ICBA Independent Banker Honors 2025 Best Community Banks to Work For Winners

Washington, D.C. (Dec. 2, 2024)-The December cover story of Independent Banker magazine, the award-winning publication of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), spotlights this year's Best Community Banks to Work For recipients. These honorees were selected for their outstanding dedication to fostering positive and rewarding workplace environments that inspire their teams to excel and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

"Community banks excel by putting people first, and that commitment starts with their employees," ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. "ICBA congratulates this year's honorees, which exemplify the best of community banking by creating cultures in which employees thrive, customers benefit, and communities prosper."

This year's winners were chosen based on results from a nationwide survey conducted by Avannis, an independent research agency. Survey participants answered 48 scaled questions, which were used to calculate a composite score. Eligible banks were sorted into five asset categories (based on March 31, 2024, FDIC call report data), with the highest-scoring community bank in each category named as a winner.

Key criteria in selecting this year's honorees included:

• A commitment to building diverse and inclusive workplaces that foster leadership, teamwork, and innovation.

• Opportunities for professional development and skills advancement to help employees serve their customers and communities effectively.

• Performance recognition programs and competitive compensation that reward excellence.

This year's Best Community Banks to Work For are:

• Anderson State Bank ($111 million) in Oneida, Ill., for its family-oriented culture that prioritizes work-life balance and celebrates long-term employee retention.

• Catalyst Bank ($281 million) in Opelousas, La., for its empowering culture, employee ownership model, and emphasis on professional growth.

• Mountain Pacific Bank ($775 million) in Everett, Wash., for its collaborative and supportive work environment, generous benefits, and focus on community service.

• Sanibel Captiva Community Bank ($913 million) in Sanibel Island, Fla., for its dedication to employee support during challenging times and its innovative charitable giving programs.

• Wood & Huston Bank ($1.2 billion) in Marshall, Mo., for its leadership philosophy of love, energy, and innovation, which fosters employee empowerment and success.

This is Independent Banker's fifth annual Best Community Banks to Work For awards. To read more about these exceptional banks and their unique approaches to creating exemplary workplaces, visit the December issue of Independent Banker or independentbanker.com.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation's community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.

As local and trusted sources of credit, America's community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers' financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA's website at icba.org.