News and Views

North Dakota bank snags football endorsement.BlackRidgeBANK, Fargo, N.D., entered into an endorsement agreement with Carson Wentz, a former quarterback with North Dakota State University, Grand Forks, and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He will appear in a range of promotional media primarily in the Fargo and Bismarck regions including radio, TV, billboards and print.."Carson has strong ties to Bismarck, Fargo, and the entire region with an impeccable work ethic and represents an ideal professional to team up with as we continue our growth and introduce creative solutions for our clients," said John Jessen, director of retail banking and Bismarck market president..Through the end of the year, BlackRidgeBANK will be giving away autographed jerseys to the first 200 clients who close a mortgage loan. Each officially licensed NFL Philadelphia Eagles jersey autographed by Wentz comes with a letter of authenticity..First Citizens honored.Mason City, Iowa-based First Citizens Bank won the Give Back Iowa Challenge for its business size, and the staff was recently honored by a visit from Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds. Give Back Iowa is an eight week challenge running from April 1 through May 31, 2016 to engage Iowans in employer-sponsored volunteering, both during and outside of the workday. The challenge is conducted by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service..Employees of First Citizens Bank completed the most number of volunteer hours per person in the medium-size business category. Categories were defined by total number of employees. First Citizens' 213 Iowa employees completed 1,421.35 volunteer hours during the two month time period. That averages out to more than 6.6 hours of volunteerism per employee..Entrepreneur named.Randy Newman, chairman, president and CEO of Alerus Financial, was named an Entrepreneur of the Year in the Financial and Technology Services category for the Upper Midwest by Ernst & Young..The award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities..Under Newman's leadership, Alerus successfully navigated the devastating flood of 1997 in Grand Forks and has since carried out an aggressive expansion plan that included the acquisitions of Twin Cities-based Beacon Bank and Albert Lea, Minn.-based Alliance Benefit Group North Central States Inc., in 2015. In the last six years, Alerus has grown by three times its asset size, three times its profitability, and three times its employee headcount..Newman, who has been with Alerus since 1981, frequently donates his time and money to worthy causes. He has served on numerous boards and leadership roles at multiple organizations, including a 20-plus year tenure with the University of North Dakota's Center for Innovation Foundation, which advises and supports young entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, Alerus has developed several programs to support employees who contribute to their community by providing paid time off for volunteer work and matching contributions to various charitable causes..Newman will now be considered for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year national awards, announced in November..Country Club Bank opens Minnesota office.Country Club Bank, Kansas City, Mo., recently opened a Capital Markets Group office in the Minneapolis area. Joshua Kiefer, who will work in the Eden Prairie office, is a Minnesota native. Kiefer joined Country Club Bank in 2005 after graduating from North Dakota State University, Grand Forks, with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a finance concentration.