Union State Bank Vice President and Director of Human Resources Merresa Hanson has been recognized as a 2024 “Women Who Lead In Human Resources” by the Wichita Business Journal. Hanson is one of twenty professionals recognized for their outstanding leadership who were featured in the October 18th print edition of the journal.
Hanson has over thirty years of experience in Human Resources roles.
“I started out processing payroll for a small company that was going through a growth spurt. The company was struggling with the recruitment process, and I was able to create an HR position for myself. This position grew and I ended up providing HR support to three manufacturing plants in three states,” Hanson explained. “Since then, I have enjoyed HR roles in long-term care and community banking, which have provided me with diverse work experiences.”
Throughout her various roles, Hanson has maintained a consistent philosophy regardless of the industry, company size or workplace culture.
“My first mentor was the vice president of HR, where I started my career in HR. He encouraged my transition from payroll to HR and taught me his philosophy on the HR role. That philosophy, which I still live by today, is that the role of HR is that of a neutral third party tasked with the responsibility to protect both the organization and its employees.”
Originally part of the Midland National Bank team which merged with Union State Bank in 2020, Hanson has a combined eighteen years with the organization.
“When I started in community banking, Ron Lang (retired Market President for Midland National Bank/Union State Bank) helped me grow as a servant leader,” said Hanson. “I enjoy building trust and creating relationships within our organization. It is rewarding to be able to support our employees and managers by providing them with the resources they need to grow both professionally and personally, making our organization even stronger.”
About Union State Bank: Founded in 1908, Union State Bank has banking locations serving communities of Arkansas City, Newton, Udall, Winfield, and Wichita in Kansas and in Bartlesville and Edmond, Oklahoma. Union State Bank offers a full range of electronic, deposit and cash management services, as well as business and agriculture, commercial real estate, construction, mortgage, residential and consumer loans. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender, NMLS# 412388