Nebraska banker to receive national association award

Northwestern Financial Review, Aug 1-Aug 14, 2002

Harley Bergmeyer, chairman of the Saline State Bank in Wilber, Neb., has been selected winner of the Bruning Award for 2002. The sixth annual award is presented by the American Bankers Association Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking.

Named after Nebraska agricultural banker Frank Bruning, the award recognizes the lifetime achievement of individuals who dedicated their careers to providing credit and guidance to farmers, ranchers and their fellow agricultural bankers.

"Harley has dedicated so much of his life to the banking industry," said John Blanchfield, director of ABA's Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking. "Harley is a great example of a community leader who cares deeply about his town and understands the needs of agriculture."

Bergmeyer is a past president of the Nebraska Bankers Association, served on nearly every committee at the NBA, and was director and chairman of Nebraska Electronic Transfer System.

He served as ABA treasurer from 1997-1999 and was on the ABA Board of Directors. He has long served on ABA's Government Relations Council and is currently chairman of the ABA Credit Union Task Force.

"We recognize those agricultural bankers that have unselfishly given their time to seeing their communities grow and develop, to furthering the profession of agricultural banking, and to helping secure a sound future for American agriculture," said Donald Ogilvie, executive vice president at ABA.

Outside of his banking pursuits, Bergmeyer manages a 2000-- acre farm operation with his family and spends time on a 160-acre tree farm near Wilber. He is an active member of the University of Nebraska Athletic Department and a devoted fan of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

Bergmeyer, named North * Western Financial Review's Banker of the Year in 1999, will receive the Bruning award during the Annual ABA National Agricultural Bankers Conference on Nov. 10-13 in Indianapolis.