Pub. 6 2018 Issue 2

10 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org JAREN STARRAWARDEDMIB’S 2018 GRADUATE BANKINGSCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP MIB MEMBER NEWS I n order to help MIB’s member banks provide the highest-quality education to their bank employees, each year, the Montana Indepen- dent Bankers Association offers a $2500.00 scholarship to a graduate-level banking school of the recipient’s choice. Jaren Starr of American Bank of Bozeman is this year’s recipient of MIB’s graduate banking school scholarship. Jaren began his banking career as both a management trainee and credit analyst for First Interstate Bank. In July of 2013, Jaren went to work for American Bank in Bozeman as a credit analyst. In February of 2016, Jaren was promoted to the position of commercial loan officer. Throughout his banking career, Jaren has been an active volunteer in his community. He is presently the treasurer of the Bozeman Rotaract Club, a 2016 graduate of the Leadership Bozeman program, an ex-board member for Prospera Business Network, and a HRDC Kidspack volunteer. In his scholarship application, Jaren wrote that he grew up in a town in Montana where the local community bank mattered. As a result of his experiences as a youngman, Jared learned that without local, often family-owned banks being located in small Montana towns, businesses in rural areas would not have sufficient access to capital to expand their existing business or the financial means to create start-up businesses. Jared also penned that community banks are the lifeblood of smaller, rural towns across the state. Jaren stated he applied for the MIB scholarship because he wants to keep Montana community banking alive and relevant. Jaren specified that he firmly believes that the community banking business model of local decisionmaking and involvement is a better fit for Montana’s community and demographics than national bank chains are. “Commu- nity banks hold their neighbors’best interests and their customer service higher than all else, hence the‘community title’”, Jaren wrote. Com- munity banks“understand the needs of their customers because their employees live there, play active roles in the communities andmake relation-based decisions.” Jaren will be attending the Pacific Coast Banking School (PCBS) in Seattle. • 0% Down Payment Assistance • 30-year, low interest rate mortgages • Quality in-state servicing housing.mt.gov Ask your lender about MBOH loans. 40 Years of Service