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Northwestern Financial Review, Apr 1-Apr 14, 2005

* The ICBA PAC auction, conducted March 11 in San Antonio, raised a record $330,000. That beat last year's record by $19,000. The event was chaired by Bill Rosacker, the president of United Bankers' Bank in Bloomington, Minn.

* Dale Leighty, 2004-2005 chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America, told bankers that the ICBA staff has 160 full-time staff members serving banks that range in size from $2 million in assets to $11 billion. Leighty acknowledged that the number of community banks in the country is shrinking. "We can only survive," he said, "if we are better than the other trade associations in competing for members." Leighty is president and chairman of First National Bank of Las Animas, Colo.

* Linda Watters, Michigan's commissioner of Financial and Insurance Services, was awarded the Civic Affairs Award from the Michigan Business and Professional Association. The association represents more than 21,000 small businesses in the state.

* Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank named James Wening, vice president for commercial banking in its St. Louis market, the institution's No. 1 commercial banker for 2004. Wening, along with approximately 20 other U.S. Bank commercial lenders were treated to a black tie gala at New York City's Plaza hotel for their production in 2004. Other top commercial lenders honored, were: Michael Katz, Denver; Kelvin liebelt and Timothy Petty, Overland Park, Kan.; Karen Nelsen, Omaha, Neb.; Lisa Odom, Minneapolis; Mary Pat Williams, Madison, Wis., and Thomas Sherman, also of St. Louis. "These bankers deliver exceptional service day after day," applauded Chairman and CEO Jerry Grundhofer.