Hamlin: Banks Are the Chemistry of Community
Eleven years ago, Brett Hamlin decided to leave his engineering firm and pursue a career in banking. “I found a career that has allowed me to grow personally, professionally and that gives me the motivation to help businesses, individuals and farmers in my community to flourish,” he said. “I feel a sense of pride when we help our business clients move their vision to reality or work with a farming operation that involves multiple generations.”
Hamlin, a graduate from Northwest Missouri State University, serves as the vice president at the Pella branch of Bank Iowa. “I have been at Bank Iowa for two years and have found that the culture here resonates with my own personal convictions about being a community banker,” he said.
What drove you to choose a career in banking?
Banking is my second career. After attending Northwest Missouri State University, I worked for an engineering firm in Kansas City for two-and-a-half years. About 11 years ago, a former colleague and friend approached me about an available banking opportunity in Northern Missouri as a commercial and agriculture lender with a local community bank and the rest is history. I found a career that has allowed me to grow personally and professionally and that gives me the motivation to help businesses, individuals and farmers in my community to flourish. I have been at Bank Iowa for two years and have found that the culture here resonates with my own personal convictions about being a community banker.
What is one lesson working in the banking industry has taught you, and how do you apply it to your everyday life?
Be a learner! There are so many knowledgeable colleagues and clients coupled with so much information and data available to us today. In banking and in life, I attempt to avoid complacency by trying to understand where we’re going and where we’ve been. This ultimately allows me to grow as an individual, husband, father and as a professional.
What is your best elevator pitch for why banking is a great career?
Banks are one of the pillars that make up the chemistry of a community. Banking usually involves something new and challenging every day and is a natural way to engage with community members. I feel a sense of pride when we help our business clients move their vision to reality or work with a farming operation that involves multiple generations. The banking industry has so many pathways that can lead to a rewarding career that can align with many people’s interests.
How does getting involved with the Iowa Bankers Association help you and your bank?
Recently, I completed my first year of the IBA School of Banking and was able to connect with several bankers from around the state of Iowa and beyond. In addition, I was able to expand my knowledge base in a way that will benefit me going forward. Staying engaged with current topics in banking is important as the industry and landscape are constantly evolving and changing. The IBA gets in front of the issues at hand and works with community banks to navigate the paths and obstacles that are ahead.
When you’re not at work, what do you like to do most?
My family keeps me busy! My wife and I are blessed with two daughters and a son, so we are always on the go. When not at work or an evening activity, you will find me under the hood of an old classic car, in a deer stand or on a golf course.
What is a quote or guiding principle you live by?
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
— John Wooden