As president, Doug has two goals. “It would be great if I could sit here and say that 12 months from now, we have 100% of community banks in Missouri as association members, but that might be a little lofty,” Doug stated. “My goal is to grow the membership of the association and get half of those banks that aren’t members today to become members.” “My second goal is to help change the demographics of the members who are involved on the board or committees or those who attend conferences. Right now, it seems that there are a lot of old white guys,” Doug chuckled. “We have got to get the next generation of bankers involved. They need to be prepared to take over the association and industry one day, and it’s our job to help them.” To help him reach these goals, Doug issued a challenge to all MIBA members. “Reach out to one independent bank in Missouri that is not a MIBA member. Tell them about the benefits of MIBA and invite them to join.” Doug continued, “Involve the next generation of bankers. Invite them to attend meetings, encourage them to serve on committees and be a mentor to them. The future of the industry depends on it.” Doug offers three pieces of advice to his fellow bankers, especially to the next generation: 1. Never stop learning. Our industry changes daily, so continuing to learn is vital. 2. Read, read and continue to read. Focus on your livelihood, banking, finance and things associated with the industry. 3. Try to make your last customer interaction the best interaction that they’ve ever had with a banker. He also loves to motivate his team with inspirational quotes. Doug’s favorite quote is by John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” When Doug isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his lovely wife of 42 years, Cindy. They have four children: Rebecca, Elizabeth, Andrew and Jon, who is a second-generation banker at BTC Bank, and four rambunctious grandchildren. He also has a small herd of cattle he tends to early mornings and evenings. “It’s something I do before I come to work. It’s just a good stress relief. I ride the tractor and don’t have to worry about anything other than making sure I don’t run into something,” Doug said. 14 | The Show-Me Banker Magazine
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