Pub 18 2021 Issue 1

Issue 1 • 2021 5 O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S Covid-19 truly was a game- changer in forcing banks and the world to adapt and adjust to an environment like we never experienced before. an accelerated push to electronic banking. Younger customers are not opening bank accounts in a branch and want to do everything on their phone or laptop. I also think we will see a hiring challenge for experienced bankers as the old-school traditional banker will soon age out and retire. Specifically, in New Mexico, full-service community banks will make difficult decisions to try and hire up and compete or throw in the towel and sell. I sure hope New Mexico will not see a state bank in the future; however, with our state 100% one- party government, the chance is greater than any other time. Do you have any advice for young bankers? Look, listen and learn. It sounds so simple; however, younger bankers can truly build a career in banking if they are patient and willing to gain the experience necessary to succeed long-term. In addition, the older bankers need to be willing to mentor and challenge the younger bankers and trust them to do the right thing. I have enjoyed my 32 years in financial services and am grateful to all who helped me along the way. I feel it is our duty to pay it forward with the new generation of bankers and ensure our knowledge and experience is passed on. Please tell us about your family. I have an amazing family. My wife, Robin Brule, is an awesome wife and partner. She is always supporting me and is much more impactful in the community with her work than I could ever be. She is a senior director with Filene Research Institute. Their motto is “Changing lives through innovation, truth and cooperation.” We have three great adult children: • Michael is a doctor at Loyola Hospital in Chicago. • Emma is a technical business development specialist with Sandia National Labs, here in Albuquerque. • AnnaGrace is a Music Business senior at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, we have two dogs and two cats. What are your interests outside of banking? Robin and I love to travel. We also like to binge-watch silly reality TV and escape by going to the movies, although that has been on hold now for the year and a half since the pandemic started. We used to love going to Flix Brewhouse back when it was open. Now, unfortunately, it has closed. You served as a Bernalillo County Commissioner for several years. How rewarding was that experience, and how did you balance your day job as a banker with your commissioner duties? It was such an honor to hold an elected office as a Bernalillo County Commissioner. When I decided to run for office, my goal was to keep my career in banking and serve the constituents of District 4. I was able to do this for eight years and was elected Chair of the Bernalillo County Commission my last year. The county commissioner role was set up to be a part-time position, so it was not difficult to balance my work at Southwest Capital Bank with serving Bernalillo County. Many times, the work overlapped, and both jobs benefited. I was fortunate that Greg Levenson supported me in doing both jobs. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you and your bankers? What challenges did you overcome, and what lessons would you share in time with future leaders? COVID-19 truly was a game-changer in forcing banks and the world to adapt and adjust to an environment like we never experienced before. Many of us have gone through financial market meltdowns and extreme negative banking situations; however, this was a global, personal, and business phenomenon. Lockdowns, no travel, businesses closing, supply chain disruptions, extreme loss of life of friends and family, confusion, stress, fear, isolation, masking up, the race to vaccinate, and the list goes on. As bankers, we all needed to continue to provide essential services to our customers while also ensuring we protected our employees and our families. Drive-ups, online and mobile banking, night drop, curbside banking, Zoom and Teams meetings, and work from home were all new and old banking solutions all bankers quickly put into full motion. The biggest lesson we learned is, we all try and prepare for all types of business disruption and disaster recovery; however, no matter how much you think you are ready, something unexpected will happen. This sort of event is when you need to think quickly, make decisions, and always rely on common sense. Showing confidence, compassion and empathy go a long way to helping you deal with any situation. What is your claim to fame? Success as a banker or as a political figure? I do not feel like I have a claim to fame. I am proud of the work I have done over the past 32 years and the great colleagues and customers I have been able to work with. I am blessed to have a great wife and family, and I enjoy watching our children start their journeys and adventures in life. It has been rewarding to watch Southwest Capital Bank grow and handle the challenges of being a family owned independent community bank. I am proud of developing a best-in-class cannabis-related business banking process and helping to provide financial services to this legitimate legal New Mexico industry. Finally, being elected chair of the Bernalillo County Commission was very cool, and I will always remember my days on the commission. n