It’s Not Where You Start: Patrick Kussman’s Journey of Lifelong Learning

Growing up on a rural farm, Patrick Kussman thought his future was in veterinary school. Now, 23 years into a successful career in community banking, he lives by the motto “never stop learning.” He is president and CEO of Regional Missouri Bank and chairman-elect of the Missouri Bankers Association.

The citizens of Marceline have only great things to say about him. Kussman always has a smile. He is an outstanding citizen who is active in the community and schools. Eric Kjos, the chief technology officer of Regional Missouri Bank’s main branch in Marceline, has an office next to Kussman’s.

Kjos said, “Pat has a good impact on the office environment. He is good at maintaining a positive outlook and a happy face around the office.”

In addition, Kussman loves to give back. Regional Missouri Bank currently has a school mascot card program. When you use a school-branded debit card, Visa pays the bank a fee for processing the transaction. A portion of that fee is then directed to the school as a contribution. This partnership allows the school to receive financial support each time the card is used. But that is only the beginning.

Kussman has adapted to job changes and the evolving world. He is a respected leader across the bank’s branches. He likes to visit the bank’s nine branches to build relationships and get to know employees. With that, he embraces new opportunities to give back to small communities and their future. His journey shows what can be achieved with a willingness to learn.

Kussman has done it all. Before graduating from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in animal science, he returned to the family livestock business. He left in the early fall of his final year to help his father with a newly purchased livestock auction. Years later, he left in search of a new job.

During this search, he returned to Marceline, where he grew up. He ran into an old friend, Greg Stahl, who mentioned his new position at Marceline High School. Stahl encouraged Kussman to consider moving back to Marceline to teach and help coach the wrestling team.

“Talk about a 180-degree turn, going from managing a livestock auction to teaching high school,” Kussman recalls.

As a high school math teacher, Kussman felt comfortable. After a while, he got a phone call from the president of Regional Missouri Bank, who wanted him to be their agriculture loan officer. At this point in Kussman’s career, he had completed schooling in two different fields: animal science and teaching. Now, he was headed to the Barret School of Banking in Memphis, Tennessee.

After discussing it with his wife, he took the job. Kussman says, “It was a leap of faith.” It was a way for him to get back into agriculture, a passion he’s had since childhood. Today, he still owns acres of land with livestock to care for. He loves working with agriculture both in his spare time and as part of his banking role. Regional Missouri Bank is highly agriculture-based, with most of its loans related to farming.

Kussman worked his way up the ranks at Regional Missouri Bank. In January 2010, he became president, and two years later, he was appointed CEO. Since then, he has maintained his position, striving to help the state of Missouri. Looking ahead, he hopes to be elected chairman of the Missouri Bankers Association.

Kussman’s long-term goal is to promote advocacy for banking and agriculture in Missouri on a national platform. He spends time in Washington, D.C., multiple times a year lobbying Congress and visiting regulatory agencies to help shape the future of banking.

“I couldn’t sit here in my office and gripe and moan about all the rules and regulations that were coming out with certain administrations if I didn’t go and try to make a difference,” Kussman says.

When asked about his time at the Capitol, Kussman said he comes prepared. He has created sheets and forms to give to local farmers, offering real-life examples of how a law or rule affects his customers. He is passionate about keeping them informed.

“When somebody presents a law or bill in Congress, it reads out okay, but you don’t know the long-term trickle effects it might have on your consumers, voters, or constituents. I think that’s something I have had a passion for being able to take that to the next level and protect the survivability of community banking.”

As he progresses toward the Missouri Bankers Association, Kussman preaches to never stop learning. Every day, he says, he learns something new, whether it is something small or has a major impact on his job.