ICBM names public service veteran to lobbyist position

Northwestern Financial Review, Nov 15-Nov 30, 2003

The Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota have named David Skilbred as its Director of Government Relations. Skilbred replaces Jerry Schoenfeld, who left the organization last summer.

"We are very pleased David has joined us," said Will Haddeland, ICBM Executive Director/CEO. "He has an extensive work history in state government, a history that includes nearly 19 years of public service with the Minnesota Legislature and at the state agency level. His understanding of the legislative process and regulatory bodies that impact community banking will be a great asset to the ICBM as well as his determination to reach out to current and prospective members to strengthen their relationships with elected officials."

For the past three years, Skilbred was the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Council on Disability, a 21-member, governor-appointed citizen advisory council. From 1985 to 2000, Skilbred held several staff positions in the Minnesota State Senate, rising to leadership assistant. Skilbred gained extensive experience during those years in communications and several public policy issue areas including banking, health care and insurance, workforce development and housing.

Skilbred is a native of Glenwood, Minn. he has a bachelor of arts degree from Concordia College, Moorhead and a masters degree in divinity from Luther Seminary, St. Paul. he and his wife, Jenny, and daughters, Emma and Sophie, reside in St. Paul.

*Larry Thompson has been named president of Roundbank, Waseca, Minn., effective Jan. 1, 2004. Thompson will succeed Neil Fruechte who has been president since 1985.

Thompson joined the bank in 1983 as a loan representative. During the past 20 years, Thompson has received several promotions through various levels of responsibility to his current position of senior vice president-credit, a position he has held since 1997. Thompson has been responsible for the overall lending activities of the bank. Thompson has a bachelors degree in organizational management and communications from Concordia College in St. Paul, Minn. Thompson received a masters degree of business administration in bank management from Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn.

Fruechte will continue to be responsible for managing the investment portfolio and will retain his position on the board of directors.

*The board of directors of Cornerstone Bank, York, Neb., has appointed:

Pete Cordes to vice president and manager of human resources. Cordes was with Cornerstone Bank for more than 13 years, prior to spending the past three and a half years as the director of human resources at Epworth Village in York. Cordes is a graduate of Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb., the American Bankers Association School of Human Resources and the ABA Graduate School of Human Resources.

Adam Thompson to agricultural loan officer. Thompson started with Cornerstone in September 2001, as a management trainee, where he worked in various areas of the bank. Thompson spent 18 months in the credit review department, before joining the ag lending area. Thompson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Derek Ferguson to assistant manager of Cornerstone Bank of Monroe. Ferguson started with the bank as a management trainee in August of 2001 and has trained in various areas of the bank. Ferguson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, Kearney.

*Wells Fargo and Co., Minneapolis announced the following promotions:

Dean junkans to private client services, senior regional investment manager, for the Great Lakes Region, Minneapolis.

Peter Olmscheid to a credit analyst position with private client services, Twin Cities Region, Minneapolis. Olmscheid previously worked with the Wells Fargo home mortgage funding group.

Greg Grebinowski to a credit analyst position with private client services, Twin Cities Region, Minneapolis. Grebinowski previously worked with the Wells Fargo business banking resource center.

Harlan Lemke to a credit analyst position with private client services, Twin Cities Region, Minneapolis. Lemke previously worked with the Wells Fargo business banking loan operations team.