Father and son recognized together for generations of service to Iowa community banking
Spirit Lake, Iowa — Bank Midwest is proud to announce that John E. Goodenow and Stephen J. (Steve) Goodenow have received the 2026 James A. Leach Leadership Award from the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA). The award was presented Sept. 21 during the IBA Annual Convention.
“Throughout the state of Iowa, there is a legacy of outstanding leadership in community banking. I can’t think of two leaders more deserving of the James A. Leach Leadership Award than John Goodenow and his son, Steve,” said Bank Midwest CEO Mary Kay Bates. “Through decades of change, they have championed our industry and remain steadfast to our fundamental purpose as a community bank – ‘To Make Lives Better’ – for our customers, employees, and the communities we serve.”
The award is named for former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, who chaired the U.S. House Banking and Financial Services Committee from 1995 to 2001, and honors bankers whose leadership has shaped the industry across Iowa and beyond.
The recognition is personal for Bank Midwest. John and Steve represent the fourth and fifth generations of their family to lead the bank. Their careers link a small-town Iowa bank, founded in 1892 in Wall Lake, to the multistate community bank that Bank Midwest is today. Both began as federal bank examiners before returning to community banking. During multiple farm crises, industry consolidation, and changing regulations, they kept the bank’s focus on local people, local decisions, and the communities it serves.
For Bank Midwest’s customers and employees, the award reflects what the bank has always aimed to be: a community bank that lasts because it stays close to the people it serves.
Six Decades of Steady Leadership
John Goodenow is a fourth-generation community banker. He began his career as an FDIC bank examiner, then returned to his family’s rural bank in Wall Lake, Iowa. Over more than six decades, he led its growth into the multistate institution Bank Midwest is today. Through industry consolidation, the 1980s farm crisis, and changing regulations, John kept the bank focused on local families, businesses, and agricultural communities.
Building for the Next Generation
Steve Goodenow is a fifth-generation community banker. He served as an Associate National Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency before joining Bank Midwest in 1992. Since then, he has guided the bank’s strategic growth and championed employee ownership, leadership development, and strong customer relationships. He has also served the broader industry through the Iowa Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, and the American Bankers Association.
Bank Midwest congratulates John and Steve and thanks the Iowa Bankers Association for recognizing the important role community banks play in the lives of Iowans.
About Bank Midwest
Bank Midwest is a family-owned community bank headquartered in Spirit Lake, Iowa, with locations across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. For more than 140 years, Bank Midwest has served individuals, families, businesses, and agricultural communities with local decision-making and personal service, guided by its purpose, “To Make Lives Better.” Learn more at bankmidwest.com. Member FDIC.
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