statewide impact because the visitors that come to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center are often from out of town,” Girard notes. The facility draws 120,000 annual visitors from all 50 states, creating educational opportunities while boosting Topeka’s tourism economy. PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE Central National faces the talent shortage affecting banks nationwide as baby boomers retire, creating knowledge gaps across the industry. “My challenge the last few years has been to find qualified talent to fill those gaps and talent that’s a good cultural fit for our bank,” Girard says.“Because I do consider my job to be the keeper of our culture, and it’s different than a lot of institutions. We operate very conservatively, and we really value prudent growth.” The bank prioritizes promoting from within to maintain its distinctive approach. When recruiting externally proves necessary, Girard emphasizes the diversity of opportunities within community banking. “I think the most important thing that I try to convey to potential candidates who might not have considered the banking industry is all the diverse opportunities there are within a community bank,” she explains. “They don’t necessarily need to be in finance to be a very good community banker, but they do need to start, get some experience, learn to build relationships, and then I think most people find that it’s a fun job where you never know what you’re going to face day to day.” 110 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx