aim is clear: blend private lending with missiondriven capital so more families can find homes they can realistically afford to own and keep. “Housing stability lifts everything,” Heideman says. “Schools, small business, neighborhood health—it all improves when people can put down roots.” TEACHING THE BASICS Financial literacy has long been an underfunded part of the system. KVB staff teach in schools when invited and support community programs that help people build budgeting, credit, and risk skills early. The bank wants to do more. Prevention, Craig suggests, is cheaper—and kinder—than crisis response later. WHAT ENDURES Asked what sets Kaw Valley Bank apart, Heideman doesn’t hesitate: “We care about our clients’ success.” That value predates him; his job is to carry it forward. In practice, it looks like picking up the phone, returning calls after hours, solving problems without passing the buck, and underwriting loans with the 115 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11 KAW VALLEY BANK
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