06/29/17
HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University has announced that Alan Deines will serve as the first director of the Robbins Banking Institute in the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Fort Hays State University.

"Alan brings more than 37 years of banking experience to the position with a unique perspective on the banking industry and its needs for the future," said Dr. Mark Bannister, dean of the Robbins College.

"In the course of his career in the industry, Alan has worked with hundreds of banks, providing management, counsel and advice," said Bannister. "Alan is exactly the type of person Fort Hays State University was looking for. We want a leader who has substantial experience with the banking industry as well as vision for the future of this vital business sector."

Fort Hays State offers the most extensive banking curriculum in Kansas and is one of the few universities in the country to offer banking classes both on campus and through distance learning. Deines will bring his expertise to the classroom and will add to existing faculty expertise.

"This is an opportunity for me to give back to an industry and a state that has treated me very well over the years," said Deines. "I hope to leave a legacy of good people leading strong institutions throughout Kansas and beyond."

He said the institute's mission has three parts: one, to produce high-quality, highly sought-after graduates who will be able to meet the needs of financial institutions; two, to serve as an education and training resource for people already at work in the financial industry; and, three, to be an information resource for management and boards of directors.

Deines practiced law in Russell before becoming a trust officer and house counsel for First National Bank, Goodland, in 1980. Since then, he has worked in a variety of banking roles. From 1987 to 2008, Deines was president of Stout & Deines Inc., a consulting company that specialized in working with the boards and management of troubled banks. From 1990 to 2007, he was also president and trust officer of Citizens State Bank and Trust, Woodbine.

Deines has worked with more than 200 banks from Wyoming to Illinois and from South Dakota to Oklahoma, dealing with regulatory problems, management issues, mergers and acquisitions. His work included time in Siberia and eastern Russia advising on issues related to Russia's economic collapse in the 1990s, and later as an adviser in the Republic of Georgia, in Yemen and Iraq.

He was CEO of Tri-Valley Bank, Randolph, Iowa, from 2008 to 2015, when he returned to Kansas to work with CBW Bank. He is still a member of CBW's board of directors.

The Robbins Banking Institute, located in McCartney Hall on the FHSU campus, will recruit students, help them understand the substantial career opportunities the banking industry in Kansas offers, and prepare them for those opportunities, said Bannister.

Deines will also reach out to bankers to make them aware of the value that the Robbins Banking Institute can offer their organizations as they hire new employees and seek to upgrade the skills of current staff members. He will work with the banking community to establish additional resources and develop an internship program and career path for the benefit of the university's students and banks.

The Robbins Banking Institute was formed in 2016 with the generous assistance of W.R. and Yvonne Robbins of Farmers Bank and Trust, Great Bend. The vision of the institute is to provide education, training opportunities and resources for both traditional students and those individuals currently working in the industry who want to improve their skills

Since the announcement of the formation of the Robbins Banking Institute, a number of banks have committed to help with scholarships for students and provide technical expertise. The institute is currently working to establish an advisory council of banking industry leaders to provide insight and advice on curriculum and student career development.

For more information on the Robbins Banking Institute, contact Deines at 785-639-2297 or by email to kadeines@fhsu.edu.

The institute's website is www.fhsu.edu/efa/Robbins-Banking-Institute/. The Robbins College website is www.fhsu.edu/rcobe/.