Changes in store for local bank

Landmark takes reins at CNB location
There are some major changes happening at Landmark Bank — besides a name change — but its core values are still the main focus.
CEO and Chairman of the Board for Landmark Bank, Pat Alexander, sat down with The Register to discuss the changes over the past few months, as well as what they are looking forward to, including a new vice president in Job Springer.
Landmark made final the purchase of Citizens National Bank on Nov. 1, when the signs were officially changed. Alexander said taking over CNB was a “great fit” for Landmark.
“The ownership of the bank needed an exit strategy,” Alexander said. “It was very much a reciprocal process.”
Landmark, which has 30 locations across the state, maintained the majority of the positions for their Iola location from CNB, save for a few “redundant” administrative positions. He said the customer service values of Citizens drew them to the area.
“We have a similar philosophy on customer service,” he said, in addition to their loan portfolio and “credit culture.”
He said with change always comes skepticism in a community, but he made a point of reassuring the public that CNB’s values would remain intact, along with positive growth from a larger bank such as Landmark.
“Whenever you have a change in name, the customers wonder what is going to change,” he said.
The process of making the switch should be fully completed in March, he said, when the computer systems are updated to Landmark’s operations.

ALEXANDER said the face of banking has changed over the past few years, and Landmark is doing its best to adapt.
As an industry, “it’s going to be more and more difficult for a community bank to thrive,” he said.
When the economic recession hit in 2008, the federal government implemented a series of regulations for banks, known as the “Dodd-Frank bill.”
Formally known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, the regulations were implemented in 2010.
Alexander said the amount of regulations imposed on banks forced them to hire more personnel and spend more time addressing the facets of the act — very difficult for small branches to handle. Both Landmark and CNB recognized this, which ultimately proved to be the catalyst for the former to expand and the latter to sell.
“It takes a lot of people and a lot of expense to run a bank,” Alexander said. “It’s hard to commit a lot of people.”
He said the federal government is not completely done writing regulations either. Only about half of the intended policies have been implemented so far.
But, Alexander said the situation has given Landmark — with whom he has worked for 20 years — an opportunity to extend its reach across the state.

Springer stepping into leadership role
Job Springer is stepping into the role of vice president for Landmark Bank; it’s a pair of shoes that seem to fit him very well.
Springer grew up in Gas, and graduated from Iola High School in 2000. After attending Kansas State University for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics, he moved to Ardmore, Okla., to work with the Noble Foundation — a non-profit that assists farmers across the southern Great Plains.
“I was working on one side of the desk, and I think this will be the other side of the desk,” Springer said. He worked with other professionals as an economist to improve production, profit and the overall quality of life for farmers and ranchers.
Agriculture runs in his bloodline. His grandparents and parents were both farmers in southeast Kansas.
“It’s something you grow up around,” he said. “They’re good people, the salt of the earth.”
He said he is driven to assist farmers and ranchers, no matter what side of the desk he is on. The representation for agriculturists is important for the community in any sector, whether it be non-profit or for-profit, he explained.
“It’s crucial to have good people that want to be in the agricultural industry,” he said.
Springer will be moving to Iola with his wife, Katrina (another Iola native), and his two children — Rohan, 5, and Moira, 15 months. He said a small community is a prime place to raise a family, and they have been looking forward to the move ever since he was selected for the position with Landmark. Being close to family doesn’t hurt either.
“It’ll be nice so the grandparents can see them (the children) more often,” he said. “Rohan kept asking, ‘when are we going to move back?’”
Springer said the experience he brings to the position will be unique, and he and his new employer will have a lot to learn from each other when he starts work on Monday.
“It will be a learning experience,” he said. “But I think I bring a lot to the bank.”