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Northwestern Financial Review, Dec 1-Dec 14, 2004

* A bit of internal reorganization at Bremer Bank created opportunities for the longtime head of Wells Fargo Communications Department, Teresa Morrow, and her department colleague, Megan Reidy. In March, Morrow's position at San Franciscobased Wells Fargo was eliminated. For Morrow, the timing of the cut allowed her time to care for her ailing mother. By the time Morrow signed on with Bremer in August, both her mother and her father passed away, he quite unexpectedly. The St. Paul-based Bremer hadn't before put forth a proactive communications effort, said Reidy, who was recruited by her former Wells Fargo colleague within weeks of Morrow's employment. "After Teresa left, I was reporting to someone in Phoenix and it just wasn't the same," Reidy commented.

Morrow is Bremer Bank's vice president in charge of communications and also oversees employee recognitions and the bank's volunteer programs. Reidy is public relations consultant. Prior to her departure from Wells Fargo, Morrow had worked at the bank for seven years; Reidy had been at Wells Fargo for five years.

* More information from Chuck Lewis, the compliance expert from UMB Financial. Speaking to Nebraska bankers recently, he said his consulting firm tests banks for vulnerability to pretext calling. He said in 82 percent of the cases, bank personnel answering the phone give out sensitive information over the phone.

* Sam Baird, director of the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, told NICB convention participants that he lowered the assessment on state banks by 15 percent this year. He also said his department is involved in an effort to rewrite the state's security laws. "I don't see changes that need to be made in banking," he said. Baird said banks are generally in excellent condition. "We learned a lot in the 1980s and that is serving us well now through the drought," he said. Baird also said declining population is making it very difficult for many banks to find qualified staff. On a positive note for Nebraska communities, however, he said a lot of capital has flowed into communities as a result of the subchapter S incorporation option now available to banks. "Sub S has unleashed wealth that was locked into banks under the C corp structure," he said.

* Midwest Independent Bank, Jefferson City, Mo., has entered an agreement with Fiserv, Inc., to act as the Fiserv Clearing Network settlement bank for several check processing centers in the Midwest. "The Fiserv Clearing Network will assist banks as they attempt to control rising costs associated with changes to the check collection system," said L.D. McDonald, president of Midwest Independent Bank. The bank is initially offering clearing and settlement services through Fiserv's check processing center in Kansas City.

* The shareholders of First Federal Capital Corp overwhelmingly approved the company's sale to Green Bay, Wis.-basd Associated Banc-Corp. The combined company will have approximately 300 branch offices throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Eastern Minnesota.

* St. Anthony Park Bank of St. Paul, Minn., changed its name to Park Midway Bank on Nov. 15.