April 22, 2022 (Naples, Florida.) – Farmers State Bank of Alto Pass Illinois was just named the top extraordinary bank in the United States by The Institute for Extraordinary Banking™. 

Farmers State Bank was singled out as the 2022 Extraordinary Bank of the Year, a national honor for exemplary performance in five areas of banking: philanthropy, customer service, thought leadership, workplace culture, and financial literacy education.

Charles Holland, CEO of Farmers State Bank, believes none of this was possible without the hard work, dedication, and commitment from the people he works with every day. “We reach out to our customers, we give without expectation to our communities, we provide ongoing education for our customers and schools,” said Holland. “We truly believe in our faith and our faith leads us in our decisions and how we interact with our customers, communities, and each other. That is why we are an extraordinary bank”.

The Extraordinary Banking™ Awards highlight the vital yet often overlooked role that local community banks play in our nation’s economy. Without a vibrant local banking industry, our small businesses and families often lack the have-your-back support of a true community bank that makes communities really thrive. 

Winning this award also means the Unstoppable Foundation will receive $25,000.00 in Farmers State Banks’ name to build a school in Africa, which is a direct representation of two of their values, philanthropy and financial literacy education.

Roxanne Emmerich, Chair and Founder of The Institute for Extraordinary Banking™, proclaimed during the awards ceremony: “Community banks are the backbone of America. They are what keeps a community thriving. When a community bank leaves a community, small businesses often struggle to stay, and jobs leave. Every robust community has a strong community bank that understands how to help that community thrive and grow.” 

Farmers State Bank is looking forward to continuing the momentum of being the best community bank in America. Farmers State Bank leadership, employees, and family members will continue to serve and empower their community in every way they can.

Farmers State Bank of Alto Pass is a locally owned and operated community bank. With branches in Harrisburg, Alto Pass, Marion, and soon, Herrin, IL, Farmers State Bank spans across the southern Illinois region. As a full-service bank, Farmers has a variety of products and services to best suit customer needs. Farmers has grown from a bank with $3,000,000 in assets in 1994 to over $325,000,00 in total assets today.

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(April 4, 2022) Southern Illinois – “In every culture, the circle is a symbol of unity, connection, inclusiveness and continuity. The Community Circle Project is an ongoing art collaboration to remind us of our connection to each other, our communities, and the world”, Sandy Coleman, Artist and Educator, Nasco Education.

Youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois created a series of artwork as part of The Community Circle Project. “The students combined color, patterns, and language to promote the strong connections between community, family, and friends,” said Mel Watkin, Project Artist. “This collection of artworks is currently on display at the Carbondale Public Library through the month of March. After which the artwork will move to the Stinson Library in Anna, April 4^th – April 29^th; followed by the Marion Carnegie Library May 2^nd – May 25th. Viewers of the exhibit are invited to create their own circle project and add it to the collection. Supplies are available upon request.

The Community Circle Project is partially supported by a grant from the Carbondale Community Arts Southern Arts Fund and the Illinois Arts Council Agency made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts.