North Dakota banker honored with ABA ag award

The American Bankers Association will bestow its Bruning Award upon Roger Monson, an ag banking advocate who has worked to create jobs in rural North Dakota. "I meet a lot of bankers, but only a few are like Roger," said John Blanchfield, director of ABA's Center for Agricultural & Rural Banking. "He has stepped forward to do more in his local community and has stepped forward to represent agricultural bankers.".ABA launched the Bruning Award 16 years ago to recognize bankers for a lifetime of commitment to providing credit and financial guidance to farmers, ranchers and businesses in rural America. Monson will receive his award at the ABA National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Milwaukee on Nov. 6..Monson, who works part time as a correspondent banker for State Bank & Trust of Fargo, N.D., was president of Citizens State Bank of Finley, N.D., for more than 30 years and still serves on its board of directors. Through his tenure, Monson focused on creating agricultural and manufacturing jobs in rural North Dakota and expanded the bank into two new markets, increasing assets from $30 million to $130 million. .Born and raised in North Dakota, Monson grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Cooperstown. When he graduated from college, he wanted to be a farmer. "But Dad told me I belonged in business," he said..In 1972, he accepted a job with Farm Credit Services in Finley. Within a year, he was the lending manager. "I was an ag lender from day one," Monson said. "Working with farmers turned out to be the next best thing to being one.".For nine years, Monson competed against Richard Solberg who was president of the Citizens State Bank of Finley. Then in 1981, "he asked me to come and work for him," Monson explained..The two worked together for only a year but Monson still remembers Solberg's example. "He definitely influenced my banking leadership style and the way I treated my employees," Monson said. "I learned bank operations from Dick, which helped me as I managed the bank in the years afterward.".In 1982, Solberg left to work for the bank that later became State Bank & Trust of Fargo, where Monson now works. When Solberg left Citizens State Bank, Monson was promoted to president..While his new duties might have kept him busy enough, Monson still involved himself in community efforts. In particular, he played a pivotal role in creating an economic development organization called the Griggs-Steele Rural Empowerment Zone..In 1998 Monson and other community advocates learned they could apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund an empowerment zone to combat population decline. The advocates quickly organized and filed an application to create an empowerment zone in Steele and Griggs counties..In March of 1999, Monson and his associates were awarded $20 million in funding for the empowerment zone. They had been selected from a pool of 63 applicants. "Roger was instrumental in the getting that funding," said Laurie Tuite, a loan specialist with Griggs-Steele Rural Empowerment Zone. "He's the guy you want to have if you want to get things done.".Monson was the zone's first president. He put his skills to work developing the zone. He realized that if the zone only made grants that were not repaid, it would run out of funds and it wouldn't be able to help anyone anymore. So Monson managed the zone like a bank. It expected its grants – or loans – to be repaid with interest. Then it could cover its operational cost and continue its development efforts. "Roger was always the voice of reason that looked at the big picture," Tuite said..Monson served as president for 10 years, helping communities in the zone in numerous ways. For example, companies in the zone that created full-time jobs got a tax deduction. Furthermore, the zone awarded grants to cities that took steps to welcome new companies. The zone also brought high-speed internet to the region. All the efforts resulted in businesses coming to the area, including one with a $600,000 payroll that came to Hope, N.D.."We haven't stopped out-migration but we have slowed it," Monson said..Monson was chairman of the North Dakota Bankers Association in 1998-1999. Through NDBA he became involved with the ABA and was selected to serve as chairman of ABA's Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee from 2000 to 2004..In 2004, Monson went to Washington D.C., to testify before the U.S. House committee on agriculture. At the time, an FCS association intended to sell itself out of the FCS system. A sale would have meant a payout for 51,000 farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners and business people who owned the association. "Roger did a wonderful job describing why they should be allowed to leave the Farm Credit System," Blanchfield said. "He spoke in terms of the best interest of the farmers.".Monson also has served as the chairman of the American Institute of Banking. He has been a district board member for NDBA, and served most recently as a two-term member of the North Dakota State Banking Board. "I never saw myself becoming an advocate but I have always felt the need to give back," Monson said. "I feel I have gained more than I have contributed to the industry."