The First Bank Kansas Board of Directors is proud to announce the promotion of three distinguished staff members, Andrew Manley to Senior Vice-President,Chief Financial Officer and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officer; Landon Shaw to Senior Vice-President/Regional Ag and Commercial Loan Officer; and Alice Gruber to Senior Vice-President/Credit Risk Officer.
Landon Shaw (left), Andrew Manley (middle), Alice Gruber (right)
Manley has been serving as the FBK chief financial officer for five years. He is a Salina native that obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting from Southwestern College and an MBA in finance from Fort Hays State University. Whether it be in his profession, home remodeling projects or improving as a distance athlete, Manley is passionate about improving things. He says “there is always a better, simpler way of doing things. And just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.” In his free time, Manley is an avid distance athlete that is constantly looking for a new challenge or new adventurewhere he is supported by his wife Heather and children Charlotte and Lincoln. President and CEO Kent Buer says, “Andrew is an ideal team player. He brings talent, focus, and energy to our organization. He has a sharp mind and is fun to work with. I appreciate how he respectfully challenges the status quo and continually seeks solutions to improve our organization so that we continue to grow and better serve our customers.”
Shaw is a passionate ag leader that has served FBK for seven years. At the same time, he has also operated his own stocker and cow/calf operation in addition to grain farming.After growing up in Davidson, OK, he went on to Texas Tech University where he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s in ruminant nutrition. Free time is something Shaw doesn’t have much of, but he enjoys doing projects around the farm, going to his kids’ basketball and football games and the occasional hunting or fishing trip. Executive VP and Chief Lending Officer Curt Glaser says “Landon brings a lot of energy, agricultural knowledge, and creativity to First Bank Kansas. He is a person that wants to know the ‘why’ behind things which improve his ability to assist the bank and his customers. I’m very grateful that Landon is on our team!”
Gruber works closely behind the scenes at FBK and works with commercial and ag lenders to aid in the loan approval process. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Kansas Wesleyan University and has been with the bank for five years. Gruber and her husband Randy farm in Ottawa County. They have two daughters, Alyson and Addyson. Alyson and her husband Garrett live near Manhattan with their three children and Addyson and her husband Alex live in Lawrence with their two children. While she is most passionate about family, Gruber can also be found serving as president of the Ottawa County 4-H Foundation, treasurer at her church, and leading children’s story time during worship. Glaser says “Alice’s vast banking knowledge and her work ethic in whatever she pursues makes her a very valued member of our team. Alice’s due diligence in credit analysis and her documentation expertise helps keep our loan portfolio healthy, which is key to our success. So glad to be able to team with Alice!”
