Leaders in Financial Education Honored at Convention

5/8/2023

The Nebraska Bankers Association presented the Leaders in Financial Education (LiFE) Awards to several Nebraska banks and a banker at the 2023 NBA Annual Convention in La Vista. The awards are given in recognition of efforts to promote financial education in their communities.

The following banks and banker were awarded for their outstanding contributions to financial education:

LiFE Honors List
Banks that meet at least seven of a list of criteria including hosting interns, operating an in-school savings bank, giving financial literacy presentations and many others, are named to the LiFE Honors List.

Cornerstone Bank, York
First State Bank & Trust Co., Fremont
i3 Bank, Bennington
NebraskaLand Bank, North Platte
Union Bank & Trust Co., Lincoln

Presentation Award
One bank from each of the three deposit size categories is eligible for this award. The categories are: Small, $100 million or less; Medium, $101 to 350 million; and Large, $351 million or more. The banks that receive this award have made the largest number of Get Smart About Credit, Teach Children to Save and other financial literacy presentations.

Small – Countryside Bank, Unadilla
Medium – i3 Bank, Bennington
Large – Cornerstone Bank, York

Bank Innovation Award
This award is presented to a bank that implemented an innovative way to improve financial literacy.

Union Bank & Trust Co., Lincoln

Union Bank & Trust’s financial literacy efforts have impacted Lincoln, its citizens and nonprofit sector. The bank offers classes, workshops and financial coaching facilitated through partnerships with local nonprofits and community groups. In 2022, the bank conducted 30 workshops covering 15 financial topics, reaching a total of 352 community members either through traditional classroom settings or via Zoom. The topics included Budgeting 101, Banking 101, Understanding Credit and Consumer Protection.

Career Award
This award is presented to a banker who has been an asset to leading the bank's financial literacy efforts for at least five years.

Tim Clark, i3 Bank, Bennington

Clark has been actively involved in i3 Bank's financial literacy programming for 17 years and is a strong advocate for community outreach and engaging with schools. He is a long-time presenter of the Teach Children to Save program, delivering the program to third and fifth-grade students across four Bennington elementary schools. He has also presented to Bennington High School students and the bank’s elderly customers and recently collaborated with University of Nebraska Omaha students on a bank research project.

Nebraska banks are committed to improving financial literacy in the communities they serve. They sponsor programs and offer tools to help Nebraskans of all ages improve their financial decision-making and reach their financial goals. Individuals and families with a solid financial education foundation are more likely to purchase a home, save for college and invest which, in turn, helps Nebraska communities thrive.