Board of Directors

Chair: G. BRIDGER COX, Chairman and President

Citizens Bank & Trust Company  |  Ardmore, Okla.  

Serving since 2011  

Cox has served as chairman and president of Citizens Bank & Trust Company since 1996. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He has served on numerous boards including the Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority, the Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, and Oklahoma Development Finance Authority. He is a former member of the ABA Community Bankers Council and former director of the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

Committees: Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Executive (Chair) 

Vice Chair: Robert E. Caldwell II, Vice President

Nebco, Inc.  |  Lincoln, Neb. 

Serving since 2004  

Caldwell is vice president at Nebco, Inc. He was previously president and COO of WRK Real Estate, LLC and president and CEO at Hampton Enterprises, Inc. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a bachelor of science in business administration. He also has an MBA and JD from the University of Nebraska. He serves on the board of the St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Capitol Casualty Company and the Lincoln Chamber Economic Development Corporation. 

Committees: Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Executive; Risk Oversight

donald r. abernathy, jr., President

Legacy Bank  |  Oklahoma City, Okla. 

Serving since 2017  

Abernathy is currently the President of Legacy Bank. He served as President and CEO of The Bankers Bank from 1993 to 2020. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and has been active in the banking industry in the Oklahoma City Metroplex for nearly 40 years. He is a past chairman of the Oklahoma Bankers Association and serves on the board of directors for the Community Bankers Association of Oklahoma, Bankers Banc Investment Securities and other industry and charity groups. He is also a past board member of the Independent Community Bankers Association and served on the Government Relations Committee and Community Bankers Council for the American Bankers Association.  

Committees: Audit; Risk Oversight

Milroy A. Alexander

MAA Consulting  |  Denver, Colo. 

Serving since 2015  

Alexander has been a housing, financial and business consultant since 2010. Formerly, he was the executive director and CEO of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). He is an CPA with a bachelor of science in accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is a Rose Community Foundation board trustee, a member of the Foundation’s Audit Committee and chair of its Committee on Aging.  Alexander also serves as a board member of Lowry Redevelopment Authority, the Northeast Denver Housing Center and Boomers Leading Change in Health. He is a member of the Metropolitan State University of Denver President’s Community Advisory Council and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee.  

Committees: Audit; Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Executive; Housing and Governance (chair)

Michael B. Jacobson, Chairman, President and CEO

NebraskaLand Bank  |  North Platte, Nebraska 

Serving since 2022 

Jacobson founded NebraskaLand Bank in 1998 and has served as its Chairman, President and CEO since then. He started in banking in 1980 in the First Commerce Bank system, where he spent 19 years. He has a bachelor of science in agricultural economics and is a graduate of the Colorado Graduate School of Banking. He previously served on FHLBank Topeka's board of directors from 2012 to 2019. 

Committees: Operations; Risk Oversight


 

Holly johnson, Consultant

Ayukpa Apelachi, LLC  |   Paoli, Okla.  

Serving since 2016 

Johnson is a Chickasaw citizen and owns a tribal consulting company providing services to the Chickasaw Nation in the area of administrative support and policy development. Johnson is the former Secretary of Treasury for the Chickasaw Nation. She is a CPA with a bachelor of science in Business Administration (Accounting) from Oklahoma State University. She currently serves as an advisory executive director of the Oklahoma State University School of Accounting. She serves as a trustee of the Chickasaw Foundation and is a current appointed commissioner of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. She previously served on the board of directors of Citizens Bank of Ada, Okla., served as an elected tribal legislator in the Chickasaw Legislature and served on the Advisory Committee of the Internal Revenue Service representing Indian tribal government.

Committees: Audit (Chair Designate); Risk Oversight

lynn jenkins katzfey, Partner

LJ Strategies  |  Eudora, Kansas 
Serving since 2019 

Katzfey has been a partner at LJ Strategies since January 2019. She graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, with a degree in Accounting. Katzfey worked as a CPA for 16 years before launching a career in public service. Katzfey served as Treasurer of the State of Kansas and was subsequently elected to serve five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. She currently serves on the boards of directors for American Century Investments Mutual Funds and MGP Ingredients, Inc.

Committees: Operations; Housing & Governance


 

Jane C. Knight, Public Interest Director 

Wichita, Kan. 

Serving since 2004 

Knight is the Public Interest Director at HopeNet. She previously served as the vice president of site-based strategies for Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters, where she had oversight for the Retired Senior Volunteer Programs and developed site-based mentoring programs. From 1995 to 2002, she directed the Wichita office for Kansas Governor Bill Graves and was in charge of addressing constituent concerns, including housing issues. Knight, a Kansas State graduate, serves on the board of trustees of the Via Christi Foundation and is past board president of HopeNet, Inc. She was a charter board member of Wichita Habitat for Humanity.  

Committees: Housing & Governance; Risk Oversight

Barry J. Lockard, President and CEO

Cornhusker Bank  |  Lincoln, Neb. 

Serving since 2018

Lockard has served as president and CEO of Cornhusker Bank, Lincoln, Neb., since 2007. Lockard previously served in leadership roles at Black and Decker, Cincinnati Bell, and First National Bank of Omaha. He also served eight years in the Nebraska Army National Guard. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. He has served on the boards of directors of the Nebraska Bankers Association, the American Bankers Association Community Bankers Council, and is a trustee for the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, where he has also served as a member of the faculty.

Committees: Housing & Governance; Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Operations

craig A. Meader, Chairman and CEO
First National Bank of Kansas  |  Burlington, Kansas
Serving since 2020

Meader has served as Chairman and CEO of First National Bank of Kansas since 1988. He is a graduate of University of Nebraska-Kearney and the Graduate school of Banking in Madison Wisconsin. Meader has served as Chairman of the Kansas Bankers Association and the Bankers Bank of Kansas. He is a former member of the ABA Community Bankers Council, Government Relations Council and the ABA Board of Directors. Meader has just finished his sixteenth year as Mayor of the city of Waverly and is currently serving on the Coffey County Economic Development Committee and Team Kansas.
 

Committees: Housing & Governance; Operations

L. Kent Needham, Chairman, President & CEO 

The First Security Bank  |  Overbrook, Kan. 

Serving since 2013  

Needham has served as Chairman, President and CEO of the First Security Bank since 2007. He is a graduate of Fort Hays State University, Wichita State University and the Graduate School of Banking at Boulder, Colo. Needham has served as the Chairman of the Kansas Bankers Association, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and as a member of America's Community Banker's Council of the American Bankers Association. 

Committees: Audit; Executive; Operations; Risk Oversight (Chair)

Jeffrey R. Noordhoek, Chief Executive Officer 

Nelnet  |  Lincoln, Neb. 

Serving since 2020  

Noordhoek serves as Chief Executive Officer for Nelnet. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Nebraska in 1988 and a master’s of business administration from Boston University in 1996. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. Noordhoek also serves on the boards of directors for the Lincoln Community Foundation and Nebraska Game & Parks Foundation, as well as the advisory board of Blue Print Nebraska, board of trustees for Junior Achievement, and the UNL College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.

Committees: Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Operations

Mark J. O'Connor, Vice President 

FirstBank | Lakewood, Colo. 

Serving since 2011  

O’Connor currently serves as President of Investments of FirstBank Holding Company, Lakewood, Colo., and has served as vice president of FirstBank since 2002. O'Connor is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado and Pacific Coast Banking School. He served as chairman of the board of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. He currently serves on the board of the University of Northern Colorado Foundation and the FirstBank Scholars Advisory Board.

Committees: Operations (Chair); Executive; Risk Oversight

Thomas H. Olson, Jr., Chairman

Points West Community Bank  |  Windsor, Colo. 

Serving since 2013  

Olson is the chairman of Points West Community Bank, Windsor, Colo., First Nebraska Bancs, Inc., Bank of Estes Park and First National Financial. He also serves on the board of Rush Creek Land & Livestock and various other bank and local boards. He formerly has served on the Bankers’ Bank of the West Board, UNL College of Business Advisory Board and as Chairman of Independent Bankers Colorado. Olson has a bachelor’s degree in finance with an accounting emphasis from the University of Nebraska and graduated from the Colorado Graduate School of Banking

Committees:  Audit; Housing and Governance; Compensation, Human Resources & Inclusion Committee (Chair); Executive

Mark W. Schifferdecker, President and CEO

GNBank, NA  |  Girard, Kan. 

Serving since 2011 

Schifferdecker has served as President & CEO of GNBank, NA since 2003. Schifferdecker, a graduate of William Jewell College and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, previously worked as a senior audit manager at KPMG in Kansas City, Mo., where he worked with a large number of community banks in financial, regulatory and management areas. He served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Bankers' Bank of Kansas, N.A. He is also active in the Kansas Bankers Association. 

Committees: Audit (chair); Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Executive; Risk Oversight

Douglas E. Tippens, President 

BancFirst  |  Edmond, Okla. 

Serving since 2015  

Tippens has served as executive vice president of BancFirst, Oklahoma City, Okla., since Dec. 2017. Prior to that, he served as Market President of BancFirst from 2015-2017. He previously served as president and CEO of Bank of Commerce, Yukon, Okla., from 2006 to 2015. He has worked in banking for more than 35 years at institutions in Oklahoma and Missouri. Tippens has a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He also completed the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking and served on its board for seven years. Tippens previously served as a member of the Oklahoma State Banking Board, the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents, the Oklahoma Bankers Association board of directors and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Oklahoma City Branch board of directors. 

Committees: Compensation, Human Resources and Inclusion; Housing & Governance; Operations

Paul E. Washington, Executive Vice President

IMA Financial Group, Inc.  |  Denver, Colo. 

Serving since 2021  

Washington is executive vice president of IMA Financial Group. Prior to his position with IMA, he served as the Market Director for JLL and as the Executive Director of Economic Development for the City of Denver. Washington spent 10 years in the investment banking sector where he served as founder and CEO for an international investment banking firm. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with degrees in law and business and has a masters in tax from the University of Denver. Washington currently serves on the board for Independent Bank, Colorado Concern and the Downtown Denver Partnership.

Committees: Audit; Housing and Governance