CATALYST/meet your banker
Michael Palmer
Executive Vice President/Chief Banking Officer, Wheatland Bank
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s the chief banking officer for Wheatland Bank, Mike Palmer has the challenging and rewarding job of overseeing and supporting both loan and deposit growth for the bank. Palmer, married 35 years with children, grew up in Spokane and graduated from Eastern Washington University with degrees in finance and economics. The majority of his career has been as a commercial banker, and he considers it an honor to be trusted enough by customers that they are willing to share the ins and outs of their businesses with him—from manufacturing, aerospace, and agriculture to forest products and commercial real estate. “It’s really amazing to see the variety of success stories out there, and very gratifying to know that what we do is a part of that success,” Palmer says. “I have been known to say more than once, when a customer gives us a tour of their business, it’s like going on a private field trip when you were in grade school … I love it,” he says. “When I talk to young bankers I try to instill the enthusiasm, fascination, and respect for the gift the customer gives us when they teach us about their business.” Palmer takes the same personal approach to creating a work place environment where employees feel empowered to create a customer experience that highlights the benefits of choosing to bank with a true “Community Bank.” “I’ve worked at large multi-billion dollar banks in my career and know firsthand that at larger banks it’s just not possible to customize the banking experience like we can at Wheatland,” Palmer says.
Troy Sims
SVP/Director of Residential Lending Services, Wheatland Bank
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roy Sims, senior vice president/director of residential lending services at Wheatland Bank, has a firm conviction that two ways to build generational wealth and stability is through our educational opportunities and through home ownership. “Buying a house gives stability to families and to neighborhoods. Owning a home as a long term investment is one of the ways people can build wealth over generations,” says Sims, who is married with three daughters and two step daughters. “The stability of home ownership also provides a head start when it comes to education, as well, as it is much more difficult to succeed in school when you are constantly changing schools.” Sims will celebrate 28 years in the residential lending industry on January 2, 2020. He joined Wheatland Bank in January of 2017. He is past president of the Spokane Mortgage Lenders, and is particularly proud that in the 2.5 years since Wheatland expanded its residential lending services division, he and his team have helped more than 1,000 clients with a home loan (over 90 percent purchase), and assisted first-time home buyers with more than $1,000,000.00 in down payment assistance. “My goal is to create a good place to work for my staff. 1feel that is the foundation for creating a great experience for your client,” Sims says. “The culture of your back office is bound to spill out and become the culture that your clients experience.” NOVEMBER 2019 / BOZZIMEDIA.com
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