50 Year Club Awards At this year’s annual meeting, recipients who have dedicated 50 years to the banking industry were honored with well-deserved awards, celebrating this remarkable milestone. Others not in attendance were given their awards throughout the year. Rich Dickason, Exchange Bank & Trust in Atchison For more than five decades, Chief Executive Officer Rich Dickason has been a driving force behind Exchange Bank & Trust’s success. On July 1, 2023, Rich stepped down as CEO after an extraordinary 50-year career. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Rich became a certified public accountant for the Touche Ross Accounting Firm, which later brought him to Atchison. In 1973, after performing the audit of Exchange Bank, Rich was offered a job as Controller by the bank’s owner and president, John Adair, Sr. John saw Rich’s potential as a leader and, in 1978, named Rich as his successor. In the bank’s 167 years, Rich was the 13th president. He served 29 years, second only to William Hetherington, the bank’s founder, who served for 31 years. He stepped down as president in 2007 and passed the title to Mark Windsor. He remained CEO until his retirement. During his overall tenure, the bank grew from one location to ten within northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri, which included five mergers. Jim Richardson, Prairie Bank of Kansas in Stafford Jim Richardson started at the Prairie Bank of Kansas in Stafford as a teller on Sept. 1, 1972. He has a Bachelor of Art from Southwestern College in Winfield that he completed in 1970 and a Master of Science from Emporia State University in Emporia in 1972. He also graduated from the Graduate School of Banking – Colorado in 1979 in Boulder, Colorado. In 1980, Jim was promoted to President, and then in 1987, he was promoted again to President, CEO and Chairman. He currently is the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Prairie Bank of Kansas in Stafford and the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Farmers National Bancshares, Inc. Throughout his career, Jim’s professional affiliations were serving on the Kansas Bankers Association’s Board of Directors from 1987-1990 and 1996-2000 and then as KBA Treasurer in 1990. During Jim’s time at Prairie Bank of Kansas, he was able to oversee several bank expansions. In January 1993, the bank completed the acquisition of Buhler State Bank. In October 1997, the bank also completed the acquisition of United Bank of Inman. In 2009, the bank opened its Hutchinson branch. Frank Suellentrop, Legacy Bank in Colwich Frank Suellentrop attended St. Gregory’s College in Shawnee, Oklahoma and received his associate degree in business in 1973. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982. He has held various positions in his banking career and is a fourthgeneration banker. Frank began his career at the State Bank of Colwich in Colwich, KS, on May 30, 1973. At that time, the bank had one location with assets of $14 million. Frank joined the board of directors in 1982 and was instrumental in forming Colwich Financial Corporation in 1986. In 1991, he was elected President of the State Bank of Colwich. In 2000, the bank’s name was changed to Legacy Bank as they opened at 16
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