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Three high school seniors filling out a scholarship application at a coffee shop.

Meet our 2024 scholarship winners

Since 2005, we’ve awarded $89,000 to local high school seniors through our scholarship program. We believe in the importance of lifting up our local communities by supporting the students who will one day lead them, which is why we’re excited...

Headshot of female founder Stacy Havener.

Female founder Stacy Havener shares journey from underdog to success story

Common Cents on the Prairie™

“In a world full of men who love numbers, there was a place for a girl who loved words.” Long before she was a successful entrepreneur, Stacy Havener came from humble beginnings: a latchkey kid, with divorced parents, in a...

A construction crew moving First National Bank's eagle statue off the top of their building.

Becoming FIRST: The surprising history of The First National Bank in Sioux Falls

In 1976, a construction crew stood, hands on hips and squinting into the sun, wondering how on earth they were going to lower the 10,000-pound limestone eagle to the ground. The regal statue had been perched above Phillips Avenue in...

The lobby of Minnehaha National Bank in the 20th century.

Becoming FIRST: The Reputation Chapter

Imagine it’s 1885 in Sioux Falls and you’re about to board a train for Chicago. The railway snakes hundreds of miles across the lonely prairie, and those miles set these cities worlds apart. How so? The money in your wallet...

Dolly Parton with Bill Baker and family in Sioux Falls in 2002.

Becoming FIRST: The Dolly Chapter

We give back to our communities in three primary ways: time, talent, and treasure. At First National Bank, we offer our collective time to help those who need it, talents to serve those who will benefit most, and treasure to...

First National Bank's downtown Sioux Falls location from 1929 to 1976.

Becoming FIRST: The Business Chapter

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. One month later, on January 13, 1942, William Wiswall (W. W.) Baker formally stepped to the helm of First National Bank as the nation was thrust into war. For Americans, everything...

First National Bank's leadership team celebrating 100 years in business with a large cake.

Becoming FIRST: The Crisis Chapter

If 140 years of doing business have taught us anything, it’s that every generation is tested. And with every test, our FIRST Values have shone brightly through even our darkest hours. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly proved to be one of...

An old photo of an Advantage ATM outside a First National Bank branch.

Becoming FIRST: The Advantage Chapter

Innovation is the bedrock of positive evolution. Everything we do is engineered to improve our customer experience. So, a touchstone question we ask of every new program is, “Does this idea have a clear opportunity to grow?” That is, does...

An old, black and white photo of employees at The First National Bank in Sioux Falls.

Becoming FIRST: The Values Chapter

We live by our motto: “We build successful relationships.” The entire organization expands together, meaning we honor a commitment to growth where no one gets left behind. How do we do this? As a team who finds the right spot,...

Chris Ekstrum, Maggie Groteluschen, Bob Baker, and Bill Baker in front of First National Bank.

Lessons in family business learned from Spiderman, growing up with First National Bank

Much has been written about family businesses in America. They produce the majority of the U.S. GDP, employ more than half of U.S. workers, and are the lifeblood of building our great nation. At The First National Bank in Sioux...

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