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A Teacher Turned Banker: ABA's 2016-17 Government Relations Council Chairman, Stan Jenks, Wants Banker-Customer Encounters to Be 'Teachable Moments'

After Stan Jenks graduated from Western Illinois University, he became a teacher, a profession that the Monmouth, Ill., native was quite happy to pursue. A year later, when Security Savings Bank, also based in Monmouth, came calling with a job opportunity, he decided to give banking a chance. The year was 1976 and since then, Jenks and Security Savings Bank haven't looked back. The mutual institution, which has $185 million in assets and two offices, has grown steadily, including shifting from operating as a traditional building and loan association (it was founded in 1882) to one more focused on commercial lending with an agricultural focus. The institution also formed a mutual holding company in the event that an expansion opportunity presented itself. The institution's leaders--including Jenks, who grew up on a farm, and a majority of board members who were farmers or owners or operators of agribusinesses--supported a strategic move into ag lending in the 1980s and '90s. "Things went a little faster than we had originally projected," Jenks recalls. "So, our ag lending grew really well. We were careful, of course, in the credits we were taking on. That has worked very well for us." It's a story of a community bank adapting to meet the needs of its customers and community, one that Jenks is happy to tell as chairman of ABA's Government Relations Council. The story is nearly universal, reflective of America's diverse banking system and a powerful way to connect the dots of political advocacy--both legislative and regulatory--for lawmakers and policymakers. Think of Jenks' term as the GRC chairman as a gigantic teachable moment. "There is a teaching aspect to banking," he says. "It's wanting the student, or the consumer if you will, to fully understand what they're asking for and what product best fits their needs. You have to enjoy working with people and you're trying to help them make good decisions and be better informed." In Washington, and with political advocacy, education is also key: "It's about what is important for legislators to understand about our banks--how banks fit in to our diverse economy," says Jenks. "Banks are extremely important in getting the economy rolling and getting the economy going. Political engagement is a conversation. It's about drawing that legislator out. What's important for us should be important to their constituents. That's why they are there." Security Savings is based in Illinois' 17th congressional district, which includes the state's half of the Quad Cities and is served by three-term Rep. Cheri Bustos (D). When Bustos--who currently serves on the House Agriculture Committee, was first elected in 2010, Jenks contacted her office and invited her to come visit the bank. She did, along with one of her staffers. "Cheri was extremely open and receptive and asked some great questions," says Jenks of that first visit. "The in-bank visit works. She's always been available. When we call, she knows who we are. We don't see eye to eye on every issue and we understand that. We just want to have that conversation." Those conversations and relationships are critical for the banking industry to advance its advocacy priorities (see page 20) during the 115th Congress. …