48 JULY / AUGUST 2020 DEPARTMENTS Benjamin J. Bochnowski, president and CEO of Peoples Bank, Munster, has been named a 2020 Rising Star in Banking by BankBeat magazine. He joined the bank in 2010, was named president and chief operating officer in 2015, joined the NorthWest Indiana Bancorp board of directors in 2014, and was promoted to CEO of the bank and holding company in 2016. Bochnowski serves on the Membership Council of the American Bankers Association and on the boards of directors of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions and the Indiana Bankers Association. He previously was a member of the IBA Future Leadership Division Advisory Board. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of One Region and volunteers with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Bochnowski earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan; an MBA from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain; a leadership certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; and he has completed the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. Jenilee Bransteter, business banking manager of First Bank of Berne, has been named by the Independent Community Bankers of America to the nationwide list of 40 Under 40 emerging community bank leaders, published in the June issue of Independent Banker. Bransteter joined the bank in 2007 and has served as branch manager, vice president, and commercial and ag loan officer. Among other areas of community service, she is secretary of the Berne Rotary Club. Bransteter is a graduate of The Ohio State University and of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. Justin R. Proctor, executive vice president and director of lending at Bath State Bank, has been named by the Independent Community Bankers of America to the nationwide list of 40 Under 40 emerging community bank leaders, published in the June issue of Independent Banker. Proctor joined the bank in 2018 and was elected to the board of directors in 2019. He had eight years of prior experience in public accounting with BKD CPAs & Advisors, Ernst & Young LLP and Celadon Group Inc. Proctor is a Ball State University Young Alumni board member and a licensed IHSAA official. He is a certified fiduciary and investment risk specialist, and he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University. Michael R. Dury, president and CEO of Merchants Capital, Carmel, was selected in March by the Junior Achievement of Central Indiana as Indy’s Best and Brightest in the category of Banking & Financial Services. He joined Merchants Capital, an affiliate of Merchants Bancorp, in 2007. He was named president in 2017 and CEO earlier this year. Dury is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Craig Fortner, first vice president of information technology of First Internet Bank of Indiana, Fishers, was selected in March by the Junior Achievement of Central Indiana as Indy’s Best and Brightest in the category of Technology. Prior to joining the bank, he held various roles with companies that include Bank of America and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Fortner has completed the United Way United Program, served on the Center Grove Education Foundation board and is a board member for Starfish Initiative. Fourteen holding companies of IBA-member banks were included in the May American Banker ranking of the top 200 publicly traded community banks, based on return on average equity over the past three years: No. 10 - First Farmers Financial Corporation, Converse (First Farmers Bank & Trust Co.) No. 24 - F.S. Bancorp, LaGrange (Farmers State Bank) No. 32 - First Savings Financial Group Inc., Clarksville (First Savings Bank) No. 39 - Crystal Valley Financial Corporation, Middlebury (First State Bank of Middlebury) No. 55 - The Farmers Bancorp, Frankfort (The Farmers Bank) No. 91 - FFW Corporation, Wabash (Crossroads Bank) No. 97 - Northeast Indiana Bancorp Inc., Huntington (First Federal Savings Bank) No. 102 - First Capital Inc., Corydon (First Harrison Bank) No. 113 - FCN Banc Corporation, Brookville (FCN Bank) No. 153 - SVBT Corporation, French Lick (Springs Valley Bank & Trust Company) No. 164 - Northwest Indiana Bancorp, Munster (Peoples Bank) No. 169 - Benton Financial Corporation, Fowler (Fowler State Bank) No. 176 - Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Inc., Archbold, Ohio (Farmers & Merchants State Bank) No. 194 - Logansport Financial (Logansport Savings Bank) HB HONORABLE MENTIONS
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