Pub. 15 2018 Issue 2

Issue 2 • 2018 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 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE JOHN S. GULAS NMBA PRESIDENT Los Alamos National Bank The best part of being in the banking business is the opportunity to help people achieve great things. This applies to our employees, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve. Interview with the New NMBA President John S. Gulas D uring the business session of the 107th NMBA Annual Convention, John S. Gulas, Los Alamos Na- tional Bank, was elected NMBA President. John’s responses to the interview questions provide an insight into his background and his thoughts: How did you get started in banking? It was actually by accident. I went to law school with the intent of practicing law, but upon graduation the firm I was supposed to work for went through a big breakup and the opportuni- ty no longer existed. To cover expenses while I looked for a new position, I took a job with the local bank’s trust department. I discovered that I enjoyed the work and was quickly promoted. Apparently, I was doing so well that a competitor offered me a fifty percent salary increase to join their team and I was off and running. I spent my first twenty years in banking working with two established institutions, Key- Corp and First Union (aka Wells Fargo). It was a great way to learn about the industry, but after multiple geographic moves and promotions, I realized I missed the key element that initially inspired my banking career: working closely with customers. I decided to leave First Union after the Wachovia merger and moved to Kansas City to begin a new role at UMB. My wife and I enjoyed Kansas City immensely, but shortly thereafter I couldn’t pass up the chance to serve as CEO at a bank in Ohio. The opportunity offered a new challenge and a chance to live closer to family. In that role I truly developed as a leader and gained valuable insight regarding acquisitions. After the holding company was sold, I moved on to my first Community Bank/Holding Company CEO position where I developed a strategy to raise capital and grow the company. That chal- lenge was only exceeded by the opportunity to become the CEO at Los Alamos National Bank. With LANB, I saw a unique opportunity to rep- resent an organization with a rich and dynamic history. I have enjoyed being part of creating stability, a culture of compliance and growth for the company. What has been the best part of being in the banking business? The best part of being in the banking busi- ness is the opportunity to help people achieve great things. This applies to our employees, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve. I’ve been fortunate to hold multi- ple leadership roles within the industry, and truly appreciate the opportunity to promote the professional development of my staff and witness them develop in their careers. I love helping our customers’ finance their dream homes and businesses, offering them access to important wealth planning services and connecting them with knowledgeable advisors.