Coulee Courier

Being a mentor, in essence, means sharing your knowledge and providing guidance to someone else so they can achieve success. Having a mentor can shape the course of your life both professionally and personally. Up until about 100 years ago, we were primarily an agrarian society. This meant individuals learned their trades from their parents while working at home. The industrial revolution changed that and distanced us from the mentoring concept that was embedded in our society previously.

Early in my career, as a Retail Branch Manager at Coulee Bank, I learned most things independently. It was rewarding to have the ambition and fortitude to break down tasks and discover how things worked. This allowed me to understand the full scope of the task or project.

However, I now understand that by learning from others, you can avoid a lot of trial and error. I learned this when I worked for an investment firm specializing in alternative minimum tax avoidance. I spent a couple of years with Peter Rekstad, Financial Advisor at Captrust, and learned about the business to a great degree.

Upon my transition to CEO of Coulee Bank, I met with a career coach who put me through a series of tests. After two days of testing, he shared with me that I had many of the core competencies of a CEO. He believes, and I tend to agree, that CEOs are not born but made. Effective CEOs realize they need to surround themselves with people who offer greater expertise than their own. This is why mentoring is crucial. As a CEO, you may not be the person mentoring, but you should ask your staff to build a great team by sharing and teaching their core competencies. 



 ~Dirk Gasterland, CEO

What Type of Real Estate Is Best for You?

Single-family home vs. townhouse vs. condominium

Are you ready to buy your first piece of real estate? Before you buy, you may want to understand the pros and cons of a single-family home versus a condominium (condo) versus a townhome. To help you decide which piece of real estate is best for you, let’s define each one.

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Reach out to Kris Farwell and her team if you are ready to purchase a home.

Coulee Bank. Bank with Confidence. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS#410835

Coulee Bank Is Committed to Strategic Investments to Assist our Business Customers

Over the past 18 months, Coulee Bank has enhanced our services for business customers. This dedication is evident through strategic investments in both staffing and technology. We seek to provide our clients with top-notch support and innovative solutions tailored to each business’s needs.

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Credit Cards: From Perks to Personal Finance Responsibility

By Brett Myers, SVP, Chief Credit Officer at TCM Bank, N.A.

As a Gen Xer, I’ve watched credit cards evolve from a simple financial tool into a fundamental part of consumer spending and the economy. They provide flexibility, whether for unexpected expenses or bridging the gap between pay periods, allowing people to make necessary purchases with the option of making payments on balances.



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Coulee Bank partners with TCM Bank to offer both consumer and business credit cards.

Tips from IT

Cybersecurity Spring Cleaning: Time to Dust Off Those Passwords and Patch Those

Digital Cobwebs!



Ah, spring! The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and your inbox is probably filling up with reminders to clean out your garage. But while you’re tackling dust bunnies and reorganizing the junk drawer, don’t forget about an area that could use a deep clean: your cybersecurity!

At Coulee Bank, we want to help you keep your digital world as fresh and secure as a newly decluttered closet. So, grab your cybersecurity broom and let’s get to work!

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Coulee in the Community

Coulee Bank commits to workplace excellence and nurtures growth and support within the communities we consider home. We volunteer, empowered by the belief that we can create positive change! You can be confident in our efforts to support the community. 

Coulee Bank had the honor of delivering meals for Meals on Wheels. It's a great way to support our wonderful Rochester community! A heartfelt thank you to Family Service Rochester for sponsoring this crucial program. Together, we’re making a difference one meal at a time!

Our Twin Cities mortgage team had a fantastic time at the Real Estate Forum in Brooklyn Park, MN! We helped demystify the lending process for borrowers. The event featured breakout sessions on property taxes, fair housing policies, and community safety initiatives. Attendees also enjoyed valuable networking opportunities.

Coulee Bank had a vendor booth at the Rock Hard tradeshow on March 13th. There were lots of industry insights, hands-on learning, networking, and fun! Our Plinko game was a hit!

Big shoutout to the Coulee Bank team in the Twin Cities. They volunteered at Second Harvest Heartland in March! Together, they packed 542 boxes of apples and an amazing 22,283 lbs. of food, creating 18,569 meals for their community! That's an astounding 254 meals per person! Way to go, team! Your hard work makes a real difference!

We are so excited to have had a representative from Coulee Bank participating in the Careers in Banking roundtable at UW-La Crosse! Sponsored by the Wisconsin Bankers Association & co-sponsored by the UW-La Crosse Financial Management Association, Lori DuMars, HR Generalist at Coulee Bank, had the privilege of representing Coulee Bank alongside fellow banking professionals. We shared insights with 18 enthusiastic students while they enjoyed some delicious pizza! A big thank you to WBA and UW-La Crosse for creating such an invaluable event for our future finance leaders!

JA Titan® immerses high school students in the world of business as they become CEOs in the phone industry. Through this engaging program, students make strategic decisions, learn financial literacy, and explore business economics in a fun, interactive way.

A huge shout-out to Peter Bassett, Portfolio Banker at Coulee Bank, for mentoring high school students in the JA Titan Financial Literacy Pathway! His dedication and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the financial awareness of young minds, preparing them for future success.

Employee Spotlight

We are incredibly grateful for all of our employees. They work hard and make significant contributions that enrich our company culture. This month, we recognize newly promoted Jodi Ehrenberger, Market President in La Crosse, WI, and Amanda Waters, Vice President Project Manager in Wisconsin.

In the humble words of Jodi Ehrenberger, “I am a chronic helper which is why I went into banking. I love helping people, and I believe in sales through service.” Ehrenberger was recently promoted to Market President in La Crosse, WI. She is the first female market president since Coulee Bank’s inception. Ehrenberger says, “While my recent promotion to Market President is a huge honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity, it’s not about me.” She believes it’s about doing what is right for the bank, community, employees, and customers. It’s about upholding Coulee Bank’s core values which include serving, caring, always improving, being responsive, and being flexible.

Breckinridge, CO is home to her first banking job in the early 90s. She began in a temporary position as a teller. She later moved into different roles including branch manager, attending a leadership program where she moved into commercial lending and new accounts. Ehrenberger later returned to the La Crosse area and worked for another bank as a branch manager for 10 years. At her past job, she spent three years in commercial banking, and she has worked in retail as well as operations giving her an understanding of how the entire bank operates. In September 2016, she started her journey at Coulee Bank as a business banking officer. She loves working at Coulee Bank because our core values are aligned with her work ethic and philosophy.

The fictional character, Ted Lasso, is who Ehrenberger identifies with because of his curiosity, optimism, and kindness. She genuinely enjoys getting to know other people so she can learn their stories. Her curiosity ensures she never underestimates someone’s talents and their place in the world.

What she is most excited about as she transitions into her new role is building a stronger team and cultivating a culture and style that sets Coulee Bank apart from other banks in the community. She says, “It’s about the people in every department that will create that team to make us exceptional.” Under her guidance, she wants her team to build strong relationships and trust each other. “I want my team to be cohesive and take that trust and project it outward to serve our customers,” she says.

While Ehrenberger works to build a cohesive team at Coulee Bank, she has gotten lots of practice with her family. She smiled from ear to ear when talking about her beautiful family. She says she has the most amazing husband ever! He is a master chef with a garden every year that would put any horticulturist to shame. “I also appreciate that he takes care of the landscaping and other home projects that I just don’t like doing,” she says.

“My husband and I have two kids and two dogs, and they keep us very busy,” she says. Her son enjoys playing football and wrestling, and her daughter is on the swim team. “My job is to ensure they both get where they need to be each day!”

When Ehrenberger isn’t hanging out with her family, she spends time in the community volunteering to soothe her “chronic do-gooder” personality. She’s an active Rotarian, where she helps coordinate mobile meals or volunteers at Place of Grace, a local house in the community that provides free meals to those in need. She also serves on the board of directors at the Women’s Fund of Greater La Crosse. “I am the treasurer at Women’s Fund, and I also help with bi-annual fundraisers.” If that’s not enough, she serves on the board of directors for the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, but not because of her musical ability, she jokes!

Jodi Ehrenberger, we are excited to see where you take your team! We have no doubt your leadership will cultivate a top-notch team to serve our customers.

We are thrilled to honor Amanda Waters on her well-deserved promotion to Vice President Project Manager at Coulee Bank. Her journey with the bank is a testament to her dedication, skill, and exceptional analytical abilities. Before coming to Coulee Bank, she began her career as a teller and was quickly promoted to Business Banking Assistant in 2009.

She left her former position at another financial institution to become a loan processing specialist in 2013 at Coulee Bank. Waters took some college classes and later applied to become a credit analyst at Coulee Bank. “Being a credit analyst and commercial underwriting was my calling. I thought I would retire from this position until Dirk Gasterland, Coulee Bank CEO offered me the Loan Operations Manager position in 2020,” she says.

Her skills and experiences led to this most recent promotion. Waters says she is willing to think outside the box. While thinking outside the box is often a creative endeavor, Waters is incredibly analytical and organized. She is articulate; her communication style is almost like speaking in bullet points. You can expect her to analyze the full scope of a project when making decisions, continuously find ways to improve, and grow personally to align with the bank’s needs. “I always want what is best for the bank, my colleagues, and our customers,” she says.

Her new role as project manager is a tall order for most. However, Waters can take complex concepts and deconstruct them into manageable parts. “I love improving processes by working in software to allow employees to work smarter and not harder,” she says. This role allows her to support many departments by improving current systems within the bank. “I want to help my colleagues spend time on important aspects of their job rather than wasting time on a process that can be automated.”

When asked who inspires her, she says she owes a big thank you to some of her current colleagues, Teresa Goede, AVP, Pre Closing Documentation Review Analyst, and Angela Erdenberger, Senior Credit Analyst. “I owe Teresa thanks for always having my back and promoting me from being a teller to a business banking assistant and finally referring me to Coulee Bank.” Special thanks to Erdenberger who hired Waters as a credit analyst. “Angela spent hours training me to become a credit analyst. Her detail in underwriting was inspiring! And she pushed me to be a better analyst.”

Waters has an unshakable self-awareness that is admirable. She says she finds strength in knowing her weaknesses. It’s that self-awareness that urges her to create efficiencies that will drive her into new projects and down different paths. “My colleagues see issues but don’t always know how to fix them. I am a problem solver and love to pick a problem apart to find the solution and put it back together.

That same level of organization follows her home every evening. She loves to coupon. Waters shared some of her strategies in the February edition of our customer newsletter, the Coulee Courier. She uses apps like Krazy Coupon Lady and Ibotta and clips coupons from the newspaper each week.

When she isn’t analyzing numbers and processes, she loves to spend time with her family. “I enjoy watching my kids play sports,” she says. Over the years, she has enjoyed baseball, softball, and volleyball games, but most recently, bowling.

Amanda Waters, congratulations on your new role! We are honored to have you working at Coulee Bank. We all wish you much success in your new role.

New Hire Spotlight

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team, who brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives to our organization. Please join us in welcoming Ellen Morehouse, VP, Loan Operations Manager, La Crosse, WI.

Ellen Morehouse has recently joined Coulee Bank as the VP, Loan Operations Manager, bringing a wealth of experience and a strong connection to the La Crosse community. Morehouse grew up in Holmen, WI, and studied finance at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, achieving her Bachelor of Science in Finance. With a natural affinity for numbers, she found herself drawn to the world of banking. She started as a teller and customer service representative and later became a credit analyst because she enjoyed analyzing financial statements and learning about the businesses that banks helped. Morehouse showcased her leadership abilities by managing teams in Credit Administration and eventually becoming a commercial banker. Today, she brings over 15 years of experience and strategic vision to her role.

At Coulee Bank, Morehouse will help support the business banking teams by ensuring a smooth and accurate loan process. She believes Coulee Bank has a great team that works very hard to help customers fulfill their hopes and dreams.

When Morehouse isn’t crunching numbers and helping customers, she enjoys a quiet country life. She escapes from the hustle and bustle and resides on a hobby farm with her husband and two children, Abigail and James. The farm is home to a small flock of laying hens, providing fresh eggs and a touch of farm-to-table living. She says, “Gardening and nature hikes are wonderful activities that allow me to connect with the natural world and enjoy its many benefits.”

She’s also a big fan of a good ‘ole home-cooked meal. “My husband is quite the grill master. He prepares my favorite meal, charcoal chicken,” she says. Her favorite side dishes are coleslaw and baked beans. “It’s a great summer meal!”

Visiting Alaska is on her bucket list. She would love to go on an Alaskan cruise with her family. Although that trip is not planned yet, she will continue spending her summers camping with family and friends.

Welcome to Coulee Bank, Ellen Morehouse. We are so excited that you accepted a position with us! We wish you much success as VP, Loan Operations Manager.

We love a reason to celebrate with our colleagues!

Happy Birthday to all our amazing Coulee Bank co-workers!

Here's to another year of hard work, laughter, and teamwork. Wishing you all the best on your special day. Let's make it a celebration to remember!

Happy Work-i-versary to our amazing colleagues!

It's been an incredible journey with each and every one of you. Your hard work, dedication, and positive energy make our team unstoppable. Here's to many more years of success and growth together!

Customer Spotlight

Thank you to our AMAZING customers for choosing us for all your banking needs! We are grateful for your loyalty, support, and trust in our products and services. Here's to many more years of building a strong relationship together!

Meet Max Cora, Sculptor and Coulee Bank customer in St. Paul, MN.

Max Cora’s talents lie in transforming raw materials into fascinating three-dimensional artwork – some realistic and some organic and abstract. While his style and subject matter differ, he creates all his pieces using metal.

Art was his field of study in college. “I wasn’t the best at drawing, but I was intrigued with three-dimensional art. I could see things from all sides, which allowed me to create amazing detail in bronze casting,” says Cora.

Attending the University of Iowa and taking a graduate level course under Julius Schmidt, an iron caster, was a game changer. “I learned that you could cast anything and see the beauty in the piece.” Steve Maxon, owner of Max-Cast Sculpture and Foundry, influenced Cora in many ways as well. Cora loves Maxon’s comedic spin on works of art and the textures used in a lot of Maxon’s sculptures.

During college, Cora spent a year abroad in Florence, Italy. “It was amazing to be surrounded by centuries-old sculptures and paintings,” he says. He picked up some of the language during his studies and still speaks a little Italian here and there.

While studying sculpture, Cora knew it could be difficult to make a living solely on art creation, so he learned restoration as well. Some notable pieces that Cora has restored are located at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The pieces at Mayo Clinic include The Boy and the Dolphin and The Man of Freedom inside the Gonda building. He has also restored several pieces at Como Conservatory in St. Paul and a piece called the Indian Hunter located in a small park on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.

Restoration can take days, weeks, or months. It depends on how much work is needed. In some pieces, the focus is on cleaning and repairing damage and restoring original materials and finishes while preserving the sculpture’s artistic and historical integrity. At times, some art may need to have entire pieces recast and welded back together to seamlessly repair the break.

Ideally, Cora works towards commissions to sell art. “I created a couple of sculptures for a grade school in Chicago. The sculptures are a series of mud boys,” he says. Texture is one of the elements of design often repeated in his work. The Mud Boys series is cast by first creating a mud sculpture and letting the mud dry, which creates interesting cracks and crevices in the art. Once the mud is cast and the metal sculpture is unveiled, the cracks and crevices become an important element of art.

Knowing Cora appreciates texture, it’s no surprise that he appreciates Mayan art. “There are many different patterns and textures in the Mayans’ decorative stone carvings and temples,” says Cora. He was inspired by the Mayan culture when he traveled to Guatemala and taught art to children. This experience deepened his understanding of the culture and fueled his passion for art. While the experience was fantastic, Cora returned home to work on his artistic vision.

Cora believes he found a reliable partner in Coulee Bank to support and enhance his artistic endeavors. He says everyone is very helpful, and the customer service is unbeatable. “When I walk in the door, I get greeted by name. I have truly come to appreciate the great experience Coulee Bank offers,” says Cora.

We wish you much success as your art career continues, Max Cora. Thank you for being a Coulee Bank customer.

Customer Testimonials

Financially Free Gen-Z Podcast

Join your hosts, Rachel Munger and Joshua Herrmann, as they discuss the financial questions and topics prevalent to Generation Z. This podcast is brought to you by Coulee Bank. Member FDIC.

Disclaimer - All content contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon to make any financial, accounting, tax, legal or other related decisions. Each person must consider his or her objectives, risk tolerances and level of comfort when making financial decisions and should consult a competent professional advisor prior to making any such decisions. Any opinions expressed through the content in this newsletter are the opinions of the particular author only.