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Banking on A's
Washington County Bank understands the importance of education and wants to reinforce this value by offering students a chance to win a scholarship. The Banking on A's program allows students ages 14 and under who receive an "A" on their report card to bring it to any WCB location and receive an entry into the scholarship drawing.
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| Banking on A's Winner, Taylor Karls from Blair is pictured with Jason Fowler of Washington County Bank | Banking on A's Winner, John Stork from Tekamah is pictured with Jordan Johnson of Washington County Bank |
Washington County Bank Receives Lender Honors from USDA Rural Development
Front row: Maxine Moul with USDA Rural Housing, Scott Jensen, Terry Dutton, Delbert Virchow with USDA Rural Housing. Second row: Wendy Allely, Susan Jeanerette, Sue White, Sarah Backman, Janice Schlueter Third row: Sarah Chatt, Myrna Lightwine, Cody Carritt |
| Blair, NE., January 4, 2012 - Washington County Bank was recognized as a $2 million club lender in Fiscal Year 2011 for USDA Rural Development's guaranteed rural housing (GRH) loan program. Washington County Bank provided nearly $2.6 million for 28 home loans through this program, which fostered rural homeownership in the state, said Maxine Moul, Nebraska State Director for USDA Rural Development in the making the presentation to the bank. Moul said, "We appreciate the Nebraska approved lenders, our partners, who make this program such a success. We anticipate another active year and we look forward to helping more rural Nebraskans to achieve the dream of homeownership. I wish to thank Washington County Bank for its dedication in using the program." With guaranteed financing, private lending institutions provide the loans which are guaranteed by the federal government. The program features no down payment to eligible income households and no maximum mortgage limits. Dwellings must be located in a rural community with a population of up to 20,000. For additional information, contact Washington County Bank's Mortgage Supercenter at 402.426.2111 or 402.374.2020. |
Promotion Announced
 | Sarah Chatt has been elected to Washington County Bank's Board of Directors. Chatt, Vice President and Branch Manager, has 12 years in the finance industry. A native of Tekamah, she is active in Leadership Burt County, Gateway Economic Development, and is a member of PEO International. |
Happy Holidays
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Washington County Bank employees Kaitlyn Anderson, Peggy Ahrens, and Emily Schaaf finish wrapping gifts for Adopt-A-Family. As part of our Pass It Forward campaign, the bank adopted three families this holiday season. The holidays are a good time to think about all you have to be thankful for. You came to mind for us. We appreciate your business and would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Pass it forward... |
Promotion Announced
 | Ellie Richardson-Vakiner has been promoted to Mortgage Loan Officer. “Over the past two years our mortgage and retail volume has substantially increased and Ellie has greatly contributed to that success,” said Scott Jensen, Vice President of WCB’s Retail Division. “She has been a great asset to our team.” |
Money Smart Week
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Being smart about money isn't always easy. Staying smart about money can be even harder. That's why Washington County Bank teamed together with Blair High School November 7-13 to present Money Smart Week in Nebraska. Our employees taught the students about the importance of credit and credit scores. Money Smart Nebraska Week is coordinated by the Nebraska Financial Education Coalition, a non-profit coalition created to help Nebraskans of all ages improve their level of financial literacy. |
Breast Cancer Awareness Promotion
 Breast Cancer Survivor: | In October, during Breast Cancer Awareness month, for every mortgage application at WCB, we donated $25 towards Relay for Life. This is in honor of our friend and colleague Gail and all other families that have been affected by Breast Cancer. Let's keep moving forward. |
Employee Volunteer Program
 Pam Vlcek helps unpack clothing for the annual MCH Auxiliary Rummage Sale. | Washington County Bank's 'Employee Volunteer Program' is one way that we can donate hundreds of hours of community service each year. We care about our community and will do everything we can to help move it forward. |
Banking on A's
Washington County Bank understands the importance of education and wants to reinforce this value by offering students a chance to win a savings bond scholarship. The Banking on A's program allows students ages 14 and under who receive an "A" on their report card to bring it to any WCB location and receive an entry into the scholarship drawing.
Congratulations to the winners of the W.C. Bee "Banking on A's" $300 Savings Bond Scholarships: Ellie Glub from Tekamah and Jacob Garder from Blair.
Helping Our Communities Move Forward
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Washington County Bank's Sarah Chatt recently donated $10,000 to Susan Skinner and Fran Strong of the Tekamah Library Foundation, the fourth of five pledged gifts from the bank. | Terry Dutton, President of Washington County Bank, donates its pledge of $50,000 to Sally Harvey of Memorial Community Hospital & Health System. |
Washington County Bank Unveils "Community Forward"
BLAIR— Surrounded by customers and residents attending their annual community cookout on Thursday, Washington County Bank unveiled a new motto and logo along with initiatives designed to benefit the Blair and Tekamah areas. "Community forward" is the new tagline, which President Terry Dutton explained as a simple way to sum up Washington County Bank's focus on philanthropy and reinvestment in its communities. Dutton also announced a new employee program that pays all workers for 16 hours of community service annually, resulting in hundreds of hours of giving back each year.
New signs and graphics will update the bank's locations in Blair and Tekamah, while an ad campaign will help inform the community of the change. New interior signs at the main branch in Blair will complement elements of last year's renovations, but Marketing Officer Emily Petersen emphasized the change is far more than aesthetic. "It's really about embracing who we are in our marketing and image. We are truly all about growing our communities and we want that to be reflected consistently," Petersen said, "We are also exploring new ways to strengthen our ties to the community through new banking products and services that help our customers benefit community causes, also." The bank will continue to support various local charities including the food pantries, which they help through an annual employee food drive.
Washington County Bank has been a landmark business and the leading bank in the Blair area since it was founded in Washington, NE in 1904. The bank moved to Blair in 1933, and to its current location in 1979. A sister bank, Burt County State Bank, became the Tekamah branch of Washington County Bank in 2004. With over $280 million in assets, the bank has grown with the community to remain the region's leading financial institution. Dutton believes the focus on community is responsible for the bank's success. "We're still managed locally. We still reinvest locally, " Dutton said. "We strive for fairness and great service because these are literally our neighbors we're taking care of. There's really a sense of community within our walls and we give back outside our walls. Our customers tell us that's why they love to bank with us."
Washington County Bank Announces Promotion
Brandon Mason has been promoted to Loan Officer at Washington County Bank (WCB) in Blair, Nebraska. Prior to joining WCB in 2010, he worked as a Portfolio Manager with CLS Investment Firm, LLC. He graduated with a BSBA in Finance in 2005 and MBA from Creighton University in 2008. Mason is a member of Blair Kiwanis Club and was the community chair for the Friends of Scouting campaign in 2011. Brandon and his wife, Jill, are members of the St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair.
Community Shred Day
 | Our Goal: Less identity theft in 2011. Washington County Bank hosted its 3rd annual Community Shred Day in April. This was a good way for our community to do spring cleaning by getting rid of extra paperwork such as old bills, tax records and bank statements in hopes of eliminating identity theft. A mobile shredding truck was on site in Blair and Tekamah to shred these confidential papers safely through its commercial grade shredder. The event was a huge success, shredding over 3,000 pounds of paper! |
Donation to Habitat for Humanity
| Terry Dutton, President of Washington County Bank, proudly gives a $2,500 donation check to Dee Sylvis, representative of Habitat For Humanity in Washington County. |  |
Girl Scouts Tour WCB
 | Teller Supervisor, Shirley Baker, gives this Girl Scout Troop a lesson in money and how people use it. The Girl Scouts are earning their Penny Saver Try-It badge. If your Girl Scout or Boy Scout Troop is interested in taking a tour at WCB, please contact Emily Petersen at 402-426-2111 for more information |
WCB Receives Lender Honors
Washington County Bank was recognized as one of the Top Lenders in Fiscal Year 2010 for USDA Rural Development’s guaranteed rural housing (GRH) loan program.
Washington County Bank provided more than $1.6 million in home loans through this program, which fostered rural homeownership in the state, said Maxine Moul, Nebraska State Director for USDA Rural Development in making the presentation to the lender.
Moul said, "We appreciate our partners, the Nebraska approved lenders, who make this program such a success. We anticipate another active year and we look forward to helping more rural Nebraskans to achieve the dream of homeownership. I wish to thank Washington County Bank for their dedication in using the program.”
With guaranteed financing, lending institutions including Washington County Bank, provide the loans which are guaranteed by the federal government. The program features no down payment to eligible income households and no maximum mortgage limits. Existing guaranteed or direct loan borrowers may refinance their home loans under the GRH loan program to obtain a possible lower interest rate.
For additional information for applying for a guaranteed home loan, contact Washington County Bank 402-426-2111 or 402-374-2020.
Washington County Bank Supports Relay For Life
Relay For Life is an event that brings communities together to help support the American Cancer Society and its mission to find a cure for cancer and support those who have battled against it. Washington County Bank takes great pride in their efforts to support this amazing challenge to battle the devastating disease of cancer. WCB employees worked throughout the year in a variety of ways to raise funds for this worthwhile cause.
