Thomas

Robert Thomas started his banking career in Marshalltown in 1982 and turns the page of the final chapter in the workforce this month when he retires as bank president of United Bank & Trust. The public is invited to attend an open house in his honor July 23 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the bank. Appetizers and cake will be served. Lance Lansing has been named his successor.

Thomas grew up in the Iowa City/Coralville area, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance from the University of Iowa. In the summer of 1982, he was recruited to work at Security Bank in Marshalltown in its investments department. He was involved with funds management, bank investments, asset liability management and trust, and retail services. While at Security Bank, he continued his education by attending the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado to study bank investments and funds management.

Security Bank was bought in 1998 by F&M Bank out of Wisconsin.

“When Security Bank was acquired by F&M Bank, I became a Regional Sales and Service Manager of retail and operations, managing multiple locations in Iowa,” he said. “Then in 2000, Citizens Bank (Michigan), a regional bank acquired us, and my position was changed to District Manager, where I oversaw bank operations and retail across locations in Iowa, parts of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, of Michigan.”

Great Western then acquired the bank, and his focus shifted to commercial and ag lending as a VP of Business Banking.

Then, in 2015, he was presented with an opportunity to become the Senior Loan Officer at United Bank & Trust. The move interested Thomas, as it was an opportunity to go back into community banking. “Community banking to me has always been about the relationships, getting to know the customers, helping them reach their financial goals, and being able to make a positive impact in the communities,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to be here for 10 years with a great group of friends and employees whose focus is on putting our customers first.”

In 2020, Thomas was named bank president of United Bank & Trust, shortly before the pandemic hit. The global shutdown impacted not just how people worked, but also how they banked. Banking shifted from in-person to remote as customers adapted to banking from their computers or smartphones.

When asked what the biggest change during his banking career has been, Thomas noted that it’s technology.

“What used to take days is now done in seconds. Technology has improved workplace efficiency and accuracy. It has also provided customers the convenience of managing their accounts through availability of online and mobile banking tools,” he said.

But the downside to technology is fraud.

“Fraud has become much more sophisticated, making our job of prevention and customer education even more important,” he said.

When fraud does arise, he noted, personal connections between bankers and customers are key to reaching solutions.

“Helping to educate people, answer questions and help them accomplish what they want, whether it be home ownership or running a business, that’s probably the most rewarding part of my career,” Thomas said.

In retirement, Thomas plans to spend time with family and pursue hobbies including woodworking, fishing and conservation projects. He will remain on the board of directors at the bank.

“Each transition allowed me to learn a different aspect of banking and prepared me for the leadership opportunities that followed,” he said. “No two days are ever the same, and that’s one of the things I’ve always enjoyed about banking. Running a successful bank is truly a team effort. It takes people across every department doing their jobs well, working together, and always keeping the customer at the center of what we do.”