North Dakota banker works hard to stay ahead of the curve

Northwestern Financial Review, Jun 15-Jun 30, 2003 by Dullum, Justin

Pete Jahner is getting awfully good at banking. This 2003 North[middot]Western Financial Review Rising Star has been a banker for 10 years, all of which have been spent at Kirkwood Bank & Trust in Bismarck, N.D, where he now serves as vice president. Besides working to keep the $90 million shop well oiled, Jahner is making moves in the broader banking community. He has served on the North Dakota Bankers Association legislative committee and was elected to the association's board of directors earlier this month.

Jahner became interested in the business world while attending the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. An older friend was a state bank examiner at the time.

"He told me a lot about his job and it always seemed very interesting to me," Jahner said.

After graduating in 1988 with a degree in banking and finance, Jahner took a job as an examiner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. For the next five years, he visited banks all over the country. It was a troubled time for many banks, and the work gave Jahner insight into what factors contribute to healthy institutions.

"At that time, it seemed every bank we ran into was a problem bank with some sort of enforcement action on it," Jahner said. "I learned a lot during those years. The training the FDIC provided was second to none. They throw you right into the thick of it, and I volunteered for every adventure I could get myself into."

Gary Peterson, president of Lakeside State Bank in New Town, N.D., worked with Jahner at the FDIC. "He was always a smart worker and extremely professional," Peterson said. "We all knew he was going to have a fantastic career in banking."

Jahner left the FDIC when life on the road began to interfere with the desire Jahner and his wife shared to start a family. She took a job with Montana Dakota Utilities in Bismarck, which is 60 miles northwest of Linton, Jahner's hometown. He met with Gerald Wilier, Kirkwood Bank president, who offered him the position of loan compliance officer.

"When we met, he asked the right questions and had the right answers to questions I asked. He was an impressive person," Wilier said. Ten years later, Willer said Jahner has, himself, become a bank asset. "He's extremely intelligent. He's very good at understanding complex loans and deciphering regulations. When he presents something to the loan committee, he has his act together."

Willer describes Jahner as a sort of information vacuum. "He would never tell you this, but he graduated first in his class from the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado," Willer said. "When I went through that program, I was pleased to come out in the middle. But first? To me, that's really impressive."

Like many community bank vice presidents, Jahner does a little bit of everything, everyday. He assists with the administration of the bank and its loan portfolio, he meets with customers, and he takes daily challenges head on.

"When I sit down at my desk in the morning, I never know what the day will bring," said Jahner. "I think that's the best part about being in banking."

Jahner said Kirkwood Bank has been growing steadily, which is key in his book. "Community banks can benefit from being able to continually offer new products and services," said Jahner. "If a bank is stagnant, it's not going to make it."

The drive to be dynamic has driven Jahner toward involvement with the NDBA. "I'm constantly trying to keep up on the latest issues in the industry," said Jahner, who has a keen interested in technology. "We're a small community bank. I think if you can keep up with technology, you can create the perception that you're a much larger bank. You can offer the whole gamut of products."

Three children keep Jahner plenty busy when he's not at the bank. Nevertheless, he's found time to begin pursuing a master's degree from UND via the Interactive Video Network. He also serves on the parish council of his church and works with the Optimist Club, "We try to get involved when and wherever we can," said Jahner.

He even finds time to hit the links once in a while. "Golf is my bad habit," said Jahner, who also is an avid reader.

"You have to stay involved in order to get ahead of the game," Jahner said. "If you can do that, you can beat the competition."