■ Local Business memos/ Company news

■ Business Commentary

Waseca bank rebrands as Keen

First National Bank of Waseca has rebranded and will now operate as Keen Bank. The change eliminates confusion in the marketplace surrounding multiple banks named First National, according to CEO and Director Bernie Gaytko.

The bank is more than 100 years old. The bank is not being sold and the board of directors and staff remain the same.

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Ades, Trost join True Real Estate

True Real Estate announced Trish Ades and Mandi Trost have joinedTrueRealEstateasthe newest real estate agents.

Ades and her husband, Ron, relocated to Casper, Wyoming in 2012, where she began her real estate career. They recently moved back to south central Minnesota.

TrostgrewupinSaintPaul, with a previous degree in the medical field. Her career ultimately led her to southern Minnesota, and she now resides in Saint Clair.

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Compeer names CEO

Compeer Financial, a Farm Credit cooperative based in the UpperMidwest, announced Jase Wagner has been named the next president Jase Wagner and chief executive officer. Wagner will officially assume the role on Jan. 1, 2023.

Current President and CEO Rod Hebrink is set to retire in January.

Wagner, who moves into the role from his position as chief financial officer at Compeer, has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 13 years within the Farm Credit System. Within Compeer, Wagner previously served as the vice president of capital management and managing director of the organization’s Agri-Access division. Prior to joining Compeer Financial, he served as vice president of Allied Capital, a middle market junior capital provider in New York, and as vice president at Deephaven Capital, a multi-billion dollar multi-strategy hedge fund.

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Bolton & Menk help SCC with new lab

In four years, students at South Central College in North Mankato should have a new high-tech learning lab to help prepare them

for jobs in civil engineering, architectural drafting and GIS.

Bolton & Menk, which has long hired SCC grads, will donate money and in-kind support to help build the new lab.

The Bolton & Menk Infrastructure Solutions Lab will provide a high-tech learning environment for students in various programs, including civil engineering technology, geographic information systems, and architectural drafting and design.

The college will seek additional funding from the state university system as it puts together its request for bonding money from the state Legislature. ■ ■ ■

Gaytko elected to bank board

The Independent Community Bankers of America announced that Bernie Gaytko, President and CEO of Keen Bank was elected to the ICBA Federal Delegate Board. ICBA is the nation’s voice for community banks.

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Gullixson earns diploma

David Gullixson, of Pioneer Bank, was awarded a diploma from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Gullixson also received a Certificate of Executive Leadership from the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional and Executive Development for completing the GSB leadership curriculum. David Gullixson GSB is sponsored and governed by the Central States Conference of Bankers Associations in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was established in 1945 to provide bankers with an opportunity for

Consolidated honored by United Way

Consolidated Communications was recently recognized as Large Company of the Year by the Greater Mankato Area United Way for its 2022 campaign efforts.

The company and its employees pledged more than $47,000 to support United Way organizations in communities across Minnesota in 2022.

“We appreciate Consolidated Communications’ ongoing support of United Way through its corporate gift, employee rallies and volunteer efforts, and were happy to recognize them as our 2022 Large Company of the Year,” Greater Mankato Area United Way CEO Barb Kaus said in a statement.