Hooray!
SHORT C O M PA N I E S
SPRING 2018
First Farmers & Merchants
Red Wing
Update
Greetings from Red Wing! The
question remains with everyone,
“Are we ever going to see spring?”
Having said that, though, winter,
and in particular the 2018 Winter
Olympics, was a very exciting time
for us here in Red Wing – along with
countless other people throughout
the United States! On January 29,
President Brett Elford sent the
following e-mail to the Red Wing
team:
FYI – Jessie Diggins (daughter of
Deb – owner of Slumberland and
a great customer) just won a World
Cup race in Austria yesterday.
Missy caught the race on TV and
there is a big article in today’s Strib.
She is primed to win a medal in the
Olympics. If you see Deb before she
leaves for Korea, be sure to wish
Jessie luck. Brett
Indeed, less than a month later,
Jessie and her teammate, Kikkan
Randall, won the United States’
first ever cross-country skiing gold
medal in the women’s team sprint
at PyeongChang, South Korea!
Diggins and Randall finished the
six-lap race 0.19 of a second ahead
of the Swedish team. Previously,
the U.S. had won only one Olympic
cross-country medal, a silver by Bill
Koch in 1976.
At the end of the games, Jessie
was chosen as the flag bearer for
the United States at the closing
ceremony. Congratulations, Jessie!
Our FF&M branch was again
nominated for the “Service Business
of the Year” award from the Red
Wing Area Chamber of Commerce.
Inside:
Red Wing Update.......................... 1, 4
Brian P. Short................................2, 3
Austin Update.................................. 5
Brownsdale Update........................... 5
Cannon Falls Update......................6, 7
Fairmont Update............................... 8
Eagle Awards....................8, 18, 22, 23
Goodhue Update......................... 9, 10
Benson Parking Update.....................10
Grand Meadow Update............... 10, 11
Bank employees attended the
annual Chamber awards dinner on
January 29. Even though we were
not chosen, the fact that we were
nominated made us extremely
happy.
The Bank Ladies celebrated GO
RED for Women Day on February
2.
(continued on page 4)
Standing, L to R: Colleen Phillips,
Lynette Smerud, Melissa Jaenke,
Savannah Friesen, Judy Hammes
Seated, L to R: Martha Hanson,
Amy Engnes, Krystyna Bremer,
Missy Anderson
Le Sueur Update..........................11, 12
Luverne Update............................... 12
Pipestone Update............................. 13
Shared Services Update..................... 14
Stewartville Update.......................... 15
White Rock Update.......................... 16
Admiral Merchants Update..... 16, 17, 18
Executive Offices Update.................. 19
St. Paul Flight Center Update.......20, 21
News........................................ 24
Share the Vision - Embrace the Future
Brian P. Short
Every year in the spring, Admiral
Merchants hosts members of the
Terry Bramer Circle of Excellence,
some of our most productive truck
drivers, and Tom Seitz Million
Dollar Agents, our most productive
sales agents, for our awards
weekend. This year’s event was held
in Charlotte, North Carolina, and
was attended by some of Admiral’s
most important customers and
business partners. For their work in
2017, over 90 Admiral Merchants
independent contractors earned
membership in the Terry Bramer
Circle of Excellence, and almost 20
of our sales agents were recognized
as Tom Seitz Million Dollar Agents.
All of these individuals are great
customers, committed to the success
of Admiral Merchants.
Planning for this team effort begins
in 2017. HR Director Augusta Kirk
searches for the perfect place to host
our weekend. We always show our
guests a video welcome from every
team, and hours were spent creating
that video.
2
The theme for the weekend was: If we are committed to achieving
Share the Vision – Embrace the professionalism, if we are committed
Future to delivering excellent service,
Admiral Merchants will indeed be
I discussed our vision, and Ops Vice a place of opportunity for all of us.
President Doug Milroy presented Every independent contractor, every
the issues we expect to see in the independent agent, and Admiral
future. He had the much more Merchants itself is a small business.
challenging job. Working together, we create
opportunities for all of us.
Our vision is simple and
straightforward. It is set out in our That was the vision I outlined for
Strategic Profile, a document we our partners in Charlotte. Our vision
put together in 2001. There we say is that by being professional, by
simply: being independent, we can deliver
excellent service to the shippers
We a r e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n who pay our bills. If we do that,
professionals delivering excellent over time, Admiral Merchants will
service to our business partners continue to be successful and, if so,
and their customers. Admiral will be a place of opportunity to all
Merchants. A place of opportunity. of us. I believe that our commitment
to that vision paid off with success
I reminded all of our business partners in 2017.
that we aspire to be transportation
professionals because we believe
that is the only way we can deliver
excellent service. Every one of the
independent contractors, every one
of our independent agents present
at Charlotte, is a transportation
professional. Each one has made
a deep personal commitment to
develop and improve the skills
necessary to deliver that excellent
service our customers require.
Every day in our business, we have
hundreds of chances for success or
failure. Every load picked up and
delivered is a chance to burnish our
reputation as a professional, or to fail
miserably. If we are to continuously
deliver excellent service, I reminded
our partners that we must all join in Doug Milroy
the passion of the Admiral team for Doug Milroy then spent some time
delivering excellent service. discussing the future. All in the
industry are still recovering from
the shock caused by implementation Appleton, Wisconsin. He earned a
of the ELD mandate in December of scholarship to Notre Dame where
2017. On that date, most big trucks he starred as a member of the 1966
in the U.S. were required to track national championship team and the
hours of service using electronic captain of the team in 1967. Rocky
logging devices. To say that that graduated from Notre Dame in the
move was quite controversial is an spring of 1968 and was drafted in
understatement. Doug looked at that the later rounds by the Pittsburgh
change and compared it to many Steelers. He played sporadically
other seismic events which have for the team that year, mainly on
occurred over the last decade or so special teams. In December of his
in the industry. From deregulation to rookie season, Rocky received his
electronic engines, there have been “Greetings from Uncle Sam” letter
many changes in the industry. With and reported for duty with the
every change, many predicted that United States Army. He volunteered
life would never be the same again. for duty in South Viet Nam and was
shipped out in
May of 1969.
On August 20,
while on patrol
in Quang Tin
Province, I Core,
South Viet Nam,
near what came
to be known as
Million Dollar
Hill, Specialist
IV Bleier was
wounded in
the left leg by
enemy rifle fire
and immediately
thereafter
Rocky Bleier and Brian severely injured in
Despite all of those changes, the his lower right leg when an enemy
industry survives and we continue to grenade landed near him. As a result
move forward. of that severe injury, he ultimately
After Doug had finished presenting, lost part of his right foot. He was
Admiral independent contractor later awarded the Bronze Star and
Wayne Overbay and agent Allan Purple Heart. While recovering in
Brown made excellent presentations a hospital in Tokyo, he was told
on the industry from their perspective. that he would never play football
Following their presentations, I had again. That medical advice was not
the pleasure of introducing Notre consistent with his vision, nor was
Dame and NFL great Rocky Bleier it the future he chose to embrace.
as our featured speaker. Rocky, He later received a postcard from
an iconic American figure, a true the Steelers owner telling him, “The
war hero, grew up above a bar in team’s not doing well. We need
you.”
After a number of surgeries, Mr.
Bleier was discharged from the
Army in July, 1970. He began
informal workouts with the Steelers.
He rejoined the team in the fall
of 1971 and played on special
teams. He worked diligently, but it
appeared that an NFL career was
not for him. He was waived by the
team on at least two occasions. He
never gave up. He had a clear vision
and he focused on a specific future.
In 1974, he earned a spot in the
Steelers’ starting lineup. In 1976
he rushed for over 1,000 yards,
joining his teammate Franco Harris
in accomplishing that. He played
in the first four Steeler Super Bowl
victories and caught the touchdown
pass from Terry Bradshaw that gave
Pittsburgh the lead it would never
surrender in Super Bowl XIII.
Rocky retired after 12 seasons in
the NFL. He went on to a successful
career in business.
Most of our guests would say that
Mr. Bleier’s presentation was
among the best we’ve had in the
21 years we have been welcoming
members of the Terry Bramer
Circle of Excellence and Tom Seitz
Million Dollar Agents to the awards
weekend. He left us with many words
of advice and inspiration. Everyone
who heard him came away inspired.
Our meeting in Charlotte confirmed
for me that the leading contractors
and agents working with Admiral
Merchants do share our vision.
They are also prepared to embrace
the future. Given that, I believe our
future is indeed bright.
Brian P. Short
3
 Updates
RED WING UPDATE
(continued from page 1)
Savannah Friesen
We are very pleased to introduce
our three new employees at the Red
Wing branch. Savannah Friesen,
our new Customer Service Rep,
started on January 2, 2018. She
moved here from East Bethel,
Minnesota. She recently married
Mike Friesen and together they live
in Welch, Minnesota. Savannah has
two dogs and loves to hunt and fish.
Please join us in welcoming Savannah, Cheryl and Judy to our FF&M
team!
Our branch was a collection site
for the “Minnesota Food Share
March Campaign.” We also
participated in the “Businesses for
Food Challenge” at the Red Wing
4
Cheryl Anderson
Cheryl Anderson is also a new
Customer Service Rep. Cheryl
started on February 15. She comes
to us with many years of banking
experience; she worked at Wells
Fargo Bank for 34 years, in many
capacities, but most of those years
she spent as a Personal Banker.
Cheryl has one son, Travis. She
and her husband Glen live on a farm
in Hager City, Wisconsin. Cheryl
enjoys reading and gardening.
Chamber Taste Buds event held on
March 27. Many of our customers
and employees contributed cash
donations and dropped off food
that will be brought to our local
food shelf. Thank you for your
generosity!
Brett Elford, President, and Missy
Anderson, Credit Analyst, attended
the MBA-sponsored Bank Day at
the Capitol on March 22, 2018.
This was an opportunity for bankers
in Minnesota to listen to legislators
Judy Hammes
Judy Hammes started on February
21 as a Teller. Judy worked at
Wells Fargo for many years
but most recently worked as a
paraprofessional at the Red Wing
School District. Judy retired from
that and spent the last 1½ years
traveling to Greece, Sweden,
Holland, Montreal and Seattle, and
just recently spent spring break in
Dublin, Ireland with her son, Andy,
who attends the University of Iowa.
Judy and her husband Steve have
lived in Red Wing for over 20 years.
Steve will retire from working at
the City of Red Wing in May of this
year, therefore Judy needed to go
back to work!
and caucus leaders discuss current
banking issues. Following the
speakers, the attendees had
scheduled meetings with their local
Minnesota and State legislators
and were given the opportunity to
discuss with them the topics that
are most impactful to community
banks.
Submitted by: Debbie Knowlton,
Mortgage Loan Officer
 Updates

First Farmers & Merchants

Austin
Update
Up, Up and Away
N o t i n a b a l loon, but in
a n A u s t i n Fire Department
ladder truck! Patty Tewes, VP/
Operations Manager, was lifted to
new heights on March 8 as part of of March we collected food for
Leadership Austin. Members of the the local food shelf. Employees
program participated in a search and customers brought food into
and rescue exercise along with a the lobby and the donations were
taser demonstration with the Austin delivered to the food shelf in
Police department. Leadership April.
Austin is a nine-month program First Farmers & Merchants in
during which the participants learn Austin participated in Minnesota Submitted by: Sherrie Carlson,
about Austin and all it has to offer. Food Share. During the month Customer Service Representative

First Farmers & Merchants

Brownsdale
Update
Dale Larson, Brownsdale Branch
President, along with Doug
Nuckolls, Charter President, Steve
Murley, SVP/Commercial and
Ag Lending Officer, and Faye
Haugen, SVP/Lending Officer,
from Austin, participated in the
FF&M Ag Lenders Conference
held in Le Sueur on January 9.
Attendees included ag lenders
from all of the FF&M Banks, as Other than that, it was a pretty Submitted by: Sherrie Carlson,
well as Brian Short and Dawn quiet winter in Brownsdale. Like CSR/Teller
Gast, Chief Credit Officer. everyone else, we are eagerly
awaiting spring weather!

5
 Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
Cannon Falls
Update
Horns Up!
Once a Bison, always a Bison.
Laura Qualey (Director of
Marketing), Ashley Jones
(Information Systems Assistant),
Marlene Trageser (Chief
Information Officer), and Paul
Althoff (Goodhue Bank President)
gathered with about 20 other Bison
fans in Cannon Falls to watch and
celebrate the NDSU Bison taking
the 2018 FCS National Title game.
Laura Qualey, Ashley Jones,
Marlene Trageser and Paul Althoff
Debra Norstad and Paul Althoff
Thank you, Debra!
Our Goodhue County locations and
Operations Center in Cannon Falls
threw Debra Norstad (former
Chief Operations Officer I05) a
going away party in conjunction
6
Paul Althoff and Debra Norstad
with our Vikings party (hence the
coordinated outfits). Paul Althoff
presented Debra with a hanging
basket full of gardening tools, seeds
and a gift certificate to buy herself
some flowers and plants to keep
her busy during retirement. Thank
you to Debra for all of her years of
service.
Help! We’re TRAPPED!
Our Cannon Falls, White Rock,
Goodhue and Red Wing teams
gathered in January for our annual
post-holiday party. We held it at
the Cannon Golf Club and hired an
escape room called Trapped Puzzle
Rooms to come to us. Everyone
broke up into teams and all had a
locked briefcase on their tables with
a letter on top of it. It really offered
ZERO clues as to where to begin.
Each team had to work together
to get through the series of locked
puzzles and clues. It was probably
the QUIETEST party we’ve ever
had and I think a few people’s brains
hurt by the end. It was a great team
building exercise and I think people
had a good time. (I’ll know for sure
if they let me plan the party again
next year.) The White Rock team
finished first followed by one of the
CF teams. The prize was a voucher
for an experience at the Trapped
Puzzle Rooms in the Twin Cities.
L-R: Scott Jackson (Consumer
Lender/Officer Brenda Jackson’s
husband) Greg Wulf (CEO of CF),
John Wegmann (Ag Lender CF),
and Steve and Kris Jacobsen (HR
I05/Officer). Others on the team
were Donna Wegmann, Pam Wulf,
Rose Althoff, and Paul Althoff.
Get Ready. Get Set.
Go Red Day!
We had great participation this
year across the entire company as
we raised awareness for Women’s
Heart Health. Here’s a photo of us
from the main branch in CF. Also
to coincide with the Heart Health
Awareness, we sponsored the Red
Cross Blood Mobile. Nine of our
CF/Ops employees registered
to donate. We collected 19 pints
of blood, which can potentially
help 57 patients in need! We have
already scheduled another Blood
Mobile Day for May 10.
(continued on page 7)

CANNON FALLS UPDATE
(continued from page 6)
Updates
Minnesota Food Share Month
Cannon Falls participated in the
annual Minnesota Food Share
Drive. Cash was collected from
those who wanted to wear jeans
on Fridays, but we also filled up
the grocery cart again. As a team,
we collected $360.00!!! Looking
forward to ‘weighing in’ to see how
much food we collected.

Cheryl and Mark Sabin

Mattie and Bo
Wedding Bells
Laura Qualey’s daughter Mattie
was married to Bo Schuette in
Hastings in late February. The
newlyweds live in Hastings and are
expecting their first child by May
16.
Cheryl Sabin, Brenda Deutsch,
Kelsey Rowe, Madison Rapp,
Kris Bodette, Isabella O’Reilly
Family Fare Makeover Complete
The Family Fare team, pictured
above, survived and have settled
into their new digs. It took patience
and a sense of humor (and a few
lunches), but they made it and we
can’t thank them enough. Kudos
to these ladies who serve our
community seven days a week.
We want to recognize Cheryl
Sabin (Family Fare Teller) and her
family. Cheryl lost her husband,
best friend and father to her two
children suddenly in February.
Mark Sabin was a very funny guy
who was always sporting a huge
smile on his face and a unique hat
on his head. He helped anyone in
need and loved making other people
laugh. Our hearts and sympathy go
out to Cheryl and her family as
they learn to live life without Mark
here on Earth.

Kris (center) and Steve Bodette
Clover Dash 2018
Kris Bodette (CSR) and her
husband Steve participated in the
Clover Dash 5K in Crosslake,
MN again for St. Patrick’s Day. It
was a wee bit chilly that day…22
degrees! However, it motivated
Kris and Steve to finish within 44
minutes!
Birth Announcements
We will have some new future
FF&M bankers to report on in the
next few issues of the Hooray! this
year. Some employees, a couple
of new grandmas, and a grandma
welcoming her third grandchild –
stay tuned!
Sad News
Even though we tend to have happy
and fun events that we report on,
it is also important to report on
events that affect our employees in
other ways because families (blood
or work) go through life events
together.
Another sad event that happened
the last week in March was a
devastating fire to Steve and Kris
Jacobsen’s cabinet making shop on
their home property. The shop was
a total loss, but thankfully no one
was hurt. They will be able to start
demo and construction this spring
and summer, but we also send our
thoughts to them as they rebuild.
Submitted by: Laura Qualey,
Director of Marketing

7
Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
Fairmont
Update
Even though the calendar says we’re
in Spring, we’ve had two shots of
10+ inches of snow here in March
so we’re still waiting for it to feel
like Spring!
We need to go back to last Fall for
our first news bit, to announce that
Lori Edwards, Vice President-
Operations, was named to the
FF&M Board of Directors on
December 19, 2017. Lori has been
a solid contributor to the success of
First Farmers & Merchants National
Bank for many years. Not only does
she fulfill a number of roles here in
Fairmont, but she also is a member
of a number of committees that
cross over all charters of banks.
On February 2, staff members wore
red in support of Go Red for Women
and we treated our customers with
heart-shaped candy.
On February 17, we once again
sponsored a table for the Tenth
Annual Kids Against Hunger food
pack. The total number of meals
packed for the day was 136,512, with
EAGLE AWARDS
Admiral Merchants
Tom Bobrycki
Brokerage Manager
Submitted by: Admiral Team
It is with great pleasure that we announce
that Tom Bobrycki, Brokerage Manager,
has been selected as the 1st Quarter 2018
8
Andy Noll, Lina Wiebe,
Naomi Koch and Adam Smith
total money raised of $37,117 and
over 500 volunteers/food packers.
Our team had a two-hour shift
and consisted of President Andy
Noll, Commercial Banking Officer
Adam Smith, Loan Administrator
Lina Wiebe, Tellers Robin Scheff
and Tami Whitman, Tami’s
granddaughter Macey, and Personal
Banking Officer Joan Meyer. Some
of the food will be kept and used
at food shelves locally but a large
portion will be shipped to Haiti and
other areas in need.
Congratulations go out to
Coach Adam Williamson and his
Fairmont/Martin County West Red
Bulls wrestling team on their State
Tournament bid this season. This
was their first-ever section title and
trip to the state meet in their seven
years of existence. The team placed
Tom Bobrycki
second overall and Jaxson Rohman
was the first State Champion in Red
Bull history. FF&M helped sponsor
the fan bus to the tournament.
During the month of March we
have been a drop location for the
Minnesota Food Share Promotion.
Employees could wear jeans on
Fridays for either a cash or food
shelf donation. We raised $161.00
and collected a table full of food that
was donated to local food shelves.
Andy Noll, Becky Holland, Naomi
Koch, Brian Short (not pictured:
Ona Springer)
Those receiving their Service Awards
for years of service as of 2017 are
as follows: CSR Naomi Koch, 5
years, Teller Becky Holland, 15
years, Teller Ona Springer, 15
years, and President Andy Noll, 25
years. Thank you all for your years
of service and dedication!
Submitted by: Joan Meyer,
Personal Banking Officer
Admiral Merchants Eagle Award
recipient.
Tom joined the Admiral team in
August 2006, bringing with him
many years of experience in trans-
portation and logistics. As Broker-
age Manager, Tom was tasked with
improving relationships with cus-
tomers and agents and improving
(continued on page 18)

First Farmers & Merchants
Goodhue
Update
I know I say this every season, but
this time of year is again busy at
the bank. Between renewing farm
loans and taking care of IRAs and
tax information, it keeps us all
hopping. This will be the first time
in a long time that I don’t have a
story about our girls’ and boys’
basketball teams making a trip
to state! Even though they didn’t
get there this year, our whole
community is very proud of our
students, athletes or not…many of
whom have been customers with us
for years.
Advisory Board member Dick
Lodermeier was named the
Goodhue County 2017 Citizen of
the Year by the Goodhue County
Editorial Association (representing
the Red Wing Republican Eagle,
the Cannon Falls Beacon, the
Zumbrota News-Record, and the
Kenyon Leader). The award was
presented at a luncheon at The
Third Place in Goodhue on January
10.
Dick and his wife Roxanne are
in the process of transitioning the
family business, Lodermeier’s, to
a third generation. The business
recently celebrated 70 years in
business and opened a new office
and repair facility at the edge of
Goodhue. The business specializes
in farm implement and grain
handling equipment sales, and
grain bin and farm/commercial
building sales and construction.
The company has enhanced the
local economy by selling farm
equipment nationwide, completing
Roxanne and Dick Lodermeier (center) were surrounded by family when
Dick was named Goodhue County Citizen of the Year on January 10, 2018
construction projects in seven
states, and providing opportunities
for many local people to stay close
to home for work.
Dick has coached girls and boys
basketball teams in Goodhue, was
instrumental in the city of Goodhue
being granted the Goodhue County
ASCS office, and was involved
in building the original Goodhue
community pool as well as the recent
remodeling of the pool. In addition
to serving on FF&M’s Advisory
Board, Dick has served on the
Trinity Church council and the
Goodhue Chamber of Commerce
board. He has been a supporter
of the Goodhue Area Historical
Society, Rosie’s Park, the Goodhue
County Fair, and Volksfest, as well
as donating company equipment
and labor to construct grandstands,
Updates
flag poles, goal posts, score boards,
press boxes, basketball hoops and
athletic fields in Goodhue.
The Goodhue County Editorial
Association has made a Citizen of
the Year recognition annually since
1963.
Dianne Pank, Lara Ramthun,
Corrine Stehr, Katie Brinkman
and Emily Schmit
In January, our team showed their
support for heart health by wearing
our red shirts and donating our
Friday jean money to the American
Heart Association.
February had us busy getting ready
for the Customer Appreciation
Day in which every business in
(continued on page 10)
9
Updates
GOODHUE UPDATE
(continued from page 9)
Goodhue participates. Our chili,
topped with sour cream and cheese,
cookies and a cold glass of milk
really bring in the customers! Our
bank is one of the only businesses
in town that has comfy chairs and
the room to sit down and visit. It
really is a great day of getting to
know your customers better in a
relaxed atmosphere.
Corrine Stehr, Dianne Pank,
Katie Brinkman, Lara Ramthun
and Calvin Ryan
In March when we participated in the
Food Share program, our customers
and townspeople really stepped up
to the challenge! We had a grocery
cart from our local grocery store in
the lobby and it was plumb full to
the top. Along with it we were able
to donate $200 that was collected
throughout the month.
Benson Parking Update
Super Bowl LII made for a busy
week at Benson Parking. The staff
put in a lot of hours during the week over control of our lots for the day,
leading up to game day due to all
of the events at the Convention
Center, on the Nicollet Mall, and
at the Armory. On the actual day
of the game, Sunday, February 4,
the Super Bowl Host Committee Submitted by: Al Schroeder,
rented the Benson lots, about Manager
10
Lara Ramthun
And last, but not least…the only
birthday celebration was for Lara.
But it was a big one…she turned 50
this year!! The celebrating started
at the bank on Thursday and we
hear that it continued all through
the weekend! This may sound
like a lot going on for someone
that age, but she says she would
rather be able to celebrate another
birthday…than not have another
birthday at all. q
Submitted by: Lara Ramthun,
Customer Service Representative
450 spaces, along with most of
the other parking lots and ramps
in downtown Minneapolis. The
Super Bowl Host Committee took
so our staff did not have to work
that day. But they appreciated a
day off after the busy week prior
to the game!
First Farmers & Merchants
Grand Meadow
Update
As winter comes to a close, robins
are arriving and farmers are anxious
to get in the fields. First Farmers &
Merchants State Bank of Grand
Meadow is getting busier by the
day.
Laura Brase
We welcome Laura Brase to our
Grand Meadow location. Laura
started in January as a CSR/Teller.
She comes to us with seven years
of banking experience. Laura and
her husband, Brandon, moved to
Grand Meadow from central Iowa.
They have three children: William,
Isabel and Noah. Laura is a
photographer and enjoys spending
time with her family and riding
bike.
The Grand Meadow bank held
its employee Christmas party
at the Branding Iron in Preston,
(continued on page 11)

GRAND MEADOW UPDATE
(continued from page 10)
Minnesota, on Saturday, January
20. The weather cooperated nicely
and everyone had a wonderful
time. According to the stories about
bowling activities after the event,
it sounds like some had a more
“wonderful time” than others!
Everyone made it home safely and
was ready for work on Monday.
Thanks to Kayla Stockdale, CSR,
and Tiffany Titus, Teller/CSR, for
planning the event!
On February 27, the Grand Meadow
2nd graders arrived at the bank,
bringing with them Pennies for Pages
donations. Each class, Kindergarten
through 6th grade, raised money
to be used towards new books for
the school. The 2nd graders were
assigned the task of delivering the
pennies to the bank. In return, they
got to watch FF&M personnel run
the pennies through the coin counter.
A lucky few even got to help push the
coin into the machine. Each student
First Farmers & Merchants
Le Sueur
Update
The FF&M Le Sueur bank staff
continues to participate in the $5
Friday Jeans Day. December and
January brought in $150.00 and
the funds were donated to the Le
Sueur Henderson Rotary backpack
program. This program provides low
income elementary school children
with healthy food and snacks to
take home for the weekend.
Laura Brase with 2nd graders
Front row, L to R: Kristin Nepper,
Shannon Meyer, Christina Meyer,
Desarae Block
Back row, L to R: Sue Kahle, Terry
Mattson, Chris Berndt,
Avis Jacobus
Updates
left the bank with a chocolate dollar
candy bar and a money wrap pencil.
Our annual lender training was held on
Thursday, March 29 at The Pizza Place
in Spring Valley, Minnesota. In addition
to Kathy Nagel, Vice President,
Dayna Stier, Loan Processor, and
Kayla Stockdale, we were fortunate
to be joined this year by Marlene
Trageser, Chief Information Officer,
Mary Kriesel, Training Officer, Deb
Graber, Loan Processing Supervisor,
and Laura Qualey, Director of
Marketing. Their presentations were
very beneficial, and of course the group
always enjoys listening to President
Dave Feddersen drone on and on
about loan file structure, lending and
regulatory challenges. Everyone
enjoyed the pizza and salad buffet
provided by The Pizza Place and we
appreciate their hospitality.
Submitted by: Michelle Van Tries,
Teller/CSR
February was Women’s Heart
Health Month. To show our support,
the staff members wore red on
Friday, February 2 for National
Wear Red Day.
Le Sueur Henderson High School
invited local businesses to come
and speak to their seniors about
various topics during their Ramp
Up class. FF&M participated by
sending Tom Obele, Vice President/
Mortgage Operations Manager, and
Chris Berndt, Customer Service
Representative, to speak to students
about how to build their credit and
the importance of maintaining a
(continued on page 12)
11
Updates
LE SUEUR Update
(continued from page 11)
good credit score. The students
asked excellent questions and were
very engaged in the topics that were
shared. We hope to be invited back
again next year.
Chris Berndt and Tom Obele
Excitement was had by many at
this year’s Retail & Business Expo
on Thursday, March 22. FF&M
sponsored the “Lucky Match”
number game where we issued a
name tag with a number on it to
onlookers. People then searched for
their matching number and if they
found their match they brought their
partner back to the FF&M booth
to select a prize. This is always a
popular activity with the people
visiting the Expo and they look for
it every year. This year we had a
total of 66 winners!!
Terry Mattson, VP/AG &
Commercial Loan Officer
Submitted by: Chris Berndt
Customer Service Representative
12
First Farmers & Merchants
Luverne
Update
FF&M Luverne will be participating
in the Relay for Life for the
American Cancer Society with a
bank team. A bake sale was held
on Valentine’s Day as a fundraiser
and $424.00 was raised. The team
also held a taco bar over lunch for
employees and guests in March for
an additional fundraiser. So far the
team has raised $854.00, with a
May Day bake sale to come.
Best wishes to Linda Goehle
(Bookkeeping) on her retirement
from the bank on March 30. Linda
plans to volunteer, help babysit her
grandnephews with her sister-in-
law, and help with Little Lambs
when needed. She is looking
forward to not having a schedule
and spending time with her retired
friends.
Mike DeBates, Jill Buss, Michelle Jansma, Carol Foster, Peg Gacke, Lois
Leuthold, Lisa Ehlers, Michele Wessels and Maryln VanGrootheest
First Farmers & Merchants Pipestone
and Luverne were awarded the
MBA 2018 Community Champion
Recognition. Only 38 banks
throughout the state of Minnesota
were given this recognition.
The MBA looks at community
involvement in volunteer hours,
number of employees volunteering,
and number of organizations worked
with. Luverne staff is involved with
37 different organizations, with 19
of those having a bank employee in
a leadership role. Congratulations
to the Luverne and Pipestone staff!
President’s Day was not a holiday
for the Luverne Bank staff. They
spent the morning spring cleaning
the bank and the afternoon being
inspired by a video by Steve
Gilliland on Making a Difference,
which focused on the conscious
choices we make every day that
impact the lives of others. Each of
us has the potential to transform the
culture of an organization through
our actions and attitude.
Submitted by: Tara Zewiske,
Regional Auditor

First Farmers & Merchants
Pipestone
Update
Dale Roemmich, President and
CEO, was attending a Kiwanis
meeting when the presenter made
reference of a need that struck Dale
as an opportunity. The Pipestone
County Ambulance Association was
kicking off their fundraising efforts
to ensure the safety of not only the
community but the safety of their
staff by purchasing ten safety vests.
Each of the vests cost $1,200.00.
First Farmers & Merchants
made the initial donation to the
Pipestone Ambulance Association
by contributing $1,200.00 toward
their goal of $12,000.00. Staff is
pictured here with Steve Ewing,
Pipestone Emergency Services
Director.
Front, L to R: Mindy Johnson,
Beth Angrimson, Steve Ewing,
Brittani Olson, Missy Newell,
Becky Redenius, Rhonda Smith,
Dale Roemmich
Back, L to R: Mardi Enerson, Amy
Tinklenberg, Cindy Koenders,
Tammy Ogdahl, Mike Hansen,
Nancy Bones, Dawn Carson,
Marlene Trageser, Tim Paulson
The Pipestone staff participated in
the National Heart Association’s
awareness campaign – Go Red for
Women – on February 2, 2018.
Luke Black, Missy Newell,
Mindy Johnson, Rhonda Smith,
Nancy Bones, Cindy Koenders,
Linda Erickson, Becky Redenius
The staff at FF&M presented the
Pipestone County Food Shelf with
a check in the amount of $200.00
which was raised directly from the
employees during the month of
December. Each Friday, the staff
pays for the privilege of wearing
jeans for casual Friday. That money
is donated to various organizations
of the staff’s choosing throughout
the year. During the month of
December, the staff designated
these funds to be donated to the
Pipestone County Food Shelf.Along
with many of the bank locations,
Pipestone also raised funds during
March’s Minnesota Food Share
Month by implementing Denim
Days. Employees who contributed
$20.00 to the Pipestone County
Food Shelf earned the opportunity
to wear jeans for the week of March
26-30. The employees donated
$300.00 during the week and are
pictured in both photos with the
Chairman of the Pipestone County
Food Shelf, Roger Raschke.
The Minnesota Bankers
Association recognized 38 banks
throughout Minnesota for their
community involvement as a part
of the MBA 2018 Community
Champion recognition program,
including First Farmers &
Merchants National Bank in
Updates
Mardi Enerson, Mindy Johnson,
Missy Newell, Luke Black,
Tim Paulson, Tammy Ogdahl,
Rhonda Smith, Roger Raschke,
Nancy Bones, Cindy Koenders,
Becky Redenius
Mardi Enerson, Missy Newell,
Luke Black, Dawn Carson, Nancy
Bones, Tammy Ogdahl, Roger
Raschke, Mindy Johnson, Dale
Roemmich, Tim Paulson
Pipestone and Luverne. The banks
were recognized for working with
organizations throughout their
communities, providing funding,
volunteers, materials, supplies
or food for their neighbors. Both
branches together volunteered
an estimated 2,216 hours by 45
employees and donated over
$40,000. The branches also
provided financial education in
the schools and participated in
the 2017 Minnesota Bankers
Community Impact Week. The
Pipestone branch worked with 42
different organizations and served
in a leadership position in 17 of the
groups.
Submitted by: Linda Erickson,
Customer Service Representative
13
 Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
Shared Services Update
ROCK YOUR RED!
To help raise awareness for heart
health, the Cannon Falls Operations
gals rocked their red for the
American Heart Association’s Go
Red for Women movement.
Back, L to R: Amy Furlong,
Marlene Trageser, Ashley Jones,
Mary Benson, Anne Leverton
Front, L to R: Mary Kriesel,
Deb Graber
Also see the photo on page 13,
where Shared Services team
members Nancy Bones, Cindy
Koenders, Missy Newell and
Becky Redenius are pictured,
along with other FF&M Pipestone
staff, wearing red.
GO VIKES!
In support of the Minnesota Vikings,
the Cannon Falls Operations Center
wore their Vikings gear. What a
great football season!
14
Back, L to R: Traci Holt,
Mary Kriesel, Jane Duffy,
Carly Anderson, Ashley Jones,
Amy Furlong, Anne Leverton,
Mary Benson
Front, L to R: Tiffany Helgren,
CELEBRATE 60!
Deb Graber
M a r l e n e Tr a g e s e r ( C h i e f
Information Officer) celebrated
FOOD DRIVE
her 60th birthday on January 19. Her
March is Minnesota Food
Cannon Falls Operations office was
Share Month. The Cannon Falls
decorated with streamers, A LOT
Operations Center served as a
of balloons and confetti. (We are
collection site. We have two full
still finding confetti today!) Later
boxes of food to donate to the
that evening we threw Marlene a
Cannon Falls Food Shelf. Jane
surprise birthday party at Mill St.
Duffy (Loan Processor) serves as
Tavern. Happy Birthday, Marlene!
the President of the Cannon Falls
Food Shelf Board.
Submitted by: Mary Kriesel,
Training Officer
Photo Left
Back, L to R: Mary Kriesel, Lisa
Clow, Marlene Trageser, Traci
Holt, Carrie Johnson
Middle, L to R: Carly Anderson,
Amy Furlong, Jane Duffy
Front, L to R: Ashley Jones, Deb
Graber
 Updates

First Farmers & Merchants accepted a marketing position and

has been enjoying her new job
Stewartville very much. Stephanie spent five
years with us here at FF&M and

Update her knowledge, smile, and music-

loving personality will be missed.

Spring is here … almost, and with

the changing seasons, Stewartville
is excited to see what spring may
bring!

Tiffany Titus

atmosphere here in our bank.

Kayla Stockdale
We are proud to welcome Kayla
Stockdale to Stewartville from
Grand Meadow! She is joining us
as our new Loan Administrative
Assistant. While we are all sad to
see Stephanie Lawson leave us,
we are excited about our newest
addition to the Stewartville team.
We often borrowed Kayla, in the
past, to help cover shifts when
there were illnesses or vacations,
Chris Stafford, Dave
Feddersen, Bill Schimmel, Jr.,
Jimmie-John King
On February 20, 2018, President
Dave Feddersen was invited to
Stewartville City Hall to receive
the Business Appreciation Award,
presented to him by Stewartville’s
Economic Development Authority
(EDA). The award was presented
by former EDA President Chris
Stafford, Mayor Jimmie-John
King, and City Administrator Bill
Schimmel, Jr. Chris Stafford,
who serves on the bank’s Advisory
Board, is quoted as saying “The
bank gives fast, fair and friendly
service. When I go into the bank,
everything is on a first-name basis.”
Tiffany is definitely an asset to our
team!
The staffs of Grand Meadow,
Stewartville and Racine were treated
to Caribou beverages on March 22,
2018. Caribou held a fundraiser in
support of the Stewartville school
system in which a portion of all
sales were donated to the school.
Dave Feddersen made two special
trips to Caribou to make sure that
all of our employees knew that they
were appreciated, in the form of
their favorite drinks!
Submitted by: Anna Serrano,
Teller/CSR

so we knew she would be a great fit
in Stewartville. We are thrilled to
have her here and we wish her the
best of luck in her new position!
Welcome,
We pride ourselves on our customer
service and this really seals the deal.
Keep up the great work, everyone!

With the addition of Kayla comes

the loss of Stephanie Lawson.
While we are sad to see Steph go,
we are happy for her at the same
time. She has made the move
over to Community Economic
Development Associates (CEDA)
in Chatfield, Minnesota. She
We are excited to congratulate
Tiffany Titus on her promotion to
CSR/Lead Teller. Tiffany brings
Farewell
&
knowledge, understanding and
exuberance to work every day. She
has been essential in training new
teller and CSR personnel, helping
to ensure customer satisfaction,
and maintaining the hardworking Congratulations
15
 Updates

First Farmers & Merchants

White Rock
Update

Julie Benrud Luhman,

Emily’s New Addition!!!
Baby girl Quinn arrived on January
12 at 11:13 a.m. She weighed
9 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 inches
long. Everyone is doing great and
it looks like big sisters Riley and
Elliot are ready for a little sister!
Happy parents are Dylan and
Emily Iverson, Customer Service
Representative.
Paul Drackley, Lisa MacRae
and Carna Visagie
We supported the Vikings at Super
Bowl playoff time and also wore
RED for heart health in February!
Belle Creek
have been helping me acclimate to
my new position out here in God’s
Country and I am so grateful to
everyone for such a warm welcome!
Looking forward to spring weather
soon!

Submitted by: Lisa MacRae,

Customer Service Representative
Lisa MacRae, Carna Visagie, Paul
Drackley and Julie Benrud Luhman First Farmers & Merchants

The branch has been hopping busy

with President Paul Drackley and
Admiral
On February 13, we celebrated
National Thank a Mail Carrier Day!
Ag Lender Calvin Ryan working
on Ag renewals before the spring
Merchants
We presented our FANTASTIC
Mail Carrier Jarle Norstad with
planting season begins. CSR Carna
Visagie, Auditor Julie Benrud
Luhman and Teller Babe Nelson
Update
this certificate of thanks!
Admiral has had lots of fun
activities recently! On January 19,
Let’s take a moment to enjoy these POSTAL FUN FACTS: Admiral team members sported
• Benjamin Franklin was the nation’s first Postmaster General and their Vikings apparel to show
he established many of the conventions we are accustomed to today. support for the “Minneapolis
• Postage stamps were invented in 1847. Miracle” that occurred the week
prior, while also anticipating the
• On April 3, 1860, the famous Pony Express officially took off.
highly important playoff game
• In 1863, free city delivery started.
(continued on page 17)

16
 Updates
ADMIRAL
MERCHANTS Update
(continued from page 16)

against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Although the Vikings did not come
out with a win in that game, the
group was still proud of their NFC
North Division Champion team.

On February 2, members of the

team also participated in the
Go Red for Women’s Health
movement. The American Heart
Association created this movement
to help raise awareness for heart
health, and team members sported
their red in support!
Tom Quinton and Missy Swenson
The MTA (Minnesota Trucking
Association) Driver of the Year Operations, Paul Hinrichs, Safety
Tom Quinton Director, Mike Griffin, Director
banquet was held on January 25 at
the Hyatt Regency in Bloomington. Driver of the Month. Attending of Contractor Services, and Missy
Admiral contractor Tom Quinton the banquet with Tom were Brian Swenson, Freight Coordinator.
was honored as the June 2017 Short, Doug Milroy, VP/Director of Congratulations, Tom!

March 16-18 marked the weekend

of Admiral’s Annual Awards
Banquet, which was held in
Charlotte, North Carolina this
year. This banquet honors the top
Contractor and Agent partners of
Admiral, and is something we look
forward to each year. It was a great
turnout and everyone really enjoyed
themselves.
(continued on page 18)

17
 Updates

ADMIRAL
MERCHANTS Update
(continued from page 17)

A fun component of the awards

banquet each year is the Minneapolis
office video. Since only a small
number of Minneapolis employees
can actually attend the meeting,
each department creates a short
video in which they congratulate
the award winners. The Credit and
Collections team can always be
counted on to have crazy costumes
and props; here are a couple of
photos taken during the filming of
their video this year.

The weekend following the Awards Banquet

was a busy one as well. Each year, Admiral
has a booth at the Mid-America Trucking
Show held in Louisville, Kentucky. Members
of the sales team, Operations department,
Contractor Services, Accounting, HR,
and Brian Short were all in attendance
this year. Kim Nelson, Sr. Contractor
Services Specialist, Kelsey Rossow,
Financial Controller, and Claire Gregory,
Receptionist, were able to experience the
truck show for the first time this year, and
can all say they gained an extensive amount
of trucking knowledge while on the trip.
Everyone is already looking forward to next
year’s show!

Submitted by: Claire Gregory,

Receptionist

EAGLE AWARDS
(continued from page 8)
margins/profitability. It certainly
shows that Tom took that challenge
to heart, embracing it completely.
Through his hard work, long hours,
tireless efforts, and leadership by
example, he has improved relation-
ships with agents and customers
while increasing profitability.
For the first quarter of 2018, Tom
and his team have increased rev-
enue by more than 37% over last
year. This is even more notable un-
der the current market conditions
where there has been a remarkable
capacity/truck shortage. Tom has
set the stage for a very bright and
promising future for the continued
growth of the Brokerage depart-
ment. His dedication and loyalty to
the vision of Admiral is noticed by
all who know him and work with
him.
Congratulations, Tom!
(continued on page 22)

18

First Farmers & Merchants
Executive
Offices
Update
The first quarter of 2018 seems
to have been particularly busy,
distracting us from the winter that
won’t seem to end!
An FF&M Ag Lenders Conference
was held on January 9 in Le Sueur.
Attendees included lenders from
each of the FF&M Banks, along
with Brian Short and Chief Credit
Officer Dawn Gast. Thanks to
Le Sueur Branch President Brian
Pfarr for hosting this event.
Super Bowl LII took over downtown
Minneapolis during the week
leading up to the game on February
4. Events at the Convention Center
and on the Nicollet Mall, along with
a number of street and lane closures,
made for a lot of activity as well as a
lot of congestion. It was a busy time
for both Benson Parking and St. Paul
Flight Center, and overall seemed
to be a successful experience for the
City of Minneapolis. But we were
glad when it was over!
Robert Smith, Custodian, is also
our in-house downtown Minneapolis
historian. He brought to my
attention some differences between
Minneapolis in 1992, the last time a
Super Bowl game was played here,
and Minneapolis in 2018.
Minneapolis in 1992:
• Dayton’s and Fanny Farmer (candy
store) were open.
• The Leamington Ramp was open,
and the Hilton opened later that
year.
• No light rail or North Star at that
time.
• No skyway past Ninth Street.
• The Hennepin Avenue Theater
District was started.
• National City Bank was still
downtown (after several name
changes, it is now known as BMO
Harris).
Minneapolis in 2018:
• Target (originally started by
Dayton’s) is a major presence
downtown.
• Skyway goes all the way to the
Convention Center, as well as to
U.S. Bank Stadium.
• Many new restaurants: News Room,
The Local, Oceanaire, Ike’s, Capital
Grill, Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
• Norwest Bank is now Wells Fargo.
• The Foshay Tower is now a hotel.
• There is a new Guthrie Theater
(formerly near Loring Park, now
adjacent to the Mississippi River).
Thanks, Robert, for these reminders
of how much Minneapolis has
changed!
The annual FF&M bank presidents
meeting was held on March 13-
14 in the Conference Center of
the First National Bank Building
in downtown St. Paul, where the
FF&M St. Paul branch is located.
We had a number of guest speakers
over the course of the two days, along
with several internal presentations.
On the evening of March 13, the
group, along with many of the guest
speakers, attended the Wild vs.
Colorado Avalanche hockey game.
Updates
Despite the claims of a couple of the
guest speakers that they had brought
good luck with them, the Wild lost
(unfortunately, the usual outcome at
these annual meetings…). But it was
a productive meeting nonetheless.
Thanks to Pete LaNasa, Jessie
McGee and Gina Davis, FF&M St.
Paul, for hosting us in their building
and helping with the logistics.
Almost immediately following
the bank presidents meeting
was Admiral’s annual awards
celebration, held in Charlotte, North
Carolina this year.
Interspersed among the extensive
preparations for these meetings,
we somehow also completed
performance reviews!
Finally, thanks to Doug Swanson
for submitting a companion photo
to one he had submitted for the Fall
2015 issue of Hooray! This sculpture
is at Mia (Minneapolis Institute of
Art), located at 2400 Third Avenue
South, just a little ways south of our
office and the location of our August
2015 Managers Meeting.
August 2015
February 2018
Submitted by: Nancy Novack,
Executive Assistant
19
 Updates
First Farmers & Merchants
St. Paul
Flight Center
Update
Super Bowl LII at the St. Paul Flight
Center
After over a year of planning,
countless meetings, and an
electronic billboard that I would
drive by every day on my way into
work counting down the days until
U.S. Bank Stadium would play host
to the largest sporting event in the
world, Super Bowl LII on Sunday,
February 4, 2018 is an event I will
never forget. For many large events
like this, the build-up is far worse
than the actual event, but that was
not the case with the Super Bowl.
The advance team from the NFL and
the airport authority worked closely
with the commercial operators like
the St. Paul Flight Center, so we
knew what to expect and when
to expect it. I tried to keep telling
myself during the whole process
that the Super Bowl is no different
than what we do every day, just on
a bigger scale.
As with most large tasks, much of
the work was done before the first
airplane landed for the event. The
first challenge was how to handle
the massive call volume with one
customer service representative.
Janine Moe, who has been with the
Flight Center for over 15 years, is a
rock star at her job, but no one person
could possibly handle the flood of
calls headed our way. St. Paul Flight
Center made the decision to give our
web site a long overdue redesign,
with the help of Doug Swanson
(Leamington Co. VP/CFO), who
20
recommended the advertising to those temps on an ongoing
firm of Anderson Madison. They
assisted in freshening up our web
site and providing St. Paul Flight
basis? Based on the cabin class of
airplanes the Flight Center was
fielding calls from, the decision was
Center an electronic means for
customers to make a reservation
made that the number of airplanes
that could be accommodated was
for the Super Bowl. All of St. Paul
Flight Center’s pricing for the Super
Bowl was available on the web site,
50. This would make for a very tall
task come departure day; with 50
airplanes trickling in over four to
and pre-arrival requests for services five days but all leaving on the same
could all be accomplished through day, the real test would be departure
our web site, which proved to be an on Monday.
invaluable tool. Thanks to the help
and recommendation of James
Tuttle (Leamington Co. Controller),
St. Paul Flight Center was able to
hire Kae Lance to help us at the
front desk with reservations as well,
which helped immensely. Janine
Moe handled the call chaos in her
usual professional and efficient
manner.
The next challenge was the
seemingly simple question of how
many airplanes the Flight Center
could safely handle on the ground
at one time. The answer to that
question really was twofold. Every
square foot of the airport not used
as an active aircraft movement area
was designated for aircraft parking.
St. Paul Downtown Airport has three The theme for Super Bowl LII
runways and numerous taxiways. was “The Bold North” and all the
For a major event like the Super visitors got to experience every
Bowl, two of the runways were bit of what Minnesota winter has
closed for parking of aircraft once to offer. Snow events on two days
they got on the ground and the same of Super Bowl week, on Thursday
can be said for the vast majority of and Saturday, posed significant
the taxiway system on the airport. challenges as visibility at the airport
The second question that needed hampered the ability for aircraft to
to be answered was how many land. Four inches of fresh snow
airplanes could the Flight Center fell on Saturday when the forecast
safely handle on departure day with called for a dusting.
a staff of eight and every aircraft
leaving between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 The Super Bowl has really become
p.m. on the Monday after the game. a global event and the place to be
The human element also had to be for the who’s who from all over
considered – with forecasted temps the world. St. Paul Flight Center
on Monday in the single digits, how
long could our team be exposed (continued on page 21)
 Updates

ST. PAUL FLIGHT

CENTER Update
(continued from page 20)

served the likes of Dallas Cowboys

owner Jerry Jones to boxer Floyd
Mayweather and NFL hall of famer
and TV broadcaster Howie Long.
Visa, one of the lead sponsors for
the game, brought two Gulfstreams
to St. Paul Flight Center to be stored
in our hangar for the weekend as
well. The reviews from all guests
were overwhelmingly positive of
the experience people had in the
Twin Cities for game week.

Monday, February 5, 2018 will

go down in St. Paul Flight Center
history as the busiest day we
will ever see. Along with some
home office help from Tim Neid
(Admiral Merchants) and Ken
Lehner (Leamington Co.), who
directed traffic for us at our security
gate and directed people to their
aircraft, our small, focused team
safely and efficiently departed over
50 airplanes in eight hours. This
could not have happened without working order prior to the event, terrific job and I am super proud of
the hard work of the entire St. Paul from Scott Gall and Jeff Starzecki their efforts, making Super Bowl
Flight Center team performing their and their towing abilities getting LII an extremely successful event
assigned tasks at the highest level. all the aircraft towed and parked for St. Paul Flight Center.
From the organizational skills of safely, to Mike McDonald and his
Mike Schimelpfenig and Tanner willingness to do all of the running Submitted by: Dave Lessard,
Rieschl for ramp stacking, to Brian around and making sure all aircraft Manager
Coulter and Pete Brostrom getting were properly stocked and ready
all the ground equipment in good for departure – EVERYONE did a

21
 Eagle Awards
EAGLE AWARDS
(continued from page 18)
Sue Kahle
FF&M Le Sueur
Sue Kahle
Loan Administrative Assistant
Submitted by: Brian Pfarr,
President
Sue Kahle has been instrumental
in helping FF&M Le Sueur
transition with new employees
and retirements in the past year.
Finding the right person to fill the
void left by Kathy Harrison was
not an easy one for the Le Sueur
location. Fortunately, the selection
of Sue for this position was the
correct choice. Stepping into the
areas of loan file administration,
handling complex transactions with
participations, tracking security and
insurance documents had a steep
learning curve. Sue’s ability to
grasp the importance of these areas
provided significant confidence to
the lending staff and customers of
the bank.
We all depend on Sue for a multitude
of tasks and duties, and she does
not hesitate to help out when there
is a need at the bank. During the
year, Sue has filled a variety of
22
customer service positions in the
bank during employee absences and
vacations. She does not hesitate to
stay late or come in early to ensure
the customers’ needs are fulfilled.
Sue enjoys interaction with our
customers and has the ability to
manage difficult situations with
ease. She is often sought out by
customers when they come into
the bank because she is known as Brittani Olson
a problem solver by the customers
who seek her help. Sue’s main
FF&M Pipestone
Brittani Olson, Teller
duties are Loan Administrative
Submitted by: Tammy Ogdahl,
Assistant, but she never hesitates to
Chief Operations Officer, and
take on an additional task to ensure
the customers’ needs are met. Her
Linda Erickson, Customer Service
Representative
dedication to her work and to the
needs of the customer as well as
Brittani Olson has quickly
her professionalism in any situation
proven herself at First Farmers
makes her an excellent choice for
& Merchants as an outstanding
the Eagle award.
example of an Eagle’s dedication,
motivation, and team-first attitude.
Sue has a can do attitude which is
Brittani has brought to her position
infectious in the staff. Her positive
as full-time Teller a compassionate
attitude has had a great impact on
and kind spirit along with a drive
the employees of FF&M during a
and ambition that is an excellent
time of employee transition.
example to those around her.
Thank you, Sue, and
Brittani joined the Pipestone Teller
congratulations!
Team and quickly was executing her
position at an extremely proficient
level, many times exceeding
expectations though very new to the
department. She received training
and impressed others with her high
level of retention coupled with a
professional, well-versed delivery
with customers. Her desire to know
“how” and “why” blended with the
strong desire to “get it right” was
evident from the very beginning of
her training and continues to shine
through in her daily work. She is
responsible as the primary Source
(continued on page 23)

EAGLE AWARDS
(continued from page 22)
Capture operator and completes
this task efficiently, always desiring
to submit her daily totals before the
expected time. This is one of the
areas where her self-determination
and drive shines through. She
is always looking for ways that
she can be better, do better, and
accomplish more. Her ambitious
attitude extends beyond her work
at the bank. She is active in the
community, with many of her extra
hours being spent leading her Girl
Scout troup.
Brittani gets along with everyone,
both her customers and co-
workers, and her positive spirit
has had an outstanding impact
on her team. She is level-headed
and composed during busy times,
always accepts new responsibilities
with excitement and enthusiasm,
and embraces how her position as
Teller is vital to the bank. Above
all, she is a compassionate and kind
individual, exhibiting this to both
her external and internal customers
with consistency and sincerity.
Congratulations, Brittani!
Gina Davis
FF&M St. Paul
Gina Davis, Executive Assistant
Submitted by: Nancy Novack, 215
Holding Co. Executive Assistant,
and Pete LaNasa, President
Gina Davis has worked in the
banking industry for about 11 years
and has been the Executive Assistant
in the St. Paul office of First Farmers
& Merchants since September 13,
2013. Her professionalism and
cheerful, cooperative attitude make
her a pleasure to work with, day in
and day out, which is especially
important in a small, three-person
office.
One area in which Gina has
consistently gone above and beyond
her usual job responsibilities is her
help with the annual bank presidents
meeting, held in the First National
Bank Building Conference Center
in mid-March every year.
Gina is always super helpful with
the meeting. She reserves the room
and does all the coordination with
the building management. She
helps us unload our cars and move
supplies to the Conference Center.
She is always asking if there is
anything else she can do to help us
with the meeting.
Eagle Awards
However, this year her efforts
were particularly appreciated.
Our meeting date is dependent on
the Wild hockey schedule, so we
don’t have a lot of flexibility. Last
fall, when Gina tried to make the
reservation for March 2018, for the
first time in seven years we were not
able to get the days we wanted. She
worked diligently with the building
management to ascertain all of the
days when the Conference Center
would be available. However, in
the end, it was determined that
we would have to meet in the
Conference Center the first day and
at the hotel where the presidents
were staying on the second day. We
were in the process of negotiating
with the hotel for meeting space,
meals, etc., when Gina called
me to say she had been able to
work out an arrangement with the
Conference Center after all. Gina’s
persistence in working with the
building management saved us at
least $1,000.00 in hotel charges,
and we avoided the inconvenience
of having to meet in two different
places. In addition, one of the
speakers for this year’s meeting had
some specific technology requests.
Gina again served as the liaison
between the building management
and the holding company,
arranging for our IT person and me
to meet with the Conference Center
manager in advance of the meeting
to be certain the speaker’s needs
could be met.
Thank you, Gina, for all you do
to make the St. Paul office run
smoothly every day, and for your
extra efforts related to the bank
presidents meeting each year. 
23
 Hooray!
SHORT COMPANIES
215 South 11th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 332-4732
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
ANNIVERSARIES
ADMIRAL MERCHANTS
Mike Fielding 35 years
Jan Muellner 35 years
Lisa Hofer 21 years
Becky Cao 20 years
Mark Wothe 20 years
Tyra James 18 years
Brent Layton 14 years
Nate Sarchet 11 years
Suzanne Keller 7 years
Rhonda Anderson 4 years
Mike Griffin 4 years
Doug Milroy 2 years
Joe Upholzer 1 year
FF&M CANNON FALLS
Brenda Jackson 26 years
Cathy Anderson 13 years
Deanna Hochmuth 13 years
Jennifer Buck 2 years
Kelsey Rowe 2 years
FF&M PIPESTONE
Dawn Carson 10 years
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24
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FF&M LE SUEUR FF&M RED WING
Sue Kahle 18 years Cheryl Anderson , Customer Service
Tom Obele 13 years Representative
Christina Meyer 4 years Savannah Friesen, Customer Service
Kristin Nepper 1 year Representative
Chris Berndt 1 year Judy Hammes, Teller
FF&M SHARED SERVICES BABY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mary Christensen 20 years FF&M WHITE ROCK
Amy Furlong 15 years Congratulations to Emily and Dylan
Pam Kuyper 9 years Iverson, who proudly welcomed a
Karen Wohnoutka 4 years baby girl on January 12, 2018. Quinn
Brit Matt 3 years weighed 9 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 inches
Mary Kriesel 2 years long.
FF&M WHITE ROCK WEDDING
Babe Nelson 29 years ANNOUNCEMENTS
Carna Visagie 7 years FF&M CANNON FALLS
Laura Qualey is pleased to announce
LEAMINGTON CO. the marriage of her daughter, Mattie,
Sam Tims 52 years to Bo Schuette. Mattie and Bo were
Robert Smith 40 years married in late February in Hastings.
Congratulations!
NEW EMPLOYEES
ADMIRAL MERCHANTS
Rob Zempel , Operations Manager
Tim Burke, Regional Sales Director