We visited Community First Bank and heard from three of their inspiring leaders: Robb Blume, Bob Hickman, and Kim LaFollate. We met inside The Hobson, Community First’s newly acquired administration building.

Robb shared the story of Mike Stegall, a founding member of the bank and someone who helped bring the CEO Program to Kokomo by rallying customers to fund its very first year. His passion for local entrepreneurship is still impacting students today.

We learned how Community First grew from 16 employees to over 100, stayed profitable early, survived the 2008 recession, and is now on track for $1 billion in assets by 2026, all by focusing on people.
“We’ve grown by having really great people and delivering really great customer service.”

Kim talked with us about the vast opportunities in banking; careers in marketing, sales, operations, lending, fraud, compliance, customer experience, and more. She emphasized that this is a people-driven industry with endless pathways.

Bob walked us through their four strategic pillars:
Financial performance, community improvement, stakeholder satisfaction, and employee opportunity.

Huge thank you to Community First Bank for pouring into our students, sharing their journey, and continuing to invest in the future of Kokomo.