GSBC proudly announces Carol Fehrle, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Quail Creek Bank in Oklahoma City, Okla., and Andrew “Drew” Krab, chief banking officer at Adams Bank & Trust in Ogallala, Neb., as the 2025 recipients of the Tim Koch Award for Excellence in Banking.
Presented on April 15 in Broomfield, Colo., the award recognizes graduates of GSBC’s Executive Development Institute (EDI) for Community Bankers® who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, unwavering dedication to their communities and a lasting impact on the banking industry. Both honorees embody the award’s purpose through decades of strategic leadership, mentorship and a deep belief in the transformative power of community banking.
Fehrle and Krab addressed current EDI students at the ceremony, offering powerful reflections on the values that have guided their careers.
“One of the things that EDI instilled in me was the importance of pouring into other people and giving back,” said Fehrle, who has mentored numerous junior officers at her bank over the past decade. “You guys matter in all of your communities.”
Krab, known for spearheading forward-thinking initiatives at Adams Bank & Trust, spoke to the heart of community banking:
“[Community banking is] more than a profession. It’s a promise. A promise to the families who trust us with their dreams, the small businesses that shape our towns and the communities that depend on us in times of both prosperity and challenge. I’ve always believed that at its best, banking goes far beyond the numbers. Good banking is about people.”
As part of the recognition, GSBC made a $1,000 donation in each recipient’s name to a nonprofit organization of their choice, underscoring the award’s emphasis on meaningful community impact. Fehrle selected HeartLine, Inc., an organization dedicated to mental health, crisis intervention and suicide prevention in Oklahoma. Krab directed his donation to the Ogallala Public Schools Foundation, which supports educational opportunities and enrichment for students in his hometown.
“Carol and Drew represent the best of community banking by dedicating their time and energy to the development of communities and people,” stated GSBC President Michael Stevens. “They project a positive and inspiring future for the industry.”
About the Tim Koch Award for Excellence in Banking
The GSBC Board of Trustees established the Tim Koch Award for Excellence in Banking in 2021 to commemorate Koch’s 20-year tenure as the school’s president.
The award aims to honor Koch’s drive for education, passion for community banking and vision for preparing the next generation of community bank leaders. His lifelong dedication to educating bankers and unwavering commitment to the school’s students has led to stronger banks and communities across the country. Koch’s vision for preparing community bankers to take on leadership roles within their banks led to the inauguration of GSBC’s EDI in 2014, which remains the only program of its kind in the country.
Those eligible to receive the award are graduates of GSBC’s EDI program and may be nominated by current and past EDI faculty members, CEO mentors and executive coaches as well as their fellow graduates and supervisors. Candidates must show significant contributions to their communities, their banks’ stakeholders and the banking industry.
Tim Koch Award for Excellence in Banking recipients include:
- 2022: Tony Kaiser, president and chief executive officer of Osgood Bank (Osgood, Ohio) – EDI Class of 2019
- 2023: Carissa Rodeheaver, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of First United Bank & Trust and First United Corporation in (Oakland, MD) – EDI Class of 2015
- 2024: Tyler Erickson, vice president of development and marketing of American Bank Montana (Bozeman, MT) – EDI Class of 2017
- 2025: Carol Fehrle, executive vice president & chief operating officer of Quail Creek Bank (Oklahoma City, Okla.) – EDI Class of 2015
- 2025: Andrew “Drew” Krab, chief banking officer of Adams Bank & Trust (Ogallala, NE) – EDI Class of 2021