Meet 2024-2025 NBA Chair Brad Koehn In his 37-year tenure in banking, Brad Koehn embodies the essence of leadership and dedication within the banking industry. While transitioning through various industry roles throughout his career, Koehn’s commitment to serving others has remained unchanged. He is looking forward to giving back to the banking industry through his role as the 2024-2025 Nebraska Bankers Association Chair. Koehn grew up on a small farm in Niobrara in the 1970s and early 1980s. This period was marked by the 1980s farm crisis, which caused extreme economic hardship for farmers and rural communities. The crisis had devastating effects across the nation, adversely impacting many farm families, rural businesses and banks. Koehn experienced the repercussions of a rural bank failure as his hometown bank was the first to close in Nebraska during that time. As a teenager, he recalls resilience among the adults in his community, who silently bore the weight of their hardships without blame or complaint. It wasn’t until his studies in college that Koehn gained a broader perspective of the true nature of this economic crisis. Koehn was later drawn to banking by the desire to help prevent such crises from recurring. “I witnessed firsthand what a bank failure and financial devastation does to a community. But even more impactful is how it affects families. It doesn’t just break businesses. It breaks communities. It breaks families,” he said. This event made Koehn realize the fiduciary responsibility every banker should have, particularly in rural communities, and deepened his appreciation of the importance of the agriculture industry. It is something he has taken very seriously in his banking career. Koehn entered the banking industry as a national bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC charters, regulates and supervises all national banks, federal saving associations, federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. He was immersed in a rigorous training program that delved deep into the intricacies of banking. The six-month program provided a comprehensive education on every facet of a bank’s balance sheet and its management, equipping Koehn with fundamental knowledge that would prove to be invaluable throughout his career. 8 NEBRASKA BANKER
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