7 Hoosier Banker April 2016 Our staff members give back to the community in many ways. We have some who read to children at the local libraries once a week, and everyone is involved in either their churches, clubs, livestock activities, coaching and all the other happenings of small communities. One form of outreach that has been helpful to both the community and to our bank is a scholarship program. We give an annual $1,000 scholarship, renewable for four years, eligible to any high school senior furthering their education in a business-related field. The program helps us, because when we’re interviewing somebody for the scholarship, at the same time we are interviewing that person as a future candidate for our operation. We need to be attracting the next generation of employees, and this scholarship process gives us a unique way to find talent. For those who are new to banking and want to further their careers, I offer three pieces of advice. First, develop a network. One effective way is through the IBA Leadership Development Program. Our bank is now sending our third person to this outstanding program. Every time we send someone, that person comes back invigorated with new skills and a network of banking peers. Second, I encourage people to find a mentor. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a banker, but it does need to be someone who has your best interest at heart. Third, look for ways to help customers achieve their financial goals. Our foremost responsibility as bankers is to help customers succeed. It’s what community bankers do. I see this demonstrated by our staff, who continually go above and beyond to take care of our customers and each other. That same caring atmosphere is in my home life. My wife Deb and I have been married for 40 years, and I have benefited from her strength throughout our life together. Deb is an elementary school counselor at the Pioneer Regional School Corp. She also is my partner with our livestock enterprises, and we, along with our daughters, own The Royal Centre Record, a local weekly newspaper which has been in continuous publication for 135 years. We have been blessed with two daughters, a son-in-law and three charming young ladies who Deb and I count as granddaughters. One granddaughter starts kindergarten in the fall, one is in the fifth grade, and the other is getting ready to go to college. They are awesome young ladies who are comfortable with the hard work, and the fun, of showing cattle and raising goats. At home and at the bank, I am surrounded by great people. My door is always open to assist or to listen. I try to lead by example and by remembering the past, managing the present and focusing on the future. ASSOCIATION UPDATE In 1979 Community State Bank, Royal Center, had an opening for an agricultural loan officer. I didn’t know anything about banking, but a gentleman at church encouraged me to apply. He said I’d be ideal because of my agricultural background: raised on a farm, studied animal sciences at Purdue University, former herdsman on a dairy farm, plus at that time I was working as a hog buyer for a packing plant. At first I wasn’t interested in the bank position, but then one day at the packing plant, the gentleman in charge of hog procurement looked at me and called out, “Hey, you.” He obviously didn’t know my name, even though I had been there three-and-a-half years. That convinced me that I wasn’t going anywhere in that organization. I called Community State Bank to confirm that the position was still open, then stopped by to fill out an application. Not expecting to interview with anyone, I wore blue jeans and work shoes, much to my mother’s dismay. One of the vice presidents approached me, after completing the application, and asked if I could stay a bit, and soon I wound up in the middle of a board of directors’ meeting. They were all wearing suits and ties, but I left with a job. It was an interesting start to what has turned out to be a long-term career move. Throughout the years, I have continued to learn and assume duties as they arose, wearing many hats, as we all do in our community banks. I gained additional education through the SW Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University, and I also learned by networking with other bankers. This is not my first term of service on the Indiana Bankers Association board of directors. Years ago I previously served on the IBA board, and also on the board of the Community Bankers Association of Indiana. I was considerably younger then, and I found a couple of mentors who were of great help to me over the years. In January 1991 I was elected to our board, and when Merle C. Nice, one of my mentors, retired in April 2002, I was asked to assume the role of president/CEO of Community State Bank. Today my role includes involvement in the day-to-day operations of a four-office operation and management of an agribusiness loan portfolio. I am still active in farming ‒ my family operates two livestock enterprises, Carlson Cattle and Crooked Creek Boer Goats ‒ and that involvement helps me understand the marketplace and business cycles that affect our agricultural customers. Another role as president and CEO of the bank is taking care of employees and customers. Our board of directors is very supportive and gives me the latitude to be helpful in any way. If a staff member or someone in the community is experiencing health issues or other problems, I hear about it pretty quickly, and the bank and I do all we can to help. Relationships are what drive Community State Bank. Board Review Joseph D. Carlson, Northwest Region Director Community State Bank, Royal Center
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