Sunflower Bank team earns industry recognition
Carter, named to the national magazine’s list for the second consecutive year, earned the No. 15 spot among US Banker’s industry list.
Sunflower Bank also earned US Banker’s distinction of a Top Banking Team, ranking No. 3 behind US Bancorp and BNY-Mellon. US Banker “recognized Sunflower Bank for its diverse leadership, highlighting the bank’s Sunflower Bank’s impressive lineup of women leaders throughout all levels of the organization – including four members of Sunflower’s 8-person executive team.
The magazine singled out Carter, Executive Vice Presidents Sandra Jacobs (Community and Western Banks), Jennifer Johnson (Chief Information and Operations Officer), and Phyllis Pickel (Marketing and Corporate Relationship Development); Sunflower Insurance Group Chief Operations Officer Kristy Balthazor, and Sunflower Wealth Management Vice President Brandy Felzien as testimony to the power of diversity.
“As a company, we’re always pleased with national honors,” said Carter, “and it’s humbling to rank highly among our peers. However, it’s not just a few of us committed to community banking and doing what’s right in our communities, it’s our entire organization.”
US Banker cited Sunflower Bank’s commitment to building relationships as central to its success – including First Ladies and Club Vogue programs, with focuses on educating women on financial responsibility. The bank also has seen its asset size grow by 8 percent and deposit increase of 5 percent during the last year.
Within Sunflower Bank’s employee base, 53 out of 116 corporate officers are women, and Carter, Johnson, Pickel and Jacobs comprise half of the bank’s 8-person executive team. Senior Vice President Sue Thompson, Vice Presidents Tami Budreau, Cheryl Campbell, Alissa Foth, Lynn Herbic, Linda Lilly, Sue Niernberger, and Lynne Weiser, and President of Pueblo Tammy Fesmire also contribute to Sunflower Bank’s impressive roster of female leadership.
“This year has been a year of building blocks,” Carter told US Banker magazine in her profile. “And the most critical thing for our industry has been the realization we cannot sweep things under the rug.” Carter cited Sunflower’s 2009 commitment to improvement of its personnel, retail, business and online processes as crucial for the bank’s future growth.
Carter earned the No. 15 spot on US Banker’s list. She has served as President and CEO of Sunflower Bank since 2005, and a member of the bank’s Board of Directors since 1995. Last year, Carter earned a nod as No. 7 on US Banker’s list. Along with Carter, only one other community bankers reached the top 25: Peyton Patterson, chairman and CEO, NewAlliance Bancshares Inc., New Haven, Conn.
US Banker’s annual 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, in its eighth year, pays tribute to influential women in finance – whose professional and personal achievements leave their mark on corporate America and push the boundaries of what’s possible in their businesses. US Banker’s editorial staff typically considers more than 4,700 executives for its honor of 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking through a detailed and lengthy nomination process. The magazine recognized the 25 honorees and 3 banking teams with an October celebration in New York, N.Y.
Candidates are selected and ranked by overall performance – including overall influence on the institution, the industry and the community. US Banker also considers an individual’s leadership skills, financial performance, job complexity, contribution to the institution’s revenue and earnings, product and service innovations, community involvement and reinvestment, corporate governance, ethics, management style, and education.
Founded in 1892, Sunflower Bank counts more than $1.7 billion in assets throughout 34 locations in Kansas and Colorado. A private, family-owned regional community bank, the six children of H.D. “Joe” Hale and Joyce Vanier Hale – including Carter – form the bank’s ownership group.
Sunflower’s Trust and Wealth Management team offers customers the opportunity to profit from the expertise of a number of seasoned professionals providing asset and estate management services as well as a wide assortment of investment options.
Sunflower Insurance Group features nearly $100 million in written premiums. The agency earned Consultative Brokerage of the Year distinctions in 2007 and 2008. Sunflower Insurance Group joins Sunflower Bank and Sunflower Trust and Wealth Management in comprising Sunflower Financial.
Headquartered in Salina, Sunflower Financial features personal and commercial banking, insurance, and wealth management services.
A monthly news magazine, US Banker is designed and written for senior executives of financial institutions, including directors, chairpersons, CEOs, presidents and business-line executives. Each monthly issue brings detailed analysis, insight and commentary in the areas of retail, small-business, corporate and institutional banking, community banking, technology, wealth management, M&A, marketing and more.
