Stockman Bank plans new branch in Whitefish

Stockman Bank plans to open a new branch in Whitefish with construction expected to begin next year.

The branch will be Stockman’s first in the Flathead Valley. Stockman operates 36 banking locations throughout Montana.

Joe Kola has been hired to serve as market president for the Whitefish location. He will oversee Stockman’s entrance into the market and supervise all phases of staffing, lending, operations, planning, and development of the Flathead market, according to a press release.

Kola has 22 years of banking experience, most recently serving as market president for a multi-state bank in Kalispell. He started his career on the teller line while attending the University of Montana’s School of Business Administration, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance followed by an MBA. After college, he worked as a credit analyst, as a commercial relationship manager, a commercial group manager, and finally as a market president. He has worked in Missoula, Whitefish, Jackson, Wyoming, and most recently in Kalispell. He also attended Pacific Coast Banking School, graduating with honors, and completed Leadership Wyoming in 2015.

His wife, Tracy, is also a Kalispell native and their twin boys will attend Glacier High School as freshmen this fall.

“We are excited to welcome Joe to the Stockman Bank family,” stated Jeremy Morgret, Chief of Branch Supervision for Stockman Bank. “His experience, and deep-rooted knowledge and understanding the Flathead Valley will be key for us as Stockman enters this new market.”

Kola has volunteered in the community and currently serves on the boards of the Flathead Education Foundation, the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation, Glacier AERO, and the Logan Health Foundation. He is involved with the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors’ Your Professional Network and is a Kalispell Daybreak Rotarian.

“While Stockman already has many customers in the Flathead Valley, we look forward to serving more of our neighbors throughout this beautiful region of our state,” added Bill Coffee, CEO of Stockman Bank. “We will soon have a temporary banking office for Joe and his future team and will begin construction of a new state-of-the-art banking facility in Whitefish next year. We are confident our unique brand of Montana community banking will bring more options and a higher level of customer service to the Flathead Valley.”

Kola officially begins work on Aug. 1. He can be reached at 406-261-0887.

For more information about Stockman Bank, visit www.stockmanbank.com.