Profile: F&M Bank president takes personal approach

CEDAR RAPIDS - Tim German is president of F&M Bank, but he embraces a hands-on approach typically associated with a personal banking.

'We would much rather go out to a customer's office and talk with them than ask them to come here,” German said. 'When you are out there, you can see what's going on. You can be more responsive and have better advice for them.”

German, 52, was elected president of Manchester-based F&M Bank in February. The State Center native with 29 years of banking experience previously was executive vice president, having joined F&M in 2007.

'I was initially in agricultural sales after I graduated from Iowa State University in 1985,” German said. 'After about a year, I received a call from Brenton Bank, where I worked for about 10 years.”

German left Brenton Bank to become a loan officer at American Trust & Savings Bank in Dubuque. During his time in Dubuque, he became acquainted with Michael Dunn, F&M Bank chairman, through industry groups that monthly to discuss banking issues.

'I had an opportunity to go back to State Center when the longtime president of Central State Bank was retiring,” German recalled. 'Mike approached me when Jock Stevenson, who had been executive vice president, was preparing to retire.

'I came here in August of 2007, and Jock retired at the end of the year.”

German said he enjoys working at F&M Bank, citing the staff Dunn assembled as his predecessor as president of the bank.

'We have a very impressive team of people,” he said. 'They are good people that I trust with their decisions. I would stack them up against anyone.”

F&M Bank has grown in recent years to have 11 locations with branches in Anamosa, Cedar Rapids, Monticello, Clarion, Goldfield and Lino Lakes and Vadnais Heights, Minn.

German said the bank's growth will continue to be incremental and prudent under his watch.

'I don't have any wild and crazy ideas to take F&M Bank off in a different direction,” he said. 'If we can continue to take care of our people and our communities, the bank will do continue to grow.

'We don't do well if our clients and our communities don't do well.”

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