How did you get into banking?
When I was growing up, I don't know if the words “I would like to work at a bank” ever really came out of my mouth. I sort of fell into banking and the trust world, going straight from law school to Country Club Trust Company.
The trust world was a good fit for me. I grew up with my father and grandfather, who both practiced law in their own firm in a small eastern Colorado town. I spent summers working at the law firm and saw firsthand the relationships they built with their clients. As I went through college and then law school, I would think about how they built those client relationships, and I wanted the opportunity to do that in my career too.
KU had an elder law program, which was one of the things that attracted me to their law school. A lot of my dad's clients, living in a rural community, were older. While I was at KU trying to decide whether to join a traditional law practice or do something different, one of my mentors asked if I’d ever thought about a trust company. Literally, the words out of my mouth were: “What do they do?” Even after two years of law school, I had no idea. The more I learned about what trust companies do, the more interesting they were to me. And it turned out to be exactly the right fit.
So, tell us what a trust company does, particularly CCTC.
We're really the wealth management arm for the organization, and we serve as a corporate trustee in some relationships. Our business is investment management. We help clients reach their financial goals through planning and advising on the investments in their investment accounts and IRAs, and we invest money for the trusts for which we are serving as trustee. We work with many types of clients—professionals in the midst of building their careers and their wealth, older people who are beneficiaries of a trust, and youth who have trusts created for them. I love that we work with all different types of people.
What drew you to Country Club Trust Company fresh out of college?
Growing up in a small town and having a family that was involved in the community, I loved that community. So, I was looking for a sense of place, a tie to my new home in Kansas City. From my very first conversations with the group at Country Club Bank, I felt that connection to community. I really liked the people and the opportunity to work with nice people. I also looked at it as a long-term investment, with the opportunity to build relationships with the client base.
Tell us about your career progression at Country Club Bank?
When I was hired, there wasn’t a specific position open. I was basically a file clerk, filing papers in the filing room, answering phones and doing whatever I was asked to do. I supported the trust officers and learned the business development side, so I was in kind of a training role when I started. Within a few months, a position opened that allowed me to have client interaction and client responsibility—a trust administration role. I had my own book of clients I took care of, and I did that for the next seven years. I later moved into client relationship management, or business development. That role gave me an opportunity to learn more about the trust business, because you have to understand how the business is generated. After being in that role for a few years, I was promoted to President of CCTC.
With each step I took, I considered it an opportunity to add to my skill set, to my career toolkit. Each move required a different thought process. But making those leaps helped me understand why we do what we do and how we do what we do.
What advice would you give other Country Club Bank associates about advancing within the bank?
Keep learning! Ask about the “why.” Don’t be content to just do what you're told. If you ask why you’re doing it, you’ll get a better understanding of the whole business. Also, raise your hand and take on some things you’re not expected to do. Everyone around here has a multitude of things we’re trying to achieve. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and jump into something, even if you're not sure what the outcome will be. There's a lot of opportunity here—both within your department and representing the bank at a community or civic event. Just raise your hand!
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