Pub. 3 2015 Issue 3

11 Fall 2015 The Community Banker PIONEER FEDERAL ASSISTSWITH DILLON WALKING SCHOOL BUS PHILLIP BRATTON RETIRES AS PRESIDENT OF BANK OF BOZEMAN Pictured are Pioneer Federal employees Madisonn, Cara, Irma and Teryn with the seasonal tree displaying its best Halloween decor. Pioneer Federal Board member Verna Cleverley, Executive Vice President Penny Boka and Management Assistant Madisonn LemhouseHuntley serve on the local Festival of Trees committee. B ank of Bozeman announces the retirement of Phillip D. Bratton (Phil) as President after being with the bank 7 years. Phil successfully guided the Bank following the financial crisis to be - come one of the best capitalized independent community banks in Montana. Phil will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. Board, Staff and customers wish Phil the best on his retirement. Bank of Bozeman is pleased to announce the appointment of Clinton Gerst as President. Clinton hails fromHouston, Texas and recently moved to the Boz- eman area with his wife and son. With 28 years of multinational experience in banking, finance and engineering, he brings a broad and diverse perspective to the Gallatin Valley and surround- ing areas. Clinton has a BS in Engineering, magna cum laude, from Texas A&MUniversity and an MBA fromHarvard Business School. Clinton is excited to work with Bank staff to strength- en and build relationships in the Bozeman community and surrounding areas. B eartooth Bank sponsored the second “Women’s Business Uncorked” event in Billings, MT on October 1, 2015, with the assistance of the local SBDCMontana. Personal invitations were sent out to suc- cessful women business owners and they gathered for wine, hors d’oeuvres and networking. Pre- senters were Robin Hanel, realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Realtors, and Cassie LaGreca, owner and designer of Better Together Event Planning. Both told their stories of the hurdles and accomplish- ments they dealt with to get to where they are today. Beartooth Bank supports Women in Busi- ness and will strive to support the women business owners in our area. M any of us remember those days of walking to and from school. Today, many students now ride buses or are dropped off at school by parents or others. In working with the local Beaverhead Trails Coalition and under the national Safe Routes to School program, a Walking School Bus programhas been operating in Dillon for the past 5 years. This programoffers students the opportunity to walk to school along a pre-determined route with supervision provided by adult volunteers who undergo training and background checks. Mileage is tracked for each student and prizes are awarded periodically. Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan CEO TomWelch has walked one day a week since the program’s inception and this year he has been joined by others on his staff including Penny Boka and Madisonn Lemhouse Huntley. Pictured is a recent celebrity walker, the Beaverhead County High School mascot, the Dillon Beaver, who along with other guests periodically joins the walkers. Pictured is a recent celebrity walker, the Beaverhead County High School mascot, the Dillon Beaver who along with other guests periodically joins the walkers. THE PIONEER FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN SEASONAL TREE Almost 20 years ago, Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan/Dillon partnered with a local group of volunteers who wanted to start an annual Festival of Trees fund raising event. In the early years, Pioneer Federal underwrote a sig- nificant portion of the functions operating expenses. The Dillon Festival of Trees event has since grown to the point where the two evening event now stands on its own financially and over the past several years has been able to provide financial support to a number of worthy local non-prof- it organizations. The 2015 recipients of the net proceeds from this year's Festival of Trees function will be the Dillon City Li- brary and the Beaverhead County Search and Rescue. Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan has continued their annual support of this function and last year purchased a holiday decorated horseshoe tree made by a local rancher. This tree now commands a focal point in Pioneer Federal's lobby where every month it is decorated to reflect the seasons of the year or an upcoming holiday! Clinton Gerst BEARTOOTH BANK SPONSORS SECONDWOMEN’S BUSINESS UNCORKED EVENT