Independent Banker - June 2021 - 68

CONNECTIONS TRAILBLAZER
" Tenacity, in my mind, is holding
on when you otherwise would've
liked to just let go. You just have
to have the strength to continue
looking into something until you
either find an option that will
work or all roads lead to nothing
you can do. "
-HEATHER PLUMSKI, STEARNS BANK
Women in leadership
Stearns Bank in St. Cloud, Minn., has been
able to cultivate talented women across the
institution. Women not only make up 71% of
the community bank's overall staff, but 70% of
managers and senior leadership, too. The board
of directors includes several women.
" People are not afraid to step up to the
challenge. Kelly [Skalicky, Stearns Bank
president and CEO] is great at challenging us
to step up to growth opportunities, " says Ann
Erickson, chief compliance and audit officer.
" We just have a lot of really great women. We're
really fortunate. "
Stearns Bank strives for the best talent
bank eschews cookie-cutter programs, instead
implementing tailored approaches to new products
or services or to reaching new customers.
" Whether it's a niche market or offering a
new online product, we're ready to be able to
turn quickly, " says Josh Hofer, chief risk and
information security officer. " I think we have that
culture across the organization to proactively help
the bank make decisions, so the risk side doesn't
have to catch up. "
The strength to be creative
The approach has led Stearns Bank to become
skilled in many sectors, including resource-intensive
specialty markets, from U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) rural development and Small
Business Administration (SBA) loan programs to
construction loans and equipment financing.
The community bank's ability to find creative
solutions is both an asset to employees, many of
whom value a dynamic work environment, and to
the community bank's bottom line.
" Tenacity, in my mind, is holding on when
you otherwise would've liked to just let go, "
Plumski says. " You just have to have the strength
to continue looking into something until you
either find an option that will work or all roads
lead to nothing you can do. Typically, we'll find a
creative solution. "
Eric Best is deputy editor of Independent Banker.
68 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q June 2021
regardless of gender. Employees describe a
workplace that's collaborative and challenging.
Once they're attracted by that engaging culture,
employees want to stay, in part, because of the
community bank's benefits package.
For example, a family care reimbursement
credit of up to $5,000 covers camps, youth
sports and online tutoring for families,
something that's been particularly useful
during the pandemic. One popular benefit, the
bank's employee stock ownership plan (ESOP),
gives employees across the community bank
a stake in its success and incentivizes them to
stay longer.
" It's not a benefit you're going to monetize
tomorrow, " says Heather Plumski, chief financial
and strategy officer. " If you have to be instantly
gratified, it's not that. " She says the bank has
added short-term benefits such as a $500 selfimprovement
allowance to explore hobbies and
activities outside of the bank. " We have a very
well-rounded package, " she adds.
The community bank has also embraced
flexible schedules where possible to recognize
employees' responsibilities outside of work. It's
a tone set at the top.
" [Kelly Skalicky] is the first one to say, 'Get
out of here. Go spend time with your kids or
go coach that event,' " says Josh Hofer, chief
risk and information security officer. " So, the
flexibility is there to do that. "
Independent Banker - June 2021

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