancer patient requiring a more extensive regime of treatment," he wrote.. "While I continue to be energized by my work here, I have reached the stage where I need to devote my interest to other priorities and turn over my position to a new leader.". The BHCA board of directors hopes to finalize its search for a new leader at its December board meeting. Emmans said the organization is likely to undertake a strategic planning session to consider additional ways to serve and expand its membership.. Emmans, 70, was an athlete as a young man, lettering in football at St. Cloud State University. Last year, he was inducted into the St. Francis High School Hall of Fame, along with eight other distinguished alumni. Emmans served four terms on his local school board and also volunteered with a local wrestling club for more than 20 years.. Emmans briefly played professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers organization, but switched to business when he threw his shoulder out while pitching. He worked in auto finance, moving to Duluth, Minn. When his company wanted him to move to Chicago, he looked for another job because he wanted to stay in Minnesota. He landed a job with Tom Dolphin, who owned Crosstown State Bank of Ham Lake, Minn. Emmans helped the bank establish a new computer system, and stayed on for 14 years.. Emmans worked at the Blaine office of Crosstown State Bank from 1981 to 1993. In 1998, the bank changed its name to 21st Century Bank – North, and in 2004, it moved its headquarters to Loretto, Minn.