Wisconsin Bankers Association

Happy Thanksgiving from WBA! We are thankful for all of our bank members and the services they provide in our Wisconsin communities. The WBA office will be closed today and Friday, November 28–29, for the holiday. The office will reopen on Monday, December 2.

The WBA is pleased to announce the winner of the second annual WBA Marketing Excellence Award for 2024: Horicon Bank and the bankers behind the 'Blazin' Savings' campaign, Grace Bruins, Amy Banaszak, Becki Schimpf, Rose Petitte, Kara Guse, Cassie Voight, and Karin Langsdorf! Horicon Bank received the award on November 21 at the 2024 WBA FLEX Retail and Marketing Summit. Their 'Blazin' Savings' campaign increased deposits and brand awareness in several new communities. The direct mailing piece that promoted the Blazin' Savings Account featured an exclusive barbeque recipe that included a special seasoning you can only find at Horicon Bank. Anyone interested in stopping by a branch to ask about the account got a free jar of the spice. The Marketing Excellence Award serves to recognize and celebrate marketing teams who excel in communicating bank products, services, or initiatives through interesting and dynamic campaigns. Congratulations, Horicon Bank, on your success and creativity!

Congratulations to our WBA Inc. staff member Alice Hamilton on her work anniversary this month – just in time for her retirement from WBA today! Join us in celebrating Alice! Thank you for all you've done for FIPCO customers. Alice Hamilton – 25 years of service (start date: November 8, 1999)

Yesterday, at the WBA FLEX Retail & Marketing Summit, the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF) honored 78 bankers and 21 banks for their efforts in promoting financial literacy in Wisconsin communities. In total, over 400 Wisconsin bankers completed over 900 presentations, reaching more than 30,000 community members in the last fiscal year. These education efforts included giving presentations in local classrooms to teach children about saving and managing money, leading homeownership workshops, and hosting fraud prevention seminars, among many other initiatives. Congratulations to those recognized and thank you for all you do in your communities! https://lnkd.in/gdtc3ZT7

Another exciting and informational WBA FLEX Retail & Marketing Summit is in the books! Bank marketers, retail staff, and financial literacy advocates gathered in Wisconsin Dells for the past two days to network, inspire, and learn from industry leaders. Safe travels on the way home in the first snow of the season!

Congratulations to WBA's very own Scott Birrenkott, director – legal, on receiving the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE) 2024 Visionary Award! The award was presented yesterday at the WSAE Annual Summit at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison. The WSAE Visionary Award recognizes an outstanding commitment to one’s association, profession, or the association community’s innovation and leadership as evidenced by the core competencies of WSAE (leadership/mentorship, knowledge, and community impact). Read more about Scott's contributions on the WBA website: https://lnkd.in/g9pc28SS

WBA would like to congratulate Ixonia Bank's Becky Messmann who recently celebrated 30 years of service in the banking industry. WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels was on hand to present a WBA Lifetime Service Award to Becky earlier this month. Thank you for your dedication to your community and our industry!

During the American Bankers Association National Agricultural Bankers Conference this week, retired Wisconsin banker Dave Coggins was recognized as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Bruning Award! This annual award recognizes bankers who demonstrate outstanding leadership and dedicated service to providing credit and guidance to farmers, ranchers, and their fellow agricultural bankers. Read more about the award presentation and Coggins' 47 years in ag finance on the WBA website: https://lnkd.in/gS5dX_GH

The American Bankers Association is hosting its national Agricultural Bankers Conference in Milwaukee this week! WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels welcomed the 400 attendees to Wisconsin, where she shared insights about our state’s $104.8 billion agricultural economy. Rose also gave an overview of WBA, our partnership with ABA, and our advocacy initiatives.

WBA Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Daryll Lund recently joined Paper City Savings Bank (PCSBank) staff and board members for an official ribbon cutting in celebration of PCSBank's new office in Wisconsin Rapids. Congratulations on your new location!