eyond lending to local businesses and households, smaller banks often serve key leadership roles in their communities. These bankers sit on the boards of local schools, hospitals and other civic organizations, not only meeting the credit needs of their local communities but they are also an integral part of them. Gary Walter drove The Bank golf cart during the Oberlin town parade. Gary Walter, Chairman at The Bank in Oberlin, representing his alma mater Kansas State University. Community Bankers are Public Servants Shop Local to Get Ahead Gary J. Walter Chairman, The Bank, Oberlin, Kansas Gary J. Walter, Chairman at The Bank in Oberlin, started out in banking in 1982 at the Decatur County National Bank in Oberlin. The failed Decatur County National Bank was eventually bought in 1985 by The Bank when Walter became Vice President. Before starting in banking, Walter liked to tell people and joke that he was a special agent for the FBI (it was actually Farm Bureau Insurance, not the Federal Bureau of Investigation). Walter had originally moved from Manhattan with his family to Oberlin since both he and his wife’s parents lived in St. Francis, and they could help them as needed. Walter was elected to the Oberlin City Council Board in 1997, and as he was reelected for a second term in 2001, the current mayor at the time decided to resign. Since the resignation was during a term, Walter needed to step into the Mayor’s seat from his position as Board President. He served as Mayor until April 17, 2003, when he handed the seat off to the next mayor, Ken Shobe. In becoming Mayor and bringing his banking experience with him, Walter said one thing he thought was, “I am a banker, and I don’t like surprises.” This came from an instance where a city employee was called out in an open meeting when neither the Mayor nor the City Administrator were aware of the concern. Walter had made the comment at the meeting that there was no allowable reason that someone would do that, and if there was a concern, there were avenues to go through to the City Administrator and through the Mayor before bringing it up in a meeting that, at the time, was being televised on the local cable channel to the whole community. With this vision of transparency, Walter did not want to be blindsided by an issue. His experience in banking helped him in being Mayor by exposing him to the financial sector, such as the finances of the city. “Both of these roles have entities that have to work together toward the common goal,” Walter said. “Which is to have everything run properly and not be foul of any problems.” Mayor Gary Walter looking over the city of Oberlin from the city water tower. 14
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