A BACKGROUND ON John Denkler President & CEO, First State Bancshares and Co-Vice Chairman, First State Community Bank By The Missouri Independent Bankers Association MIBA recently sat down with John Denkler and got to know more about him, his career and his thoughts on the industry. We would like to thank John for his time and hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did. The following are excerpts from our conversation. J ohn has been in the banking industry for 40 years. John and his wife, Kris, have four children and six rambunctious grandchildren. When he isn’t working, he enjoys being outdoors. Every year, he looks forward to hunting during deer and turkey season and has recently started to get back into fishing. He was born in Hannibal, Missouri, where many of his relatives and grandparents lived. At the age of five, he moved just a few hours south to Jefferson City, Missouri. John spent much time during his youth going back to Hannibal to help his grandfather on his dairy farm. John fondly remembers a few of the lessons he learned from his grandfather, “He taught me how to milk a cow, and I also learned what it means to be kicked by a cow and thrown up against the side of the barn.” His father also farmed part-time, and John mused, “Farming is in my blood.” When deciding what career would be best for him, he had a real desire to be involved with and help the ag/farming community. John always had a knack for numbers and was good at managing money. Having spent time with his grandfather and seeing the different challenges that farmers faced, he knew that the best way he could help his family was to get a degree that helped farmers from the financing side. John attended college at Missouri State University, formerly Southwest Missouri State University, located in Springfield, Missouri. He received an ag business degree with a minor in Banking and Finance. That led him to his first job, working for Farm Credit in the Springfield, MO, area. He learned a lot there because, at the time, A recent successful St. Francois County deer hunt. Grand Giveaway Program: We awarded a $50,000 prize to one of our long term customers. She has been a customer for over 30 years starting as a Junior saver. 16 | The Show-Me Banker Magazine
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