Our Story

United Prairie has its roots in rural Minnesota. The organization started to take shape in 1973 when former President, James G. Sneer, bought Farmers State Bank of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. That original bank charter began in the year 1919. The bank was run with a strong emphasis in superior customer service, financial integrity and community involvement.

Some years later, Mr. Sneer began to acquire other banks in towns around in the region, bringing the strong values and business practices that brought early success. In some cases, failing banks were rescued and resuscitated to once again become strong promoters of their local economies. In 1992, the banks owned by Mr. Sneer were changed to the now-familiar United Prairie Bank.

In 2002, Stuart J. Sneer, the son of James and Susan Sneer, took over the presidency of the company after many years of individual bank management and system management as vice president. Today, the third generation of the Sneer family is involved in roles within the company.

Over the years, United Prairie began to build insurance and financial planning resources for its customers as well offering those services across its footprint. Currently, the company has 16 total locations in 14 communities across Minnesota. Company headquarters are in Mankato, Minnesota. Scott D. Bradley is the President and Chief Executive Officer leading the company to seek its vision for now and the future.

Our Leadership Team

United Prairie News

united prairie board additions

(Mankato, MN) May 12, 2023 – United Prairie has expanded the company’s board of directors to include four new members. We’re happy to have Emily Sieberg, Tim Malecha, Sara Mikuta and Scott Miller join the team.

Emily Sieberg is a third-generation member of the Sneer family to be involved in the operations of the company since her grandfather, James G. Sneer, founded the company in 1973 and father, Stuart J. Sneer recently retired from the board after nearly 40 years of leadership. Emily brings 10 years of experience with United Prairie across various capacities, most recently as a Relationship Manager in the Mankato branch.

Tim Malecha joins the board with a wealth of knowledge having recently retired from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, where he supported United Prairie Bank as a tax advisor. Tim’s considerable financial and tax acumen will be a substantial asset on the board.

Sara Mikuta brings over 42 years of financial institution experience. Throughout her career, Sara held various roles around the Chicago, IL area, focusing on financial/operational review, enterprise risk management, and internal audit/controls.

Scott Miller, a partner at Miller, Lee & Associates, brings 40 years of financial institution experience and knowledge to the board. Previously, he was a partner and national practice leader in Risk Management for Crowe, LLC, where he focused on consulting services for loan review, model validation, process improvement and due diligence.

We’re pleased to bring such a wealth and breadth of knowledge to the company through these individuals and look forward to continued growth through their support and guidance.

response to silicon valley bank failure

March 13, 2023 – 

As you have likely seen in the news, Silicon Valley Bank – the 16th largest bank in the U.S., was shut down by bank regulators late last week. We recognize that you may have questions about the security of your deposits and want to provide you with some context and important information. United Prairie Bank wants to assure you that we are a secure, well-diversified, and highly-rated institution. We hold a 5-star rating through Bauer Financial, which is the highest possible rating. Learn more about how we achieve this well-respected rating. 

Silicon Valley Bank was highly specialized in serving venture capital firms and technology startups, which can bring higher risk. United Prairie Bank serves clients across a variety of diverse, local businesses and this ensures we are consistently in a strong capital position and have ample liquidity.

We have built strong, long-term relationships with our clients and communities. Our success goes hand in hand.

As an FDIC-insured bank, deposits are automatically insured up to at least $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured bank, per ownership category. Visit the FDIC for additional information regarding coverages. No one has ever lost a penny of FDIC-insured funds up to $250,000 throughout history. And, the Federal Reserve has announced plans to, “fully protect all depositors, both insured and uninsured” in response to this instance as they historically have done. If you have questions about your coverage or additional coverage needs, please feel free to contact us.

We are here for you and available to serve your needs now and in the future.

bastian and buchele promoted

November 22, 2022 – United Prairie Bank in Owatonna is pleased to announce longtime Waseca market leader, Nate Bastian, is taking the helm. Bastian will now be leading both the Waseca and Owatonna banking teams as Market President. Bastian has been with United Prairie for eight years providing strong leadership and ag and commercial lending expertise.

Longtime Retail Manager, Marcy Buchele, has been promoted to Branch Manager of the Waseca location. Marcy’s continued leadership will help maintain the high level of service our clients have come to expect in the Waseca location.

Congratulations to Nate and Marcy on their promotions!

Witte Recognized with ‘Top Women in Finance’

November 4, 2022 -

Finance & Commerce recently recognized Lisa Witte, United Prairie’s Chief Financial Officer, as part of their Top Women in Finance of 2022. The Top Women in Finance program recognizes women making an impact in their profession, their community, and society at large. An outside panel of experts reviewed the nominations and helped to select the honorees.

Maureen Wieser, United Prairie’s Chief Operating Officer, commented on Witte’s nomination, “Lisa adds incredible value through her strategic vision and her leadership in developing and executing company strategy. Congratulations, Lisa, and thank you for the example of professionalism you show us every day!”

The women will be profiled in the Top Women in Finance magazine and honored at an awards event in Minneapolis.

United Prairie Bank Nationally Ranked in Ag Lending

July 15, 2022 -

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) recently released its rankings of the top lenders for 2022. United Prairie Bank was ranked 14th in the nation in the Ag lending category of its peers. This ranking places United Prairie in the top 1.06% of banks in this peer group, which consists of community banks with $300 million to $1 billion in asset size.

The ICBA created these rankings based on a lender score out of 100 for each community bank based on FDIC data from 2021. The score combines the average of the bank’s percentile rank for lending concentration and for loan growth over the past year in the lending category and adjusted the score for loan charge offs. United Prairie Bank received a score of 89.86 out of 100.

United Prairie President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Bradley commented, “United Prairie Bank has always been a champion for ag producers in our markets. I’m so proud of the work and dedication our entire team puts forth every day to help keep our agricultural clients thriving.”

This ranking places United Prairie Bank as the top Ag Lender in the State of Minnesota in the asset size category. It’s a milestone the company doesn’t take lightly.

“At the end of the day, we are in the people business. When we can deliver expertise to our clients that helps them grow, we grow as well,” added Bradley.