EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – June 25, 2018 – The Minnesota Bankers Association (MBA) recently inducted Donald Welander, First State Bank of Fountain, into its Pioneer Club during its Annual Summit and 129th Annual Meeting at Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd, Minn. The Pioneer Club honors bankers who have been in the banking industry for 50 or more years.
He began his banking career in 1968 at what is now the Wells Fargo Bank in Duluth. He worked in the installment loan department for the first year. The next couple of years he traveled Northeastern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan selling their extra computer time to the smaller banks in the area.
In 1971, he was transferred to Virginia and worked in installment loans for several years working up to the installment loan department manager. From 1976-1978, he managed the commercial loan department. By then he had decided to make banking his career, however, two thirds of the state was agriculture and he did not know much about farm banking. Their idea was to stay three to five years and move to a bigger town and bank. He was hired as the president of the First State Bank of Wykoff in May of 1978. They fell in love with southeastern Minnesota. In the latter part of 1986, he spoke to the late Charles M. Johnson Sr., the president of the First State Bank of Fountain, regarding a position made available by retirement. In January of 1987, he accepted the position of the executive vice president. He retired on June 30, 2010, and remains on the Board of Directors.
In addition to Welander, eight other bankers from around the state were inducted into the MBA’s Pioneer Club. “We are proud to honor these bankers for their tremendous and lifelong commitment to the industry,” said Joe Witt, President/CEO of the MBA. “It is because of their hard work and dedication that banks remain a solid foundation in their communities.”
The other pioneer bankers are Curt Ask, Vantage Bank, Kent; Doug Bultman, Minnwest Bank, Redwood Falls and the American Bankers Association; Faye Hamerl, Border State Bank, Roseau; Rosemary Jane Melzer, Alliance Bank, Hanska; Sharon Nordby, Citizens Bank Minnesota, New Ulm; Dean Peterson, State Bank of Chandler; Roger Schultz, Alliance Bank, New Ulm; and John Wisniewski, Alliance Bank, New Ulm.
The Minnesota Bankers Association is the state’s largest trade association devoted exclusively to the representation of commercial banks. The MBA was founded in 1889 and represents 95% of Minnesota’s chartered banks. The MBA is proud to support our member banks as they work to ensure vital communities throughout the state. For more information, please visit our website at www.minnbankers.com.