Pub. 7 2019 Issue 1

3 The Community Banker When I first met Jack King, I was a young banker attending Montana independent Bankers Assn. and Montana Bankers Assn. meetings. At that time, my only contact was an introduction and the opportunity to listen to the seasoned veterans talk about banking history and plans to keep banking strong in Montana in the future. Later, I had the chance to work with him as a newly elected MIB boardmember. I remember realizing how little I knew about the organization that I had agreed to serve. Jack was a veteran of the banking business and very well regarded by all that he worked with and competed against. He had been a leader in community banking for many years and probably had no reason to spend much time explaining the organization or its objec- tives to a young kid from far eastern Montana. But he did that for me and was always willing to explain what he thought was important to Montana banking and why. On more than one occasion, I heard him stand to remind the mem- bers why they were there and the purpose of the Montana Indepen- dent Bankers group. As I listened in the meetings one thing was apparent. On most subjects, Jack had an opinion. The interesting thing to me was that it was obvious that Jack’s opinion was valued and respected by all of those in the conversation, or on the sidelines, even by those who may not have agreed with him. We didn’t have a close relationship and our contact was limited over the years, to banking association meetings. Our banks were about 600 miles apart. But Jack King made an indelible impression on me. He set a good example for this (once) young banker, and many others like me, by speaking up, and taking action, for what was important to him, to our communities, and to our industry. He never wavered from the belief that strong community banks were necessary to a rural state like Montana. His family was all in- volved the MIB and learned from their father the importance of taking care of their community. Jack King: good guy, good community citizen, good banker. Bob Goss-Retired Pres.-Stockman Bank, Sidney My Memories of Jack King