Showing Up for People A Q&A with 2026 MIB Young Banker Award Recipient Caden Harkins Caden Harkins did not set out to become a banker. After graduating from college in May 2022, he simply knew he wanted to return home to Montana’s Flathead Valley. An internship at Three Rivers Bank of Montana gave him that opportunity — and introduced him to a profession built around the values he already held: curiosity, care and commitment to community. Now the MIB’s 2026 Young Banker Award recipient, he sees the honor as both an affirmation and a starting point. Caden recently sat down to discuss the mentors who shaped him, the importance of local decision-making, his full-circle service with the Highlander Track program and why the next generation of bankers should keep looking for work worth doing. What was your initial reaction when you learned you had received the award? I was super excited when I got the email from Shane congratulating me, and I was also pretty surprised. I didn’t know who else was in the pool or what to expect. It was a really happy moment. What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally? Personally, it is rewarding to be recognized for the hard work I’ve been doing. Professionally, I see it as a launch pad. It reassures me that I’m taking the right path and doing the right things, while also encouraging me to keep going and improving from here. How did you find your way into community banking? Honestly, I fell into it. Right out of college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do; my main goal was to move home to the Flathead Valley. I saw that Three Rivers Bank had an internship and thought I would work there while I figured things out. Then I learned how involved the bank was in the community. That really interested me, so I stayed. How has your role evolved since you joined Three Rivers Bank? I started in the accounting department as an intern in May 2022. After a month or two, a personal banking position opened, and I moved into that role for just under two years. Then I became a credit analyst, underwriting commercial loans for about two years. Most recently, I transitioned into a loan officer role. I’ve been fortunate that Three Rivers Bank has given me opportunities to learn many sides of the banking industry. Who have been your most influential mentors? There are many people I could name. Joel Rosenberg, our senior vice president of commercial loans, took me under his wing and taught me how to work with customers 12 Community Banker
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