Reflecting on 2025: A Holiday Note from John Wilkins

Happy Holidays!

As we prepare to close out 2025, we at Heartland Bank extend our heartfelt gratitude to our customers and associates for your confidence and commitment to the Bank. This year brought significant milestones and new opportunities, and together, we continued to navigate them with strength, resilience, and optimism.

As we have grown over the years, we have continued to make banking more convenient and rewarding for our customers. During the year we continued to invest in talented associates, enhanced technology, and updated locations. Additionally, we continued to support numerous community activities in each of our markets. We always focus on how we can enhance our customer experience and ensure that Heartland Bank also remains a great place to build a career for our associates.

As a result of our focus on our associates, Heartland Bank was honored for the seventh time as one of the “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker magazine. This national recognition is a testament to the outstanding work environment created by our associates and the strong, community-focused culture we’ve built together. Our associates’ dedication to customers and each other continues to make Heartland Bank a great place to bank and work.

During 2025, our branches continued to deliver on our customer commitment each and every day. Our non-lending businesses – NorthPointe Insurance, Sandstone Wealth Management, and Heartland Trust Company continue to be “Best in Class” in their respective industries. Each of these businesses compliments our main banking business and allows us to offer a broad financial relationship with our customers.

This summer, Heartland Bank implemented a successful leadership transition. We were pleased to announce that Aaron Schardt was promoted to Chief Executive Officer, and Dennis Ferguson was promoted to President. Both Aaron and Dennis have been vital in our growth and customer focus over the years. They both have total support from me and our Board of Directors. I will continue to serve as Chairman, ensuring continuity and vision as we move forward. Our leadership team is committed to guiding Heartland Bank through continued growth and innovation, always putting our associates, customers and communities first.

Finally, I want to wish you and your families a joyous and happy Holiday Season as we look forward to the opportunities that 2026 will offer.

With gratitude,

John Wilkins
Chairman