Not many people can say they’ve had a meeting with each of the 275 teammates at First National Bank. In fact, we can only think of one person off-hand who can say that without having to cross their fingers behind their back.
Meet Sally Chapman, an Employee Development Specialist and now our 2024 Eagle of the Year.
Established in 2020, our annual Eagle of the Year award celebrates teammates across our organization for their courage, strength, stability in certain and uncertain times, and commitment to growth for themselves, their teammates, and our communities.
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of honoring Sally as our winner for the 2024 award!
Everyone around the Bank knows Sally, but maybe you’re not familiar with her game. Allow us a moment to introduce you to this culture champion and renowned social butterfly.
Sally Chapman: Eagle of the Year
Sally just celebrated her 22nd anniversary with First National Bank, having originally joined our team on March 3, 2003.
She spent the first 15 years training our tellers before moving to her current role in Employee Development.
Today, her job entails overseeing the onboarding process for new teammates, ensuring that everyone stays up to date on their training, and leading our new-teammate orientation (better known as Culture Camp).
“Sally spends time with new teammates, getting to know them on a personal level, asking questions to learn more about them, and connecting their previous experiences to the Bank,” reads the Eagle of the Year nomination for Sally.
“Whether it be during one of their onboarding follow-ups or during Culture Camp, Sally knows just how to engage with our newest teammates to ensure that they feel appreciated and cared for.”
It’s a vital part of building a strong workplace culture, as teammates who feel welcomed and cared for from the start are more likely to stay with us for a long time (just like Sally has).
“It instills a forever sense of family at the Bank,” the nomination reads. “New or seasoned teammates would agree: Sally fosters and cares for each and every relationship.”
Not surprisingly, Sally’s favorite FIRST Value is Family, too.
Sally with President & CEO Chris Ekstrum and FNB shareholders Maggie Groteluschen, Sarah Hogg, and Bob Baker.
A helping hand for every teammate
“Sally truly wants everyone to succeed, whatever that may look like,” the nomination reads. “So, she anticipates others’ needs and continually goes above and beyond to support our teammates, retirees, and families.”
Senior Accountant Jessica Pfeifer, who is a member of our internal United Way committee, provided an example of these traits in action.
“Sally is always willing to lend a helping hand and her expertise to everything she touches, including during the planning and execution of the United Way rallies,” Jessica wrote in the nomination.
“She came to each one of the United Way rallies early to help set up the PowerPoint and computer for us and made sure everything was working correctly before she left, which was very appreciated. She also gave great suggestions for things we should consider doing and was an invaluable member of the extended team.”
The future is bright for our Eagle of the Year
Sally was one of 15 nominees for our 2024 Eagle of the Year award.
She was also the fifth teammate we’ve honored, with previous winners including Robin Reiners, Alec Wegner, Abbie Orr, and Darian Oberg.
It’s an elite group — even more so now that Sally has joined the ranks.
“Sally finds authentic ways to connect with everyone at the Bank,” the nomination reads. “Through these genuine relationships, teammates are comfortable asking tough questions or helping with unique projects. Sally seeks to understand the end goals for all teammate requests so the win/win is achieved, regardless of her own personal sacrifice.”
Sally and Chris Ekstrum have been long-time colleagues, working together for the entirety of Sally’s tenure.
And even after 22 years, Sally is still looking for ways to stay curious and prioritize her own employee development.
She recently joined our internal Wellbeing Committee as a member of the “community pillar,” which means she’s putting her talents to work organizing and leading volunteer and community events for our teammates.
Already in 2025, she helped organize a diaper drive in which we collected and donated 3,588 total diapers to The Salvation Army of Sioux Falls.
She also continues to organize blood drives at our Downtown branch with both the Community Blood Bank and American Red Cross, something she’s been doing for years now.
Needless to say, we’re incredibly grateful for Sally and her contributions to our organization over the last 22 years — and we can’t wait to see what the rest of her career has in store!
You can learn even more about how awesome Sally is by checking out her iconic Tea With Teammates blog post: