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News Headlines

United Prairie collects over 1200 items for local food shelves

United Prairie employees from across the entire company gathered together to celebrate accomplishments of 2012.

During the event, employees teamed up for their local food shelves for an activity called "Food Shelf Golf". Employees separated into twelve teams, each representing a different food shelf and created a golf hole comprised of non-perishable food items. Each team was given 100 pieces of food to build their structure in addition to donations from employees. As boxes and cans of food lined the outer edges of their golf holes, team members worked together to overcome the challenge of constructing a creative, yet functional golf hole.

 After the golf holes were constructed, golfers from each team tried their hand at golfing other teams’ holes. There were two awards given of an additional $100 to the winning teams’ sponsored food shelves.

All of the non-perishable food items collected will be donated to food shelves across the United Prairie footprint. Those food shelves include: Cottonwood County Food Shelf, Echo Food Shelf, Heron Lake Food Shelf, Jackson Food Shelf, Lac Qui Parle Food Shelf, Manna Food Pantry, Murray County Food Shelf, New Ulm Area Emergency Food Shelf, Second Harvest Food Shelf, Steele County Food Shelf, Waseca County Food Shelf, and Willmar Area Food Shelf.

Mobile Banking Update

Beginning January 24, 2013 users of United Prairie's Mobile Banking app will be asked to download an updated version of the application. Below is a summary of the updates:

  • The ability to use Popmoney in the Mobile Banking web browser and the application services.
  • Discontinued app support for iPhone 2G and 3G models. The mobile browser and text message channels are unaffected by this change and will remain accessible to users with any iPhone model.
  • Retirement of the Mobile Banking app for all Blackberry devices. Blackberry users will be able to continue accessing Mobile Banking through the mobile web browser or text message service.

If you have any questions about how these changes may affect you, please contact your local United Prairie Bank branch.

 

22-year veteran chosen to lead United Prairie Bank in Mankato

Doug Lago, former president and chief executive officer of Emmet County State Bank in Estherville, Iowa, has been selected to lead United Prairie Bank's Mankato market.

"Doug is a great fit for United Prairie Bank and a great fit for the Mankato community," commented Scott Bradley, United Prairie chief executive officer. "Doug's proven track record in lending, administration and community support will benefit the bank and customers in the greater Mankato area."

Bradley noted that Lago's depth in agricultural finance helps further strengthen United Prairie's position as an ag lender in the area.

According to American Banker Weekly (May 10, 2012 edition), United Prairie Bank is the second largest ag lender by total loan volume among all of Minnesota's independently-owned community banks.

"Even though United Prairie Bank is a strong ag lender, the majority of the bank's total lending is to non-ag business," added Bradley.

Because Lago will be taking over administrative duties for the Mankato market, his addition will allow the former market president, Michael Laskey, to focus more time with commercial customers, said Bradley.

"Michael is a talented lender and very strong in economic development," said Bradley. "We needed to free up his time to better serve our commercial customer base. At the same time, we've been unable until now to serve the ag producers in the Mankato area. Bringing Doug in will greatly enhance our ag lending capability and provide for the staff's administrative needs."

Lago has been in banking all his adult life. Shortly after completing his college education in Economics and Business Administration, he joined Emmet County State Bank and spent 22 years there, rising from a junior lender to president and chief executive officer. Along with his current role as president of the Iowa Lakes Community College Foundation Board of Directors, Lago has been an active instructor within the Iowa banking industry. He is a 10-year veteran instructor for the Iowa Bankers Association Consumer Lending School, a graduate of the association's Agricultural Credit School and Commercial Lending School, and a graduate of the Iowa School of Banking.

Lago was born and raised on a grain and hog farm in the Spirit Lake, Iowa area. He is an avid golfer and completed the LaSalle Chicago Marathon in 2003.

 

Meyer promoted to Chief Credit Officer

Belle Plaine resident Christopher Meyer has been promoted to Chief Credit Officer for United Prairie Bank.

 United Prairie Bank, a $560 million asset bank with 13 locations in southern and West central Minnesota, is headquartered in Mankato. The company has 220 employees, and has been recently ranked by American Banker Weekly (May 10, 2012 edition) as the second largest community bank ag lender by loan volume in Minnesota.

 "Chris has exceeded our expectations in his role as Senior Credit Officer," said Scott Cooper, Chief Risk Management Officer at UPB. "His able hand in credit administration, sound judgment and leadership abilities have led us to move him up in terms of responsibility. In this new role, he will have primary responsibility for the bank’s entire loan portfolio."

 Meyer is a relative newcomer to UPB, having started with the company at the beginning of July. The company has been searching for a replacement for former Chief Credit Officer Gregory D. Mark, who retired earlier this year after 17 years of service.

 Meyer has been in the financial industry for 20 years, with eight years as a bank president and two in corporate credit administration. He’s currently on the Minnesota Bankers’ Association’s Government Relations Council. He recently retired from the Belle Plaine Volunteer Fire Department which he served for almost 20 years, including six as fire chief.

  

Community Events

Mankato Marathon

United Prairie is proud to sponsor the 3rd Annual Mankato Marathon on October 20-21, 2012.  Over 3,500 runners participated in the 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon or marathon last year!  Want to learn more about the Mankato Marathon or participate this year? Click Here.