The First National Bank in Sioux Falls has received the Disability Inclusion Partner award from Employment Disability Resources, a local nonprofit organization that aids businesses in recruiting, retaining, and promoting individuals with disabilities.
The City of Sioux Falls and Employment Disability Resources developed the award in 2013 to recognize businesses that employ one or more individuals with a disability.
“The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is almost double that of people without disabilities, so we are continually striving to employ more people with disabilities,” said Vicki Stewart, executive director of Employment Disability Resources.
In September, we joined a list of 250 businesses in the community that have been named a Disability Inclusion Partner.
We were recognized for employing Landon Wagner, a hardworking member of our Operations department who has made an incredibly positive impact on our organization during his time here.
Landon first came to the Bank through the Augie Access Program, a transition program at Augustana University that seeks to increase career employment and other opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“When Landon first started, we were working on a project in which we needed to identify some fraud in the area,” said Roxie Olsen, Landon’s supervisor and our Item Processing Team Leader. “He painstakingly reviewed thousands and thousands of checks and found evidence of fraud. He was pretty humble about it, but that’s just part of Landon’s character.”
We originally hired Landon as a temporary teammate in November 2023 and were delighted to have him join the team permanently in March 2024!
“Success can look like a lot of different things, and I’ve learned that through working with Landon,” Roxie said. “How we reach success might look a little different, but the end results are always great because of the quality of work and the work ethic that Landon brings.”
Other projects Landon has worked on include digitizing paperwork in the Operations department and reviewing thousands of addresses from the Wealth Management department for inconsistencies.
“If you know someone who owns a business or is upper management in a business, or maybe you know someone who has a special need and could use a leg up — they’re excessively capable of working in a professional environment,” said Landon’s mom, Niki. “A lot of special needs kids are very detail-oriented and meticulous about schedules. I think anybody would be happy to have an employee that is so exceptionally dedicated.”
Vicki presented the award to Chris Ekstrum, our President & CEO, on September 23 at a celebration attended by our teammates, Landon’s parents, and members of the community.
“We’re so grateful to have Landon on our team and to be able to learn from him every day,” Chris said. “He makes all of us better, and his positivity and discipline are incredibly infectious. We all need more people like Landon in our lives.”
Employment Disability Resources presented the award in partnership with the Sioux Falls Disability Awareness and Accessibility Review Board.
According to Vicki, “people tend to give their business to businesses that employ people with disabilities,” so the Disability Inclusion Partner award helps to give those organizations visibility.
“Receiving this award demonstrates our commitment to our teammates — and our teammates’ commitment to one another,” said Chief Employee Experience Officer Jenn Reecy. “Inclusion is just how we do business around here, and it’s always an exciting day when we can bring our teammates together to celebrate one another.”
Now, here’s an inside look from our celebration of the award:
Vicki Stewart presents the Disability Inclusion Partner award to Chris Ekstrum, our President & CEO.
Roxie Olsen (center) presents Landon Wagner with a First National Bank lunchbox filled with his favorite snacks.
Landon Wagner thanks his fellow teammates for their support.
Landon Wagner with his parents, Chris and Niki.
Jenn Reecy, Chris Ekstrum, Vicki Stewart, Landon Wagner, Roxie Olsen, and Tasha Jurrens in front of our Downtown branch.
Landon Wagner with fellow members of our Operations department.
Landon Wagner with our Employee Experience team.
If you’re curious about our culture or interested in joining the team, learn more here!
