CoreFirst Bank & Trust Welcomes New Directors

Tim Etzel_r_rgb

Tim Etzel was born and raised in Topeka and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1964 at Washburn. He is currently chairman and CEO of Jetz Service Co., a company he founded in 1966. Etzel was appointed to the CoreFirst board in 1993 and was inducted into the Topeka Business Hall of Fame in 2010.

Richard Meidinger_r_rgb

Dr. Meidinger studied medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He worked in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine from 1971-2001 and served as a volunteer physician at the Marian clinic for 13 years before retiring. He has served on the CoreFirst board since 1991.

“On behalf of our stockholders and board of directors, I would like to thank Tim and Dick for their insightful leadership and steadfast support throughout the years,” stated Duane Fager, chairman of the board. “Their wide-ranging experience, astute observations and relentless dedication to the interests of our stockholders has been an inspiration to us all.”

Noel Etzel_D8B_8752r_gj_rgb

Incoming board member, Noel Etzel is executive vice president of Jetz Service Co., Inc. He previously held positions of regional vice president, corporate pilot and systems administrator. He is a past member of the Topeka Active 20-30 Club and was honored as “Fundraiser of theYear” and “Man of the Year” during his tenure.

Kristina Dietrick_D8B_8816r_gj_rgb

Kristina D. Dietrick, PHR, SHRM-CP, is the president and owner of Creative Business Solutions (“CBS”), a regional Human Resources consulting firm headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. Kristina and her staff provide Human Resources outsourcing and consulting services, training and organizational development.  They team with the law firm of John R. Dietrick, P.A., to provide employment and labor law advice to clients.

Melissa Hiestand_r_rgb

Melissa Hiestand graduated from The University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting. She currently holds the position of chief financial officer for CoreFirst Bank & Trust. Prior to working at CoreFirst, she worked at KPMG Peat Marwick LLP and Block Financial.

“Our retiring board members made tremendous contributions to our organization and its mission. We wish to express our appreciation to Tim Etzel and Dr. Meidinger,” Kurt Kuta, president of CoreFirst, stated. “At the same time, we look forward to working with Kristina, Noel, and Missy as they bring their active business and community perspectives to our existing board of directors. We are excited about the future of our company and believe our strong board of directors will help us achieve future success and serve our communities.”

CoreFirst Bank & Trust was founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1959 as Commerce Bank & Trust. Over the next five decades, Commerce built an impressive list of customer service “firsts” – all based around the core philosophy of providing outstanding banking convenience. These include offering the region’s first 24-hour ATMs, first grocery-store branches, first extended and weekend hours, and a host of technological innovations, all leading to exemplary customer satisfaction and retention. Today, CoreFirst has locations in Topeka, Lenexa, Shawnee, Olathe, Manhattan and Denver, CO.