Dean Wegner began his professional career as a real estate agent at 24, having first honed his people skills by selling door-to-door. When his real estate agency's in-house mortgage team opened a position, Dean jumped at the chance to bring his sales experience and client focus to a new area.
He began as a Mortgage Loan Officer in 1996 and never looked back. A little over a decade later, he joined Sunflower Bank in 2020. At the time, he was looking for an opportunity to work for a transparent, honest company bringing a new edge to the marketplace. He found that at Sunflower Bank.
“The leadership team had the same vision I wanted,” says Dean. “Which was, and still is, to help people, create a great work environment, and have a work and personal life balance.”
Dean started as the Branch Manager in Scottsdale, Arizona, before being promoted to the role of Area Manager. As Area Manager, he supports mortgage teams across the Arizona footprint while still originating mortgages—a combination Dean enjoys.
When he thinks about what makes Sunflower Bank a great place to work, the organization’s proactive, supportive, and innovation-forward culture comes to mind.
A Culture of Shared Accountability
Across the Bank’s footprint, our teams work together to grow the organization, serve our clients, and create possibility in our communities. This culture of teamwork and accountability is strongly evident in our Mortgage Lending Division and in how our mortgage lending teams rally together to achieve their goals.
“We are a proactive group of individuals who share the same desire to perfect the transaction experience.”
Dean points to our size as a key reason MLOs can move quickly and have as much success as possible.
“We are small enough to be nimble and make things happen very quickly,” shares Dean. "But we’re also big enough to have the right connections and the most robust products on the market.”
This unique mix of nimble and mighty allows Dean to forge relationships, gain access to innovative products and technology, and make a difference for his colleagues and community.
Support Across the Organization
Dean believes the culture of support at Sunflower Bank is one of the key reasons everyone is set up for success. 
From tools and resources to senior leadership and his mortgage team, support comes in many forms.
When team members encounter a challenge or escalation, leadership is there to help and provide guidance quickly and efficiently. The organization also supports MLOs’ continued growth, providing one-on-one professional coaching.
“We have a great crew of tenured employees who go above and beyond to help our clients, referral partners, and each other,” says Dean.
In addition to leaders who coach and advise, MLOs have the support of the Operations team and Marketing department. The Operations team helps with the complexities of loan processing, providing production support, in-house appraisal experts, underwriting, and more. The Marketing department provides fully compliant, on-brand resources to help MLOs communicate with clients and prospects. From personalized lender profile pages to ready-to-use, social media content and personalizable sales assets, the Marketing department supports sales efforts.
Innovative Products and Technology
Along with a strong foundation of support, Sunflower Bank offers products and technology that help homebuyers and MLOs excel.
“I’ve never worked anywhere that brings this many products together under one umbrella,” says Dean. “When the real estate market shifts, the Bank moves with it by quickly adapting and introducing innovative products that make homeownership more attainable.”
The Bank offers a suite of exclusive mortgage lending products that provide MLOs with a competitive advantage. With solutions designed for first-time home buyers, high-net-worth clients, and borrowers with specialized needs, there is a product to meet the needs of creditworthy borrowers.
In addition to our exclusive products, we’re also a direct seller to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae with a robust set of portfolio loan products.
This includes user-friendly technology that streamlines processes and removes obstacles to communication. We provide a CRM system, My Mortgage App, and a host of tech tools to make closing quick and efficient.
“Sunflower Bank stays ahead of the curve. We evolve with the market and make sure our loan officers have what they need to win clients and serve their communities.”
Positioned for What’s Next
As Dean looks ahead, he’s excited to continue serving his team and clients at the highest level. The people, culture, and friends he’s made while working at Sunflower Bank are what set it apart. Dean's ready for whatever comes next.
“We have the best operations on the planet. The competition simply cannot move as fast as us,” he says. “In my opinion, this is the only place to work.”