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Nancy Carolan and Roger Huinker Receive IBA’s 50 Year Banker Award

Posted in: Community News

Nancy Carolan and Roger Huinker Receive IBA’s 50 Year Banker Award

On September 21st, Decorah Bank Employee Nancy Carolan and Decorah Bank Retiree Roger Huinker were honored for 50 years of service in the industry by the Iowa Banker’s Association. Nancy Carolan and Roger Huinker both started their banking careers back in 1971. The IBA has a luncheon each year celebrating bankers throughout the state on reaching this impressive feat and this year, both Nancy and Roger attended as guests of honor.

articleRoger began his banking career in May 1971 at Decorah State Bank. When the bank merged with Community First Bank in 1996, he transitioned to working there for seven years. For the last 18 years of his banking career, Roger worked for Decorah Bank and Trust Company. Throughout his 50 years of banking, he held many different positions within the bank, from a bookkeeper, teller, operations officer, assistant cashier, cashier, auditor, to a Vice President Trust Officer. Though he retired in May of 2021, Roger now serves as an outside member of the bank’s Trust Investment Committee.

Roger earned his Associate Degree from Northeast Iowa Community College. He graduated from the Graduate School of Banking – University of Wisconsin Madison in 1990 and later graduated from the ABA National Graduate Trust School – Northwestern University in 2003. In 2006, he became a Certified Senior Advisor. For many years, Roger taught the ABA Principles of Banking Course to numerous NE Iowa and SE Minnesota bank employees.

Roger has served in leadership positions within many community organizations. He currently serves as a Trustee of Winneshiek Medical Center, on the St. Benedict Church “Gift for Tomorrow” Legacy Committee, is a member of the Decorah Rotary, and serves in the Decorah Elk Club.

Roger has been married to his wife Pat for 45 years. They have three children and eight grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, golf, hiking, biking, and attending grandchildren’s activities. Now retired, he most misses the interactions he had with his fellow employees and bank customers.

articleNancy never envisioned herself as a banker. In 1971, she attended a job fair to see about a clerk position at a dress shop. The individual she spoke with thought Nancy would be a good fit at a local bank, then called Security Bank, and helped set her up with an interview there. Nancy reluctantly went to her interview, not thinking she would get the job over the other six applicants. However, Bank CEO Larry Grimstad saw Nancy’s potential and hired her as a teller on a six-week trial. The trial went well, and Nancy was hired on as a permanent staff member.

Nancy has been at the same bank, now called Decorah Bank and Trust, for her entire career. She started as a Teller, transitioned to the loan department, then went back to being a Teller and Customer Support Representative, knowing that role suited her best. As the years passed, she developed wonderful friendships with her coworkers and customers. She has always enjoyed her job and says that the customers are her favorite part of the job because you “develop such a relationship with each of them.” In addition, Nancy enjoys working for the Grimstad family, saying they are truly family and always are there to work with you. Currently, Nancy continues to work as a Customer Support Representative at Decorah Bank and Trust and enjoys seeing her customers and coworkers each day.

The Iowa Bankers Association annual convention is the largest yearly convention of bankers in Iowa, attracting over 800 people from throughout Iowa. Decorah Bank & Trust CEO, Ben Grimstad, went with Roger and Nancy to congratulate them on this monumental celebration. (See photo below)

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