18 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 “Legacy may not be good for someone to try to self-evaluate, plus I’m not sure that someone at my level truly leaves a legacy. There was nothing that the organization accomplished that I could have accomplished on my own. It was a team effort, literally from day one. My legacy is not my legacy; it’s our legacy. “But what I suppose some people may remember about me is that we have been able to set the IBA on a very sound financial footing. A lot of that financial soundness has been through entrepreneurial pursuits, such as the New Markets Tax Credits, the captive insurance company subsidiaries, the relationship with The Baker Group and other IBA Preferred Service Providers. Those have been important to allowing us to become financially independent and one of the strongest state bankers associations in the country. “Second would be leading the merger of the CBAI and the IBA, and inheriting and developing a strong staff leadership team, which is mostly still in place today. The merger was highly significant in my career. “Something that is a little less known, but important to the people who were affected, is the work that we did in raising dollars to help people when the tornadoes went through Henryville in March 2012. We were hoping to raise $25,000 to $50,000. Instead we raised nearly $400,000, and every penny of it went to those who experienced losses. That was such a personally gratifying experience, and something I’ll never forget.” What influences in your upbringing had the greatest impact on you? “The biggest influence was watching my father work two jobs the whole time I was growing up. He was a skilled tradesman, a tinsmith at Chevrolet Muncie, and then he almost always had a farm on the side. When he didn’t have a farm on the side, he was selling water softeners, or he was trying to invent something. He was always working. “As I watched him, what I was observing was the importance of a strong work ethic. That had a profound influence on me when I was younger and even today. One of my favorite sayings is that I may not be as smart as the next guy, but I can outwork him. That came from those early life lessons as a result of watching my father.” Please share a bit about your family. “My mother and father had a very, very strong relationship. They got married when they were young, and they were together for 67 years before my mother passed away. My dad is still living. “He just turned 90, and he likes to remind me that his vital signs are better than mine. My father is in an assisted living facility and is doing very well. Apart from some mobility issues, he is still physically and mentally as strong as he ever was. “I have two children. Jill, my daughter, is the oldest. She is an amazing young lady. She and her husband have four children, ages 9 to almost 21. In addition to raising those kids, she also holds two jobs. She has her own faith-based counseling practice, and she is a United Methodist minister. Her husband is a sales manager for a Swiss company and is on the road three or four days a week, so Jill has her hands full. “My son Jason, who is not married, loves being an uncle to his nieces and nephews. He spent 14 years working for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and recently left to pursue some entrepreneurial desires. Both he and his sister have done well and have chosen careers where they can express their passion for helping others. I’m very proud of them.” What advice would you offer to young professionals considering banking as a career? “I believe that banking is a great business and a great career. It is also the business that every other business needs in order to Joe DeHaven consults his Franklin planner for goals, tasks, appointments and schedule reminders. IBA staff display awards presented in 2015 by the Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE). Since 2003, the Association has won 26 ISAE awards, including Executive of the Year to DeHaven in 2010. Shown are (left to right): Chris Bennett, Dax Denton, Joe DeHaven, Amber Van Til and Rod Lasley. SPECIAL TRIBUTE
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