Ed Martin, Kaw Valley State Bank & Trust Company Congratulations to Ed Martin on 50 years of exceptional service in banking! Ed began his banking career in 1975 when he joined Kaw Valley State Bank & Trust Company as a Loan Officer Trainee. Demonstrating a strong commitment to both the bank and his community, Ed steadily advanced through leadership roles and was elected President on Jan. 24, 1990. Under Ed’s leadership, the bank expanded significantly. A major milestone was reached on Oct. 26, 1999, when the bank broke ground on a new location at 1015 Kaw Valley Park Circle, opening its doors on April 9, 2001. On March 31, 2004, Ed purchased a controlling interest in Kaw Valley State Bank & Trust Company, and that same year, he was elected CEO and Chairman of the Board. Further growth followed when Kaw Valley State Bank & Trust Company merged with First National Bank of Clifton/St. Mary’s on Sept. 5, 2008. After decades of dedicated service, Ed retired from his role as CEO on Jan. 20, 2023, passing the title to his son, Josh Martin. Ed continues to serve as Chairman of the Board for Kaw Valley State Bank & Trust Company, guiding the institution with the same passion and vision that have defined his career. Congratulations, Ed, on 50 outstanding years in banking! Charlene “Becky” Classen, The Community Bank Congratulations to Charlene “Becky” Classen for an outstanding 60-year career! After graduating from high school in Ames, Oklahoma, Becky took a job as a teller at the Alva State Bank in August 1965, while her husband attended Northwestern State University in Alva, Oklahoma. Upon his graduation in 1969, Becky moved to Forgan, Oklahoma, and began working as a teller in the First State Bank of Forgan. In 1989, the First State Bank of Forgan was acquired by the Bank of Beaver City. During her time there, Becky filled several different roles, working as a teller, in operations, in human resources and as the Board Secretary. In 1990, Becky joined the People’s National Bank in Liberal, Kansas, as an Administrative Assistant in the loan department. She quickly moved to Administrative Assistant to President Jim Thompson and Executive Vice President Cliff Haltom, and also served as the Board Secretary. She worked for People’s National Bank until Bank IV acquired it in December 1992. She remained with the bank through Bank IV’s acquisition by Boatman’s, then NationsBank and then Bank of America. On April 6, 1998, Becky became one of the original employees of The Community Bank, a de novo bank established in Liberal, where she continues to work today in operations, as the head of human resources, and as an indispensable source of banking advice due to her wealth of knowledge and experience. Becky and her husband Alan live in Liberal. Becky is the mother of 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. We congratulate her on this incredible milestone! 29
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