MISSOURI BANKER Meet Your Where are your main bank and branches located? What is the market like? Our headquarters is in Macon and we have a branch in Monroe City. Our market is a large mix of consumers, local businesses and farm operations. What is something unique about your bank? Our bank was started in 1893 by W.J. “Jett” Dearing and Frank Hayes. Jett rode on horseback to sell bank stock to area farmers. Those area farmers and business owners invested enough money at the bank to get its charter. We have never forgotten the local people and businesses that gave MA Bank their start. All these years later, we are still working hard for the communities we serve. Today, we have fifth-generation family members working at the bank in marketing and lending positions. We take great pride in our long local history of being a familyowned community bank. How did you get started in the banking business? My mother worked at MA Bank (formerly Macon-Atlanta State Bank) for 19 years. As graduation from graduate school was nearing, another employee told her there was a bank in St. Louis that was hiring where her son worked. Eventually, I made my way back to my hometown and now her son and I both work for MA Bank. What prompted you to continue the family tradition and join the bank? My mother had such a wonderful career working for MA Bank and made lifelong friends with both co-workers and customers that, when I decided to move back to this area, there was nowhere else that I wanted to work but here. What is the most important thing you’ve learned from this career so far? Everything comes down to relationships and being able to connect to customers in the way that best meets their needs. I feel that we do an awesome job of this with the variety of ways we interact with customers from online conversations to making home and farm visits. Tell us about the bank’s community investment efforts. MA Bank invests heavily in the communities they serve. The bank really strives to be a cornerstone of the local economy. Dollars invested in the bank are turned around and lent back out to local businesses, helping to keep our local economies strong. The bank also typically donates anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 per year to local schools, community organizations and events. We are a very proud supporter of the communities we serve. What is the bank’s biggest challenge in the area of internet banking/mobile banking? We have partnered with Jack Henry to host our internet/mobile banking. We don’t shy away from technology and offer new banking options soon after they’re available to us. However, just like many other community banks, we struggle with cost vs. return. It’s expensive to keep up with cuttingedge technology, but something we must do to stay relevant and meet customer expectations. Many times, the cost of that technology is a true cost without the ability to get a return or pick up many new customers within a community bank footprint. What’s your favorite thing about your bank or banking in general? I really love getting to know our customers and learning about their businesses and occupations. We have a wide variety of business owners in our local communities that are integral to the success of this entire area. If you didn’t have a career in banking, what other career would you choose? I’ve wanted to own a bed and breakfast since I was in high school. I love the hospitality industry and think it would be a fun way to meet new people. ■ Jennifer Utter , Compliance Officer MA Bank 2023 Issue 3 | 13
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