2026 BankBeat magazine Outstanding Women in Banking: Melissa Spurgin

Iowa banker found her voice as industry involvement grewGrowing up in a small Iowa town as the youngest of four children with three brothers, Melissa Spurgin found her voice early and is now using it to advocate for community banking. The first generation banker who serves as Chief Financial Officer at First Iowa State Bank in Albia, was recently elected Chair of the Iowa Bankers Association. She is also being recognized as a 2026 Outstanding Woman in Banking by BankBeat magazine..The first generation banker who serves as Chief Financial Officer at First Iowa State Bank in Albia, was recently elected Chair of the Iowa Bankers Association. She is also being recognized as a 2026 “Outstanding Woman in Banking” by BankBeat magazine.“I didn’t grow up dreaming of a career in banking because, frankly, I didn’t know anyone in banking,” Spurgin told 400 bankers in September at the IBA’s annual convention. “What I learned growing up were lessons that have served me every day of my career. Growing up in our house, you learned pretty quickly that if you want to keep up, you better be tough, work hard, and find your voice.“Being the youngest taught me resilience; being surrounded by older brothers taught me confidence. And growing up taught me that if something needs to be done, you don’t stand around waiting for someone else to do it. You roll up your sleeves and get to work.”Spurgin said she grew up on a dead-end road “where hard work wasn’t celebrated because it was expected.”The Iowa Bankers Association recently highlighted that hard work when it nominated Spurgin for recognition in this BankBeat program. “She has been a remarkable advocate for our industry on policy issues,” wrote Adam Gregg, IBA President and CEO. “She regularly participated in our D.C. fly-ins and our Iowa Capitol visits, and she served on the ABA’s Government Relations Council. She was appointed by the Governor of Iowa to serve on the State Banking Council to advise the Superintendent of Banking, and served on the board of the Iowa Economic Development Authority to guide state-level economic development efforts.”Spurgin said she never considered herself to be a good speaker, although public communication is a key part of her industry advocacy. She said her school-days involvement in Future Farmers of America helped her develop poise. She also credits her good fortune in high school and college obtaining summer internships at First Iowa State Bank as the beginning of her career success. The summer work helped her identify a personal penchant for numbers and when she graduated from college with a degree in accounting, she immediately went to work for the bank, starting as a teller and bookkeeper, working through several jobs (including roles in compliance and loans), until she was named CFO.Some 15 years ago, Spurgin participated in the IBA Leadership Institute, an experience that introduced her to advocacy. Not long after that, Spurgin was awarded a scholarship to participate in an IBA Washington D.C., advocacy trip. That was about the same time Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act, which gave Spurgin an impetus to engage in the bank’s compliance activities. The experience gave her an up-close vantage for seeing the impact of the new rules on customers. “It was impacting customers negatively and I had the opportunity to share that with members of Congress and our regulators,” she commented. “Instead of just complaining about them, the dialogue gave us an opportunity to discuss ways to make things better.”In early 2026, Spurgin was invited by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to testify before the Senate Small Business Committee. She spoke specifically about challenges facing small businesses in rural America. As IBA Chair for 2026-27, Spurgin is advocating around four association priorities:FDIC insurance reform, new technologies in financial services, the importance of public funds remaining in local communities, and succession planning. “Those four priorities may seem different on the surface, but they all point to the same mission: Protecting the trust we’ve earned, embracing thoughtful innovation, preparing the next generation of leaders, and strengthening our own,” Spurgin told bankers at the IBA convention.Reflecting on her career, Spurgin identified the bank’s participation in PPP loans as a memorable moment. “I remember waking up in the middle of the night to see if there were new rules,” she said. “You’d work into the night just to make sure you were ready to go the next morning and that staff was updated so that we could hit the ground running ... It was so important to get that money into our customers’ hands. That was a major win in my lifetime.”Spurgin credits her team at First Iowa State Bank, which is 100 percent owned by employees through an ESOP. She cited the encouragement of previous employees also, and she thanked bank President and CEO Dan Stocker for placing confidence in her. “We are able to challenge each other, which to me, is the truest sign of respect,” she said. She also called out the encouragement of former IBA President and CEO John Sorensen who spurred her interest in the IBA and the broader industry.Spurgin encouraged young people. She said banking is a great place to be for people who like helping their community. “When I was a young person,” she reflected, “I kept thinking about five or 10 years down the road but what I’ve learned with age is, one should really just be present in the moment, and enjoy it all.”