Eric Kurtz, President and CEO of Union State Bank (“USB”), headquartered in Arkansas City, Kansas, has announced that Shawn Wilson has joined USB as Executive Vice President / Chief Technology Officer. In this position Wilson will oversee the bank’s Information Technology team, as well as serve on USB’s executive leadership committee.
“Union State Bank jumped out to me as an organization with an eye to the future and with forward thinking staff that are more open to change than others. Technology is always changing, and as new techniques, opportunities, or methods emerge, I’m always looking for ways to improve whatever is around me,” Wilson said. “I hope to bring enhancements to our customer experiences and remove technical hurdles for our employees.”
Wilson has almost three decades of IT experience, and over 20-years in the banking industry. However, technology has always been part of his life.
“I grew up on a keyboard and have always had technology in my life. Long before my first job I was taking things apart to understand how they worked, building computers, writing programs in BASIC, and spending all night playing games,” Wilson explained. “My father taught me that there is a right tool for every job and that it’s better to do things right the first time. Those principles fit well in the regulatory framework that we in banking work under. Many other industries rely on duct tape and bailing wire to keep things running, and that’s not the standard I like to maintain.”
Wilson also enjoys sharing his technical talents and knowledge outside of the bank setting. He is an adjunct professor at Kansas Weslyn University, technical consultant for several private businesses and leads the tech team at his church. Wilson also provides public IT and financial security presentations.
Wilson is currently officing at USB’s Newton Main branch, located at 527 N. Main.
"As a community bank, the relationships we build with our customers can’t be beat, but they shouldn’t have to compromise on the technology front to get that relationship. From what I’ve seen so far, USB has a solid foundation and I look forward to working with everyone to keep moving us into the future," said Wilson.
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. To learn more, visit their website at www. MyUnionState.Bank.