These two experiences had many parts working together, and as with banking, the city had many parts that needed to run smoothly, such as street examinations, the local swimming pool, or helping with a county fair’s success for the common good of the community. It also helped Walter, as Mayor, to support shopping locally. Oberlin is 30 miles from McCook, Nebraska, and McCook has had a Walmart for many years. Walter made the statement when he was running for the city council that, “I could pay $40 dollars more and buy the product in Oberlin and be money ahead. Some people thought that was the most ridiculous statement that they had ever heard.” He said when people would ask about that statement, he’d say he’d be driving 60 miles with gas expenses and wear and tear on his vehicle. His family’s car could not drive by the Baskin Robbins without stopping to get ice cream. Then when they were in the store, they would see, and at times purchase, more items that they thought they might need when they really might not. So, all of this will come out in more money spent, as well as more time making the journey, than just spending the $40 locally to support the local businesses in town. “I just felt like we wanted to promote shopping locally, and that is exactly the same thing that we were promoting when we were loaning money to local businesses and farmers and the people of our community that were dependent upon them,” Walter said. The Bank made an acquisition in 2002, and the bank board promoted Walter to Bank President. Even though he had a full plate with everything going on, he had the full support of The Bank Chairman R.L. Gaskill, the City Administrator and the head of the departments. Walter’s biggest challenge was always making sure that what they were doing was for the betterment of the community and separating personal feelings from professional. He said he really learned this as a young banker when he had to start wearing a necktie. The necktie allowed him to dress differently than the customers, and he was able to have that separation from the friend, whom he was to most borrowers, to be the banker who had to enforce the contracts at times. Sometimes in being Mayor, he also had to make hard decisions that were not always popular. Walter looked up to a man named Sam Wilcoxon, who at the time was a high-up AT&T employee with many years of business experience so that he could ask his opinion on making these hard decisions. Over the years, Walter also officiated wrestling for almost 20 years, is a husband and a father to three girls and helped his father-in-law throughout the years on the farm. His greatest professional achievement has been doing his best to better his community. Tested by Fire Kendal Kay President & CEO, Stockgrowers State Bank, Ashland Kendal Kay, President & CEO of Stockgrowers State Bank in Ashland, started his banking career on Oct. 23, 1995, after graduating with an accounting degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma. He started out doing the accounting for the bank, like the call report, IT and the holding company books. He then came up through the ranks by becoming President when he was just 29 years old. Since he had to work in all positions, this allowed Kay to know the process of how a check clears all the way through the bank. Protection, Kansas, native Kay said it was hard to root for Ashland when he first moved there, so he decided to become involved more by being a part of the city council in April 1997. In 2009, Kay was ending his third-year term on the city council. He knew the current mayor wasn’t going to rerun, and he said it didn’t look like anyone else was going to step up to take the position. On a night before the deadline, Kay went home to his wife and said he thought he might run for mayor since it didn’t look like anyone was going to step up. His wife had said, “Well, you can run, but I am not going to vote for you.” Kay stated that while Karrie said that jokingly, she was always very supportive of him. In April 2009, Kay stepped into the role of mayor for Ashland. After 25 years of public service, Kay retired from his mayoral seat in January 2022. Initially, Kay wanted to step down in 2017, but Ashland was struck by the Starbuck Prairie Fire, so he decided to stay on. Kendal Kay (right), President & CEO at Stockgrowers State Bank in Ashland, with Senator Bob Dole (left). Kendal Kay (left) and his wife Karrie (right) with their granddaughter Kora Konrade (middle). The Starbuck fire near Ashland. Photo taken by Bo Rader from the Wichita Eagle. 15
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