Vision Brookings Investor Spotlight: First Bank & Trust

BROOKINGS, S.D. - First Bank & Trust has not only been a fixture in Brookings for more than a century, but also a leading investor of Vision Brookings, the fundraising catalyst for local economic development projects, initiatives, and strategies that align private sector leadership and capital with shared community goals. Their reason for supporting Vision Brookings is simple: because when Brookings thrives, we all thrive.

“We care deeply about the growth of Brookings and the quality of life here, so we have a responsibility to invest in it,” said President and CEO of First Bank & Trust, Kevin Tetzlaff. “That is the entire focus of Vision Brookings, utilizing local resources to enhance economic opportunities.”

First Bank & Trust has a presence in 17 communities in South Dakota and Minnesota, but it is in Brookings where they got their start and still call home. With 235 local employees, they know the importance of ensuring the resources that make Brookings a great place to live: good jobs, a stable economy, and great healthcare, childcare, housing, and education options.

“The opportunities we are facing as a community need to be addressed in a holistic and participatory way,” said Tetzlaff. “By partnering with Vision Brookings, we -as a community- can collectively identify and initiate our own solutions to economic issues in order to build a healthy and viable community.”

First Bank & Trust considers their significant investment in Vision Brookings to be a cost of doing business. “Brookings has supported our growth over the years, and it is incumbent upon us to reciprocate,” said Tetzlaff. “When you trust good people to do good work, it benefits the whole community. Vision Brookings has that trust, and I’m proud to be working alongside some of Brookings’ most passionate and entrepreneurial business leaders in pursuing game-changing initiatives for our community."