Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007

Pickerell heads DSB Meriden branch

by Clarke Davis

Jason Pickerell, Valley Falls, has been promoted to branch manager of the Denison State Bank at Meriden.

Three new staff members have also been hired at the Meriden branch.

Pickerell, 37, a Valley Falls native, has been with the bank 4 1/2 years, having previously managed a branch for US Bank in Topeka.

A 1988 graduate of Valley Falls High School, Pickerell went to work at the former Merchants National Bank in Topeka within a week of graduating.

He was a teller and customer service representative while attending Washburn University where he completed a degree in communications and finance with a minor in political science.

He was a vice president and branch manager of a North Topeka branch when he left and came to Meriden just prior to the bank being purchased by Denison State Bank.

He and his wife, Paula, have two sons, Adam, 9, and Drew, 6, and are expecting a third boy in November.

Jason and his brother, Todd Pickerell, Valley Falls, have a business Pickerell Properties LLC, which rehabilitates older houses to market.

The branch manager is a member of the Valley Falls Lions Club, a representative of the business sector on the Jefferson West High School site council, and a member and former president of the Business Network International that meets weekly at the bank.

Among the staff of 14 at the branch, three new employees are Brenda Fund, Andy Brunenn, and Vance Massey.

Fund will be a personal banking officer and branch operations manager. She comes to Meriden with 19 years experience having been a teller, loan officer and branch manager. She and her husband, Alan, have lived in the Topeka area for the past 11 years. They have three children and five grandchildren, all of whom live close by.

Brunenn is a new loan officer who grew up at Ozawkie and graduated from Jefferson West High School in 2004. After graduating from Kansas State University, he was employed as a financial representative for American General Finance and later by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He is licensed to sell insurance. Andy and his wife, Jennifer, have a 1-year-old daughter Allison. They reside in Topeka.

Vancy Massey, Oskaloosa, is an information technology officer who has 15 years experience in the IT industry.

A native of Edmond, Okla., he graduated from the University of Kansas and was last employed at Dynamic Computer Solutions in Topeka.

He will headquarter at Meriden, but support systems at all DSB locations. His job is to manage the bank’s client-server system, personal computers, data processing systems, and the automatic teller machines, as well as to train staff and stay up to date on the latest technological trends.

Dennis Hadley, the former branch manager at Meriden, is now executive vice president of all DSB branch locations and works primarily from the Holton office.

Pickerell said the bank specializes in lending for new construction and small business development.

DSB, a bank with approximately $230 million in deposits headquartered in Holton, has branches in Topeka and Hoyt.