Pub. 14 2017 Issue 3

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S Issue 3 • 2017 21 BANK NEWS Colorado Holding Company Buys Peoples Bank Peoples Bank, with four branches in Taos County and one in Albuquerque, said that its Colorado Springs- based parent company will be acquired by Colora- do-based National Bank Holdings Corp., which does business in several states. The merger, pending approval of regulators, is expect- ed to be completed later this year. Following the closing of the transaction, Peoples Bank, with $532 million in assets, will operate under the Hillcrest Bank brand name in New Mexico. “The acquisition provides a strong market position in the attractive Colorado Springs and Overland Park (Kansas) markets, and expands our franchise into northern New Mexico,” Tim Laney, CEO of National Bank Holdings, said in a statement. Century Bank, Santa Fe, Celebrates 130th Anniversary Founded August 27, 1887, with $500, Santa Fe-based Century Bank now boasts more than $700 million in assets, making it the 5th largest locally-owned bank in NM. Century Bank has gone from one tiny office in downtown Santa Fe to nine locations in five communi- ties (Santa Fe, Espanola, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Las Cruces). Mutual Building and Loan Association (now known as Century Bank, a NM state-chartered bank) was found- ed by 80 Santa Feans taking advantage of a new law enacted by the territorial legislature and approved by Governor Ross, authorizing the organization of build- ing and loan associations. The directors met monthly to auction, or loan, available funds to the highest bidder. Occasionally, there were no bidders. At times, there were no funds. One month the treasurer reported a balance of only 2 cents. For the first 95 years, the company focused almost entirely on mortgage lending. Today, Century Bank of- fers a full array of consumer, commercial, and wealth management services. According to Bryan “Chip” Chip- peaux, chairman of the board of directors, “One of the main reasons we’ve been so successful is we provide community access to management and decision-mak- ers, market knowledge and investment into our com- munities. Our local market knowledge helps us be sen- sitive to community problems and opportunities.” Century Bank employs 170 banking professionals across its nine locations. Don Padgett, president/CEO, attributes much of Century Bank’s success to the skills and experience of the staff. “Since its inception, Centu- ry Bank has had a reputation for always being there for our community. We maintain that dedication by em- ploying our resources locally and expanding our prod- ucts and scope to meet local needs,” Padgett said. Paul Sowards, vice chairman, said, “Our customers are here and our decision-makers are here. We serve on local boards and volunteer with local community or- ganizations. You cannot stay in business for 130 years without doing a good job of serving your customers and your communities. In fact, all the members of the board of directors are local members of the community.” John Anderson Named to the Best Lawyers in America John Anderson, Executive Vice President of the New Mexico Bankers Association, has been selected by his peers to be included in the 24th edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Banking and Finance Law. He has been included in this select pub- lication since 1995. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprising confiden- tial evaluations by top attorneys from around the Unit- ed States. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers has been regarded-by both the profession and the pub- lic-as the most credible and definitive guide to legal ex- cellence in the United States. The Best Lawyers in America is one of the most visible peer-review publications in the legal profession. They partner with many of the highest circulated publica- tions in the world, including ‘The Wall Street Journal”, “The New York Times”, “The San Francisco Chronicle”, “The Washington Post”, and “The Chicago Tribune”. Bill Dolan, SVP, First National Rio Grande, Retires After 43 years in the Al- buquerque banking com- munity, Bill Dolan has re- tired from banking. Bill received his BA in History and Biology at UNM in 1968. He entered the US Army thru Field Ar- tillery OCS. After a year of Language School in Mon- terey, CA, a tour in Turkey and time with the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, he completed his active duty. He remained in the Army Reserves, retiring in 2007 as a Lt. Colonel spending his final years attached to the US Embassy in Pakistan. Dolan began his banking career in 1973 after receiv- ing his Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. He initially joined the First National Bank of Albuquerque in their training program. In 1975, he joined Citizen's Bank in