Pub. 1 2021 Issue 6

December 2021 | 13 MIBA LOBBYING REPORT Andy Arnold Arnold & Associates Congressional redistricting will take center stage when the Missouri General Assembly reconvenes Jan. 5, 2022. Every 10 years, once the U.S. census is complete and population data down to the neighborhood block has been gathered, sorted and provided to the state, new congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature. This time around, Missouri will get eight congressional districts, the same number of districts the state has had over the last 10 years. Missouri had nine congressional districts between 1992-2011, but because the state population did not grow on par with other states, Missouri lost a congressional district in 2012. There is fierce jockeying for two of the state’s eight congressional districts — the fourth and the seventh — after incumbent Vicki Hartzler and Billy Long declared candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Roy Blunt. At least five state senators, a former state senator and a state representative have either declared candidacy or are looking at running for one of these two districts. We expect a serious primary challenge in the first congressional district, now held by Congresswoman Cori Bush. And, depending on how the lines are eventually drawn, there may be significant primary challenges in the second (Wagner), third (Luetkemeyer) and fifth (Cleaver) congressional districts. Stay tuned! This is going to get really interesting in the coming months. ■ FROM YOU NEWS MRV Banks President and CEO Doug Watson is pleased to announce Stan Rubbelke has been hired as the Market President in Festus. Rubbelke will be responsible for overseeing all of the bank operations for that banking center. Rubbelke joins MRV Banks with more than 25 years of community banking experience. Most recently, he served as a contracted consultant at MRV Banks after serving as executive vice president, vice president-chief operations officer, and vice-president of operations at a variety of other St. Louis Metro area banks. “Stan is a strong addition to our Festus team who will help continue the growth we have experienced in the market,” said MRV Chief Lending Officer Rob Lawrence. “We are excited to add a strong lender to help service and maintain our loan growth. We feel fortunate to attract such a top-level banker with his breadth of knowledge. I know he will do a great job working with our current and new customers in the Festus market.” Rubbelke also has experience as an entrepreneur and small- business owner, having acquired and managed a commercial cleaning company as well as an interstate transportation company. He plans to use his understanding of the unique challenges small businesses and entrepreneurs face today to serve customers. “What attracted me to MRV Banks is our commitment to the communities we serve and our employees’ dedication to helping solve customers’ problems,” said Rubbelke. “As a fellow small- business owner, I always say, ‘you’ve never had a worry until you have to make a payroll.’ I really have empathy and understanding for our borrowers and the challenges they face running their businesses. I’m excited to bring that background and experience to this position.” Founded in 2007, MRV Banks is one of the fastest-growing banks in Missouri. With more than $500 million in assets, it is ranked within the top 10% of its national peer group, based on Asset Growth, Net Interest Margin, Efficiency, and other criteria. MRV Banks has locations in Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and Festus. MRV Banks has a reputation for delivering premium banking products and services to local consumers and small- to medium-sized business customers throughout Missouri. For more information about MRV Banks, go to mrvbanks.com or call 636-638-2421. ■ MRV Banks Hires Stan Rubbelke as New Festus Market President