Congratulations to the Iowa Bankers Association, which celebrated its 125th anniversary at its annual convention last week.

IBA became the fourth state banker association when it was formed by 69 bankers who gathered in the summer of 1887. At the time, the association charged a membership fee of $3 and annual dues of $2. In 1888, the association had 81 member banks. IBA grew rapidly and by 1905, it had 1,000 members. In 1921, the association achieved 100 percent membership — all 1,906 banks in the state claimed IBA membership. Today, the association has 359 bank members, which represents 95 percent of the banks in Iowa.

One of the more interesting responsibilities of the IBA was during the 1920s when it helped to form Vigilance Committees around the state that worked to prevent bank robberies. Every town that had a bank set up a four-man committee, each appointed deputy sheriff. The U.S. War Department made arrangements with the IBA so members of the Vigilance Committees could purchase guns and ammunition. At one time, there were 4,303 vigilantes covering 881 banking towns. The IBA provided opportunities for the committee members to practice shooting. The effort made a difference. Although losses from bank burglaries totaled more than $225,000 in 1920-21, more than 100 bank robbers were apprehended from 1920 to 1925.

For many, two names come to mind when you say Iowa Bankers Association – Frank Warner and Neil Milner. Warner was IBA’s executive from 1916 to 1966. He set the foundation for today’s modern association, in addition to being responsible for writing most of the state’s banking laws. I never met him, but clearly he was Mr. IBA for half a century. I did get to meet Neil Milner, who ran the association from 1972 to 1996. Many of the association’s current subsidiaries and affiliate relationships were established under Neil’s leadership. Neil went on to become CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors in Washington, D.C., and is retiring from that job at the end of this year.

John Sorensen took over for Milner in 1996 and has earned the respect of bankers and banking trade association professionals around the country. IBA is a multi-million dollar operation today with more than 100 employees. Sorensen is a consummate CEO as well as an effective advocate at the state capitol in Des Moines and at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Earlier this month, Sorensen hit his own personal milestone, noting 25 years of employment with IBA.

Congratulations to Ginger Adams, who is now enjoying retirement after serving for 17 years as executive director of the Independent Community Bankers of South Dakota. She became the association’s first executive on Oct. 1, 1994, and concluded her service to the organization on August 31.

Ginger told me by phone from her home in Mitchell, S.D., that she looks forward to “unstructured days, working in her yard, and picking up scrap-booking projects which have been waiting for her attention for years.”

A group of South Dakota bankers incorporated ICBSD in 1983 in response to a revenue sharing program that was being created at the time by the Independent Community Bankers of America. ICBA members in South Dakota were eligible to benefit from the revenue sharing, but the money could only flow back to an incorporated non-profit association. So, the bankers formed one. The bankers conducted annual meetings, elected officers and met on an as-needed basis. Revenue accumulated from dues and the national association revenue sharing program until the members felt a sufficient base had been established to hire a full-time employee.

At the 1994 annual retreat conducted in the Black Hills, Boyd Hopkins of CorTrust Bank in Mitchell was elected president. He was authorized to search for the association’s first executive director. Within a couple months, he hired Adams. For the first several months of her employment, CorTrust provided an office and basic office furnishings.

Adams had been executive of the professional insurance agents association in South Dakota. She knew many community bankers from that experience because many of the insurance agents she represented worked in community banks.

One of Adam’s first tasks was to assemble a cohesive record of the association’s history. Meeting minutes generally resided at member banks since there had never been a central office before. Adams traveled to many of the association’s members, collecting the minutes and other association documents. From that beginning, she built today’s ICBSD.

Adams put a personal touch on the association and particularly on the annual retreats. Adams said she considers her time at ICBSD to have been absolutely wonderful. She called it a great job and a great career.

Geri Beck started at the association’s new executive. She was introduced at the ICBSD annual retreat in July and she worked along side Adams during the later half of August.