D. Gene Dikeman II is the President and CEO of Bank of the Plains, which has nine locations in Kansas. Gene is also the 2024-2025 KBA Chairman. His life is nothing short of fascinating and has prepared him well to not only lead the bank but also take the helm of the KBA to help pilot the association through the upcoming year. KBA had the opportunity to spend some time with Gene to talk about his life, successes and plans as the KBA Chairman. We hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did. The following are excerpts from our conversation. Tell us about growing up in rural Kansas. I was born and raised in Syracuse, Kansas. My grandparents were born in Pratt County, Kansas, in the late 1800s. In the early 1900s, they moved just north of Syracuse and that was the start of the family farm. Their house was very small, probably smaller than my office. It was in the middle of nowhere and being comfortable with a life where you survived by being self-sufficient was a must. They started the farm from scratch, raising sheep, hogs and cattle, planting trees for shade and raising crops. There was no electricity. In fact, I recall as a young boy, standing next to their Caterpillar generator which was the only source of power for 30 years. Meet New KBA Chairman Gene Dikeman 5
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