Independent Banker - June 2023 - 32

Lenders
2023 COMMUNITY
BANK LEADERS
(Continued from page 31)
make customers aware of the different
programs that are offered in-house
and through various public agencies,
especially for first-time homebuyers.
For example, cfsbank in Bentleyville,
Pa., is educating its customers on
the First Front Door (FFD) program,
a federal grant program offered by
members of FHLBank Pittsburgh.
FFD provides qualifying borrowers
with grants of up to $5,000 that can
be put toward closing costs and a
down payment.
" Even though we can't control
the high-rate environment we're in,
we can control how we focus on our
customers, " says Katelyn McCauley, a
branch manager at the $600 millionasset
bank. " We keep our customers
at the forefront of everything that we
do, and in return, we gain their trust,
even in a very competitive mortgage
pricing environment. "
Thinking outside the box
Community banks are adopting new
strategies to help generate mortgage
business. One marketing move
cfsbank took recently was to register
the bank as a lender on Zillow.
McCauley came up with the idea
when she was using the app herself.
She did some digging and found that
she could get the bank included on
Zillow's mortgage lender hub, for free,
with email inquiries routed directly to
the bank based on zip code.
Getting linked to Zillow puts the
cfsbank name in front of a larger group
of homebuyers, and now it's a process
that continues to work on its own,
notes McCauley. The Zillow listing also
helps the bank connect with younger,
tech-savvy customers.
" We just try to make sure we are
keeping up with the times and adding
products, services and technologies
that will allow us to grow, " she says.
Alexis Henderson, 29
Chief retail officer
 Success Bank | Bloomfield, Iowa
Alexis Henderson revamped Success Bank's
mortgage lending program shortly after
assuming a management role in the retail
department. After researching mortgage
origination systems, she enhanced the existing
manual, face-to-face application to include an
automated online system. With her assistance,
the community bank grew its mortgage
lending portfolio by 225% in just four years.
Stephanie Schwilling, 38
Senior branch manager, mortgage loan officer
 Citizens Bank of Kansas | Winfield, Kan.
Stephanie Schwilling believes in investing in
community, which she demonstrates through
dedicating time to underserved community
members by offering financial literacy
education for those experiencing poverty.
Because of this work, she has helped multiple
individuals move into their own homes and
secure their financial futures.
Alyssa Manley, 27
Mortgage underwriter
 Stephenson National Bank & Trust |
Marinette, Wis.
Alyssa Manley offers an innovative approach to
mortgage underwriting at Stephenson National
Bank & Trust. Not only has she helped implement
a mortgage system, cutting the underwriting
time frame from half a day down to an hour, she
also looks for solutions in situations where the
client may be denied a loan . -Rachel Hatcher
32 // ICBA Independent Banker // June 2023
Independent Banker - June 2023

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