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Friday, 10 October 2008 |
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By Emily Hone FORT HALL — The Native American Bank and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes have scheduled a grand opening for 10 a.m. today for the NAB loan office/mini bank at the Fort Hall Trading Post complex.
Elouise Cobell, co-chair or the Native American Bank board of directors, and Chief Executive Officer David Gillman will both speak at the ceremony.
Cobell will give a history of the bank, and Gillman will discuss its future.
Tribal member Mike Grinnell, who will oversee the Fort Hall office as loan production officer, will present a list of its services, and Karri Deschine, coordinator of the mini bank started in 2006 to teach children about banking and saving money, will also speak.
The NAB Headquartered in Denver, Colo., is a federally chartered bank started in 2001 and is owned by Native American Bancorporation, a holding corporation that was organized by a group of Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Corporations who pooled their resources to buy the Blackfeet National Bank in Browning, Mont.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes became the 17th American Indian tribe to become investors and members in the NAB, joining in 2005
The mini-bank was organized, first at Fort Hall Elementary School and alter at the Shoshone-Bannock Junior/senior High School.
Cobell, who is executive director of the Native American Community Development Corporation, a non-profit affiliate of the bank, dedicated to economic development in tribal communities, was in Fort Hall Thursday meeting with reservation businessmen and women about community development.
Chuck Caswell, chief financial officer of NAB, said by phone from Denver the grand opening of the Fort Hall office has been a long time in coming and they’re excited about it even though it will not immediately be operating as a full-blown bank branch, and also excited to have the Tribes as an investor/member.
“We think we have a great partner and the Tribes are in a very strong financial position,” Caswell said, noting that the bank recently closed a $16 million loan with them to construct the building for a Tribal Justice Center.
Caswell said the Fort Hall bank office will be offering commercial, car and small business loans in the beginning.
The Native American Bank loan office and mini bank at the Fort Hall Trading Post Complex was closed Thursday while preparations were made for s grand opening today at 10 a.m. David Gillman, CEO of the NAB headquartered in Denver, Colo., and board of directors co-chair Elouise Cobell will be among those taking part in the ceremony. Lunch will be served.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 October 2008 )
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