Starion Bank: Elects Taylor and Andrist to Board of Directors

Starion Bank announces that Ryan Taylor and Levi Andrist have joined the Board of Directors. The board guides the overall strategic direction of the bank, including principal business focus and merger and acquisition activities. The board includes representatives of the communities served by the bank, senior managers, and owners of the bank.

Ryan Taylor is a 4th generation rancher from Towner, North Dakota. He is the Director of Public Policy at Ducks Unlimited, using his agricultural and public policy expertise to promote resiliency in rural communities and conservation of our natural lands and resources in the prairie states.

He also owns and manages Taylor Ranch, which was homesteaded by his family in 1903 and was inducted into the N.D. Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2010. While attending North Dakota State University, Taylor founded Sandhill Communications, a communications business.

Taylor has also served as State Director of Rural Development at the USDA to help create new economic opportunities and boost quality of life in North Dakota, was awarded the 2013 Bush Foundation Fellowship for leadership, and served as a North Dakota State Senator for District 7 from 2002-2012.

Taylor is a well-known speaker, performer, columnist and author of the Cowboy Logic book series. He has bachelor’s degrees in Agricultural Economics and Mass Communications from NDSU.

“I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in agriculture my entire life, from our 119-year-old family ranch to the off-farm careers I’ve had over the years,” says Taylor. “I look forward to bringing on-the-ground agricultural insights to the Starion board as the bank continues to be a trusted adviser to farm and ranch customers who face both opportunities and challenges in the years ahead. I look forward to this role with a supercommunity bank where I can help farm families continue their legacies to steward the land, produce food, and support their communities.”

Levi Andrist is a Bismarck attorney and shareholder at GA Group, PC, a firm that specializes in government affairs, regulatory affairs, ballot campaigns, and ethics, and represents clients from a wide range of industries.

Andrist interned on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., served as the Editor in Chief of the North Dakota Law Review, and served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Gerald W. VandeWalle of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Andrist is a former singer and performer at the Medora Musical and graduated from Concordia College with a bachelor’s degree in music. He earned a Juris Doctor from University of North Dakota School of Law, where he graduated with distinction and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

“Wherever you see a Starion Bank branch, you’ll find an incredible amount of support for local programs, charities and nonprofit organizations,” says Andrist. “I’m thrilled to join the Starion family to help advance their legacy of building up the communities they serve.”

Craig Larson, Chairman of the Starion Bank Board of Directors, is pleased at the broad spectrum of experience brought by the new members.

“Levi has such finesse in navigating discussions with the legislative and executive branches of state government, as well as a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of highly regulated industries like banking. And he brings a fresh perspective on community building. I look forward to his insights and his growth as a director,” says Larson. “Ryan is the quintessential cowboy. His heart is in rural America, sustainable farming and ranching practices, and the conservation of our natural lands and resources. We know his experience in regenerative agriculture, public policy and public service will be invaluable to us in the coming years.”

Other members on the Starion Bank board are Donovan Bertsch, president of Theel, Inc., Bottineau; Randy Hatzenbuhler, president Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Bismarck; Dr. Dale Klein, a family medicine physician at Sandford Health, Mandan; Paul Lenhart, president and CEO of Krupp General Contractors, Madison, Wis.; Michelle Larson, Larson Family Owner, Bismarck; Cameron Knutson, owner of Knutson Realty, Bismarck; Matt Younkle, co-founder and CEO of Pythonic Corporation, Madison, Wis.; Joan McCusker, SVP of Risk and Administration, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota,
West Fargo.

Starion Bank managers on the board include Craig Larson, Executive Chairman, and Don Morgan, President/CEO.

About Starion Bank
Starion Bank is $1.7 billion family-owned community bank and financial services organization.
Established in Oakes, N.D., in 1969, Starion has 16 locations in Bismarck-Mandan, Bottineau, Dunseith,
Ellendale, Fargo, Oakes and Rolla, N.D.; and Middleton, Monona and Sun Prairie, Wis.

Online
• www.starionbank.com
• www.facebook.com/starionbank