First National Bank celebrates new branch with ribbon cutting

We held a ribbon cutting to celebrate our new location in Chamberlain, SD.

Opened on Monday, July 20, this is our first full-service branch since opening the Louise Avenue location in Sioux Falls in 2018.

“I have a deep appreciation for this part of our state, the culture, and the people that define this area of South Dakota,” said President & CEO Chris Ekstrum. “We could not be more proud to now officially call Chamberlain a home.”

We partnered with the Chamberlain-Oacoma Area Chamber of Commerce to host the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Executive Director Taryn Reidt spoke on behalf of the Chamber, while Chris and Chamberlain Community Bank President Todd Van Den Bosch spoke for the Bank.

“I’ve been in this community for 20 years,” Todd said. “The business, personal, and farming relationships that I’ve been able to be a part of and blessed with are very special to me.”

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, we invited community members to stay for lunch and tour the branch.

We served nearly 600 people with steak sandwiches and hot dogs that were grilled and served by the Ag Banking team.

“We are incredibly excited to be a part of this community, but we also realize that that doesn’t happen by making an announcement at a ribbon cutting,” Chris said. “That is something we must earn every day over time, and we look forward to doing that.”

First National Bank in Chamberlain

Located at 108 Paul Gust Road in Chamberlain, the brand new building is 2,800 square feet and houses a team of six bankers.

Branch Manager Chantell Kriel, who grew up in Chamberlain, has more than a decade of personal banking experience.

“My favorite aspect of serving customers is seeing their results — a new car, home improvements, happiness from a sound financial life — and helping their dreams become reality,” Chantell said.

She leads Personal Banker Trista Gonzales and Tellers Anna Schoewe and Koreena Strande in providing personalized service and banking solutions to the community.

From left to right: Anna Schoewe, Koreena Strande, Chantell Kriel, and Trista Gonzales.

Todd has worked for First National Bank since 2020 and has more than 15 years of experience as an ag banker.

Now, he is joined by Ag Banker Jenna Adamson, who comes to the team after 10 years as a farm loan manager at the Farm Service Agency in Chamberlain.

Jenna Adamson and Todd Van Den Bosch.

“While this is a new building for us, relationships here aren’t new,” Chris said. “We made the decision in 2020 to hire Todd, and that decision — no doubt — led to this day and this branch. Todd has been an incredible advocate for this community.”

Committed to the Chamberlain community

“Since First National Bank’s inception, our leadership has always embraced change,” Todd said. “Markets change, weather changes, businesses change, and farming changes. The one thing that has never changed is our commitment to delivering excellence and value to our customers.”

Along with providing personal, agricultural, and business banking services to the Chamberlain area, we retain our commitment to giving back in the communities we serve.

We’ve added two new schools to our Community Card program: the Chamberlain School District and St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The program, which began in 2012, allows customers to earn money for their schools. We’ve donated more than $400,000 through the program since its inception.

Customers can stop by the branch or contact Chantell to request a card.

Lastly, we installed a full-service ATM next to Al’s Oasis in 2024. Conveniently located off I-90, customers can take out cash, transfer between accounts, and more.

“Our goal every single day is to provide solutions to help customers succeed,” Todd said. “We know that the decisions we make in this new building will impact the community greatly, and we want to leave a positive impact on this community.”

“We don’t just want to have a branch here,” Chris said. “We want to be part of the community. We want to listen, to learn, to participate, and to earn trust — one relationship at a time.”

Visit the new First National Bank Chamberlain branch to meet our team and learn how they can support your financial needs and goals!