North Dakota bank names new chairman and CEO

Northwestern Financial Review, Sep 1, 2001

Mike Porter was named chairman of the board and CEO of Brewer Bank in Grand Forks, N.D. Porter has served as executive vice president, senior lender at Brewer in Grand Forks since 1993. Porter replaces Duaine Espegard who announced his retirement last year after 32 years of service at Brewer.

"Mike has been a valuable member of the management team in Grand Forks for eight years and has played an active role in the Grand Forks community for over 25 years," said Lee Wall, a member of the Brewer board of directors. "The board was unanimous in its selection of Mike as our chairman and CEO."

Prior to joining Bremer, Porter served as executive vice president, senior vice president lending and vice president commercial lending for nearly 20 years at Valley Bank and Trust Co., Grand Forks, which was acquired by Bremer in 1993.

In addition, Porter is an active member of the Grand Forks community. He was appointed by the Grand Forks Mayor to serve on the Grand Forks Growth Fund Committee and is a member of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International. He has also served in various leadership roles for the Greater Grand Forks Economic Development Corp., North Dakota Bankers Association and is a past board member and executive committee member of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce.

"Mike was a natural choice for this role because of his vast business and leadership skills combined with his knowledge and involvement in the Grand Forks community," said Espegard. "I am pleased to leave this bank in his very capable hands and that of our exceptional staff."

> North Country Financial Corp., Traverse City, Mich, the holding company for North Country Bank and Trust, added six new members to its board of directors: Dennis Bittner (owner, Bittner Engineering, Escanaba), Robert C. Dellangelo, M.D. (physician, Marquette), G. David Jukuri (owner, Century 21 Agency, Houghton), Steve Madigan (owner, Madigan-Pingatore Insurance Services, Sault St. Marie), Spencer Shunk (owner, Shunk Furniture, Sault Ste. Marie) and Glen Tolksdorf (owner, Tolksdorf Realty, Houghton). >Michael D. Urquhart joined West Bank, West Des Moines, Iowa, as first vice president and commercial loan officer. Urquhart is a graduate of New Mexico State University.

> Lee M. Gardner joined Bank One, Chicago, as senior partner in its private equity business, One Equity Partners. Gardner has nearly 30 years of experience in manufacturing.

> Douglas Tillett was named vice president, external affairs, for The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Tillett most recently served as spokesman for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he was assistant vice president, public information since 1997.

> H. Douglas Chaffin joined Monroe Bank & Trust, Monroe, Mich., as executive vice president and senior lending manager. Chaffin has more than 20 years of banking experience and is a graduate of Indiana University.

> Ron Shealer was named vice president/commercial banking at Great Northern Bank, St. Michael, Minn. Shealer has more than 20 years of banking experience and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

> Charles Moore was named president of Firstar Finance, Inc., Minneapolis, a division of U.S. Bank that will become U.S. Bank Finance in 2002. Moore worked at Bank One, Chicago.

> Craig DeJager was named assistant vice president and senior trust administrator with Wells Fargo Private Client Services in Watertown, S.D. DeJager, a 10-year banking veteran, has a degree from Yankton College, Yankton, S.D., and the University of South Dakota.