LEADER’S LEDGER From Mahaska, With Love As I reflect on my career at the KBA, I have to chuckle knowing that many who will be reading this weren’t even a glimmer in their parents’ eyes when I started working at the KBA in September 1988! My second week into this journey, I was introduced to the KBA’s fall conferences: a whirlwind tour of the state over two weeks. (Three towns in three days, twice!) I had no idea what to expect, as I had barely moved into my office, but I was pleasantly surprised when Harold Stones informed me that staff would each have their own motel room. Wow — I had arrived! That was just the first of many adventures with Kansas bankers and my KBA family. We have fought many battles together along the way, from losing investment subsidiaries but gaining a privilege tax reduction, to attacking credit unions’ field of membership expansion and eliminating the mortgage registration tax. But every battle was well worth it because it made your lives as bankers better, which in turn made your communities better. It is a fact that every bank is systemically important to the communities it serves. I encourage you all to be ready for the challenges that lie ahead! Please continue to stay heavily involved in the KBA, as it is your association, and your team stands ready to fight for you every day! I don’t have to tell Kansas bankers that the KBA is in great hands. The team that I will no longer have the privilege of working beside consists of highly productive, professional and loyal individuals. Great things lie ahead for the industry because of the hard work and dedication they put forth. And it starts at the top with the KBA President & CEO, Doug Wareham. I will always believe that the day I approached Doug in the Capitol and asked if he would consider leaving his current association to work for the KBA was one of the best dang days I have ever had! I am confident you all agree. In addition to the successes on the battlefield, it is the friendships with bankers and their families that helped make my KBA journey so rewarding and enjoyable. You are what made my work not feel like work. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to fight for you and alongside you over the decades. I will forever be proud to say that I represented the Kansas banking industry for nearly 40 years. It’s been a career that this farm girl from Mahaska could never, ever have dreamed possible. Thank you and God bless! By Kathy Taylor, JD, EVP-General Counsel, KBA Please Join Us for A Retirement Party Honoring Kathy Taylor, JD Friday, January 30, 2026 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. KBA Office 610 S.W. Corporate View Topeka, KS 66615 RSVP to Alana Seelbach via Email at aseelbach@ksbankers.com 6
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==