Jennifer Lawton, CRCM, is the vice president of compliance and loan administration at Peoples Savings Bank, located in the small idyllic town of Hermann, Missouri. Her career path has not been traditional, but Jennifer feels like her choices have led her to the place she wants and needs to be.
She was born in Linn, Missouri, and moved to a 200-acre farm in Vienna, Missouri, at the age of 12. “The farm was in the middle of nowhere,” Jennifer recalled. “It was quite an adjustment to go from living in a town to being out in the country.”
The night that Jennifer graduated from Vienna High School, she decided to follow her future husband to Hermann, Missouri, and she has never looked back. She got a job as a laser programmer, and after some time, she decided that she needed to find a job that had more of a career path. Jennifer started working at a local bank that was called Bay Hermann Berger Bank at the time. She worked there for five years in many roles.
Then, a friend reached out to her and told her about an open position at Peoples Savings Bank. Jennifer pursued the lead, was hired for the job and found her career path. “I was blessed by coming to Peoples Savings Bank because I’ve really had a lot of help in growing my career,” she said.
As Jennifer looks back at her 23 years at Peoples Savings Bank, she is super thankful for the work ethic her mother, Renilda Howard, has instilled in her. Jennifer stated, “The quote ‘I’m a strong woman because a strong woman raised me’ fits perfectly.” She is also thankful for those individuals who have taken the time to teach, mentor and help her build a career. Among those, Mark Laune, president and CEO of Peoples Savings Bank, has been vital to Jennifer’s career path. “Mark helped me build my career. Even while he was building his own, he was helping. Mark would say, ‘Here’s a path. Why don’t you take it?’ He’s taught me a lot about banking in general.” Jennifer said.
Another person she is thankful for is Tom Walkenbach, who served as the chief lending officer and a compliance officer at the bank before his retirement. He taught Jennifer a lot about loans and compliance, and oddly enough, he sparked Jennifer’s passion for compliance.
“I am also very fortunate to have a great Board of Directors at the bank I work for. I really could not ask to be involved with a better group of people. Their leadership and guidance have meant a lot,” she said.
In her current position, Jennifer oversees a great team of people who help her make sure everything moves forward as it should. There is also a lot of monitoring, reviewing, and training that falls under Jennifer’s purview, as well as putting out fires when needed. Jennifer wears many hats and, in her own words, is a “jack of all trades.”
In leading her department, Jennifer tries to instill in her employees a strong business sense and a passion for the industry. If all goes to plan, 15 years down the road, she would like to retire and know that there is a strong group coming behind her to take over. “I feel we’ve done a really good job in building our compliance program. I’m very proud of the people I work with and the way they step up to get things done,” Jennifer said. “We have a lot of people to lean on, and we all work well together.”
There are a few pieces of advice that she shares with these employees:
- Do not be afraid to make mistakes. We are all going to make them, and all you can do is learn from them, learn how to fix them and try not to make them again.
- Do not expect your mentor or someone you know to show you everything. You must have your own curiosity. I can lead you to the water, but you are the one that has to drink. So, you need to take the initiative and learn all that you can.
- Take responsibility for your actions. I think there’s a lot to be respected when somebody can stand up and say, “I messed up, I’m sorry. Here’s what I’m going to do to fix it.” Being accountable is so important.
After her career was well established, Jennifer decided to go back to college and earn her degree. She earned her associate in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University, has received her CRCM, and has attended The Missouri School of Bank Management and the Graduate School of Banking.
When asked about membership in MIBA, Jennifer said that the bank has been a member for as long as she has worked there and well before that. “I think MIBA is a great organization for helping banks, especially when it comes to advocating for the industry at the state level and in Washington, D.C.,” Jennifer stated. “I made a trip to Washington, D.C., with another banking organization this past October. It was very interesting to see the ins and outs of how things work there. I realized just how important advocacy is.”
Jennifer is happy to share her claim to fame: Her grandpa Everett Mantle and Mickey Mantle were cousins. Mickey is known for being one of the best players in the history of baseball.
Jennifer and her husband, Max, have been married for 32 years. She lovingly refers to him as “Mad Max” because he is a hunting and bow-fishing fanatic. They enjoy spoiling their nieces and nephews and spending quality time having fun.
When Jennifer is not working, she enjoys settling down with a good book. It is also important to her to learn something new every day. Her biggest hobby, though, is traveling. “I just love to get out and go — it can just be a dirt road I’ve never been down before. I will turn down it just to see what is there. I like the adventure,” she said.
In closing, Jennifer had a few last words for her fellow bankers: “I would highly encourage bankers to use their voice and advocate for community banks. I know a lot of us are overwhelmed between family life and work, but even if you could find one or two things to put your voice out there, it’s going to help. I encourage everyone to be an advocate.”
