Management positions announced following merger

Northwestern Financial Review, Feb 15, 2002

[people on the move]

Tom Whitson, chairman and CEO of Peoples National Bank in Council Bluffs, Iowa, has been elected a senior vice president and a member of the board of directors of American National Bank in Omaha, Neb. John Kotouc, vice chairman and CEO of American National Bank, made the announcement Jan. 11.

American National Bank completed its acquisition of Peoples National Bank on Dec. 19, 2001. Names of both institutions and most senior management positions are expected to remain unchanged.

Peoples National Bank has assets of $290 million with three offices in Council Bluffs, as well as offices in Missouri Valley, Crescent and Carter Lake, Iowa. American National Bank is one of the largest banking organizations in Nebraska with more than $700 million in assets and 22 locations throughout Omaha, Lincoln, Sarpy County and southeastern Nebraska.

"This merger builds a bridge between Iowa and Nebraska communities," commented Kotouc. "And we have strengths that complement each other. American National's focus on cash management and premier banking and Peoples' focus on residential mortgage lending will work well together."

Also, Doug Goodman, Gary Woods and Rich Stoufer, executive officers at Peoples National Bank, were elected vice presidents at American National Bank.

WestBank of West Des Moines, Iowa has promoted five people.

Tim Byrnes has been promoted to vice president and cashier. With 29 years of banking experience, Byrnes is senior operations officer, overseeing loan operations, information technology and special projects. Byrnes has a bachelor's degree from Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Banking. John F. McKinney III has been promoted to first vice president. McKinney is assistant counsel and is a consumer and commercial lender. McKinney has a bachelor of art's degree from Central College, McPherson, Kan., and has a law degree from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.

Tim McFarland has been promoted to second vice president. With five years of banking experience, McFarland serves the Urbandale branch as new business and loan officer, and as teller supervisor. Prior to joining West Bank, he served in various personal banking and branch management positions in the Des Moines area.

Karen Brooks has been promoted to second vice president. With 20 years at WestBank, Brooks manages loan documentation.

Jeffrey Wisecup has been promoted to assistant trust officer. Wisecup is a personal trust administrator in the bank's trust department. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

>Samuel G. Stone has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer at Firstbank Corp., Alma, Mich. During the past year, Stone was vice president and chief financial officer. Stone has a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University, Durham, N.C., and a master's degree from the University of Chicago. Stone also has the Chartered Financial Analyst certification.

Darin Caranci has been promoted to senior vice president at Keystone Community Bank, Kalamazoo, Mich. Caranci will retain the titles of chief financial officer and chief information officer. He will assume additional responsibilities related to long-term strategic branch planning. Caranci joined Keystone in 1999. Prior to that, he worked for Plante & Moran in their financial institutions division. Caranci is a graduate of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, with a bachelor's degree in accounting.

Also, Karen D. Townsend has joined Keystone Community Bank as assistant office manager at the downtown office. Townsend began her banking career at Old Kent Bank in 1992 and most recently was a financial services representative. Previous to that she had been a private banking assistant. Townsend is a graduate of Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Mich.

And, Sarah E. Ten Brink has joined Keystone Community Bank as a senior customer service representative at the downtown office. Ten Brink began her banking career in 1993 with Old Kent Bank as a customer service representative and most recently was a senior customer service representative at the Woodbridge Hills office of Fifth Third Bank. Ten Brink is pursuing an associate degree at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Beth Wilson has been promoted to vice president, consumer lending, at First Security Bank & Trust, Charles City, Iowa. Wilson joined the bank in 1990 as a consumer loan secretary. She was then promoted to consumer loan officer in 1997 and then to assistant vice president, consumer lending, in 1998. Prior to joining First Security she had six years of banking experience. In addition to helping loan customers, her duties include management of consumer lending. Wilson attended the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls and the Iowa Bankers Association Consumer Credit School.