2010 Rising Stars in Banking: Pat Artz

Pat Artz decided to hit the road after college. More specifically, the North Dakota State University graduate began what he now calls a "nomadic" existence as a custom harvester. Each year he trekked south from his home acreage in North Dakota to Oklahoma, whence he operated a combine for farm clients all along the 800-odd-mile stretch..Artz managed this harvesting operation for several years before deciding he needed a sideline, something that offered health insurance, for instance. In 1997 he sold his combine (but held on to his own farm) and went to work at the State Bank of Bottineau.."It's pretty common to have the smaller acreage farmer always doing something on the side; he's an electrician or working in town or has some kind of side business like custom spraying," Artz said. "Working at the bank turned out to be a pretty good deal.".For the next three years Artz worked as an ag loan officer while continuing to farm small grains. Then in early 2001 he stopped farming, left the bank, took a job with Deere and Co. in Des Moines and "got a taste of corporate America." He hit the road again, as a traveling marketing rep specializing in the 637 John Deere tillage disk. He describes the 15 months with Deere as a "great experience" but "through all the traveling and living in airports I missed north-central North Dakota," to say nothing of farming and his farm clients at the bank..By then State Bank of Bottineau was able not only to offer Artz his old job but also a promise that he would succeed Gerry Long as the bank's president. Artz also had a chance to buy stock in the bank. He went back and spent the next six years building the bank's ag loan portfolio..At the beginning of 2008, Artz managed more than 50 percent of the bank's loan volume. He also had a strong sense that the fall would bring life-changing experiences—not because he had a premonition of the recession or financial freeze, but because the 40-year-old bachelor was engaged to marry in October..That spring, Long, Artz's predecessor, announced he would retire in October. Artz's already busy fall would now involve a major job transition. His workload from the ag portfolio made it a little difficult to shadow Long and train up to be president, but fall came just the same and Artz, a nine-year bank veteran, took over as the new leader during the depths of the financial collapse..Artz said he had to scramble, not just to learn "how the bank had done things for the last 30 years" but also to adjust to the rash of regulatory changes, stabilization programs and special assessments the financial crisis spawned.."Looking back, maybe it was easier for somebody who didn't have the old habits," Artz said. "It was all new to me, so I just adjusted…to policies changing at a racehorse pace every time you clicked on an e-mail.".He said one of the bank's directors gave him a piece of advice that has since become his motto: good times create bad habits; bad times create good habits..Artz credits a highly supportive management team, board of directors, bank staff and community with helping him get up to speed quickly. His wife Amy and his extended family (Artz is the youngest of 15 children) also helped him during the transition..So did Rick Clayburgh and the staff at the North Dakota Bankers Association, where Artz is a board member.."Rick, his staff and my fellow board members have been super," Artz said. "I can call somebody and get perspective from people in my playing field. That's been awesome.".Beside the NDBA, Artz's volunteer affiliations include Dakota College at Bottineau and the Log Rollers athletic fundraising committee. He also was active with the Bottineau Jaycees before graduating from that organization a couple of years ago..Today he continues to farm 750 acres. "I love grain farming; that's my No. 1 pastime or passion," he said. Artz also likes spending time with Amy and his family on Lake Metigoshe as well as gardening, and hunting deer and pheasants.Other 2010 Rising Stars in Banking include:Todd Means, MidWestOne Bank, Iowa City, IowaAndrew Sexton, Readlyn Savings Bank, Readlyn, IowaLesly Couper, Alpine Bank, Rockford, Ill.Daniel Padilla, First National Bank of Omaha, Neb.Bryan Bruns, Annandale State Bank, Annandale, Minn.Annette Russell, Security Federal Savings Bank, Logansport, Ind.