2012 Rising Stars in Banking: Todd Heilman

In Todd Heilman's childhood his family banked with Western State Bank. He did not expect it then but he would one day help that bank grow by $400 million in 15 years' time. He was the man for the job; his work ethic and his taste for a challenge made him the perfect fit for the bank..When Heilman started college he had planned on becoming a teacher but his college advisor changed all that. The counselor, a strong mentor and example for Heilman, helped him identify banking and accounting as his strength. "He taught me to set high expectations for myself in everything I did. He really lived that. He required that of me," Heilman said. "His classes were more challenging but I realize now that he was preparing me for a professional career.".Heilman changed course in college and pursued a degree in accounting. When he graduated in 1991, Brady, Martz and Associates, a CPA firm with an office in Grand Forks, N.D., offered him a job. "My job there really prepared me well for my role as CFO.".At Brady, Martz and Associates, Heilman met another mentor: Mark Miller. Miller taught Heilman one of the skills for which he is now honored as a 2012 NorthWestern Financial Review Rising Star in banking..Miller had an impressive knowledge but he didn't act like it. "He handled each person so well and was able to interact with them at their level, whether it was a training session or a meeting with someone more experienced," Heilman said. Others have identified this skill in Heilman. "He connects with people whether it's a child or a CEO," said Ann Reich, senior vice president of strategic partnerships with the North Dakota Bankers Association. "He has all the great qualities of a leader because of his open door policy. He's so approachable," she said..During his six-year time at Brady, Martz and Associates, Heilman developed a relationship with Brian Houkom, the president of Western State Bank. One day in 1997, Heilman received a call from Houkom with a proposition. Houkom planned to embark on an aggressive plan to grow the bank and he wanted Heilman to be his chief financial officer. "He needed someone who could manage the financial challenges of growing the bank in terms of capital and liquidity," Heilman said. A community bank looking to grow "was unique for what I had seen of community banks.".Houkom's plan was to take the then $128 million bank, with its leasing company, and organically grow it to the five-branch, $511 million bank it is today. The plan for accomplishing this growth involved the development of a sales culture. "That was Brian's vision, to be out there looking for new business," Heilman said..But Western State Bank also needed the infrastructure to grow beyond a one-branch bank. That was Heilman's job. "We looked at operations, technology and finance, and prepared them to support growth in the bank," Heilman said. He also had to make sure the bank remained well capitalized and liquid. "It was clear from the beginning that this kind of growth was going to need liquidity and capital.".In 1999, the bank opened a new location in West Fargo. It opened another location in Fargo in 2007. In 2009, the bank bought a branch in Chandler, Ariz.; it had $155,000 in deposits and no assets. The new locations gave the bank access to new markets. Western State focused on its sales culture, tripling its sales staff to 60 employees in 2012 from 22 in 1997..These efforts paid off. "Todd was the primary enabler," Houkom said. "He made sure everyone else can do their job." Heilman brought the technology and the processes of the bank up to par so that they could handle the volume brought on by growth in the bank. "I don't give him much guidance; he is very capable of identifying things that needs to be done and then just doing them," Houkom said.Other 2012 Rising Stars in Banking honorees include:Sherri Van Beek, CorTrust Bank, Sioux Falls, S.D.Henry Schutz, Lake Country Community Bank, Morristown, Minn.Tod Eastman, HomeStar Bank and Financial Services, Manteno, Ill.Adam Dittrich, Americanna Community Bank, Sleepy Eye, Minn.Blair Folkens, L.A. Amundson Investments, Sioux Falls, S.D.Greg Turner, MidWestOne Bank, Iowa City, IowaEric Kjos, Regional Missouri Bank, Marceline, Mo