News

GRSB Receives National Community Service Award   |  Steere Named NFR's Top Women in Banking  |  GRSB Honored as BPW's Employer of the Year

Noah Wilcox Elected Treasurer at annual meeting of
Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota

Grand Rapids, MN, August 10, 2009 / -- Grand Rapids State announced today that Noah W. Wilcox, President and Chief Executive Officer, was elected to serve the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota (ICBM) Board of Directors as Treasurer for the 2009-2010 year. 

The slate of officers was announced on Friday August 7, 2009 following a several month long nomination process.  The vote was called for on Saturday during the annual meeting of the ICBM and Noah Wilcox was elected as Treasurer.  “I am very pleased with the level of trust that my fellow independent Minnesota bankers have placed in me.  I look forward to working hard for the association and for the franchises of all independent Minnesota banks.  With the current state of the industry strong representation and leadership is essential and I look forward to contributing my time and skills”. Wilcox said.  Noah has been a director with the ICBM since 2007 and also serves as a director for, the national industry association, the Independent Community Bankers of America.

 

Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota was established in 1962 as an association dedicated to keeping community banks competitive for the benefit of their customers and the communities they serve through delivery of quality education, effective political representation, and a forum for networking and information dissemination as well as essential services, products, and technology.

ICBM is committed to enhancing community banks for the benefit of consumers, small businesses, and family farms.

Grand Rapids State Bank was founded in 1914.  The locally owned and operated community bank has been serving Grand Rapids and surrounding communities for more than 95 years.  Grand Rapids State Bank is proud to be in its fourth generation of ownership and management.

 

GRSB Receives ICBA's National Community Bank Service Award

Phoenix, Ariz. (March 20, 2009) —The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) named Grand Rapids State Bank in Grand Rapids, Minn., a top honoree in the 2009 ICBA National Community Bank Service Awards for the bank’s outstanding leadership in its employee community service participation program.

"ICBA is proud of Grand Rapids State Bank," said R. Michael Menzies, incoming ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Easton Bank and Trust Co., Easton, Md. "They are a shining example of the volunteer service community banks all over the country provide every day."

Grand Rapids State Bank was named as a National Award recipient in recognition of its “100% Employee Participation in  Community  Service  Volunteer” program. As a part of this program, the bank’s employees participate in any community organization of their choosing. These organizations are charitable nonprofit organizations, but people may choose to participate in a religious organization as well.  At each month’s all-employee meeting, a handful (about one-twelfth) of employees take a minute or two to describe the organization with whom they’re working-- the purpose of the organization and what they’ve accomplished by working with the organization. Among the 30 plus organizations that have benefited from this program are the 4-H Highway Project , American Cancer Society Relay for Life,  Boy Scouts, and the area Chamber of Commerce’s “Future Workers” program.   

 

“I don’t think it’s enough to be locally owned or privately held to be a community bank. We have some of the brightest and best people in the community working for us, so we want them to give back and make this a better place to raise a family and start a business,” said Noah Wilcox, the president and CEO of Grand Rapids State Bank.

ICBA founded the National Community Bank Service Awards program to help celebrate outstanding volunteer efforts of community banks. The ICBA National Community Bank Service Awards bring national recognition to the unparalleled contributions community banks make to help sustain their communities. The awards are given to ICBA members that show longstanding commitments to community outreach and development.

 

Shelly Steere, NorthWestern Financial Review's Outstanding Women in Banking Recipient

NorthWestern Financial Review has named Shelly Steere, GRSB Senior Vice President - Operations, as one of their "Outstanding Women in Banking."  Each fall, NorthWestern Financial Review honors Outstanding Women in Banking. The award represents bankers from North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan or Iowa who have made outstanding contributions to their bank, industry and community. Winners are presented in NorthWestern Financial Review's November 15 edition. 

Shelly joined GRSB in 1990 and has held numerous staff and supervisory positions throughout the bank.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a master’s degree in management from the College of St. Scholastica.   Shelly is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking's Senior Management Program.  She is also a 2007 recipient of Finance and Commerce's Top Women in Finance.   Shelly serves as President of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School Board and is active in numerous community and civic organizations.

 

GRSB Named Employer of the Year by Business & Professional Women

Britta Arendt/Herald-Review

The Grand Rapids Area Business and Professional Women organization recently honored Grand Rapids State Bank with its Employer of the Year award.

For many years, hundreds of employers across the nation have vied for this award which is based on their employees’ nomination. The criteria used to choose the recipient includes support and promotion of fairness in the workplace; demonstration of sensitivity to the needs of female employees; availability of upward mobility and training; the employer’s record of recruiting, retaining and developing women; and policies on parental leave and dependent care.  The award was announced at the Grand Rapids Area BPW annual banquet on Oct. 22. The local organization found GRSB to be a workplace that met all criteria and exemplifies a woman-orientated workplace. This nomination is now submitted as an entry for the BPW/MN state award announced in May.

Pictured presenting the award (front row, from left) are Grand Rapids Area BPW Employer of the Year Chair Joni Fauchald, GRSB President Noah Wilcox and Grand Rapids Area BPW President Susan Jordahl-Bubacz. Seated behind are female employees of GRSB.