The Chamber Board of Directors honored Mike Engesser as the 2018 Outstanding Chamber Member during an after-hours reception Monday in Sterling’s Café & Grille.
The Chamber annually selects a local individual to honor with the award, which recognizes personal and professional contributions to the community.
“Mike has been an active, committed, involved and dedicated member of our community since 1981 when he moved from Benson to Luverne as an insurance agent for First Bank,” said Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere.
In accepting the honor Monday night, Engesser said he “won the lottery” when he moved to Luverne.
“From the time I drove into town, it was such a nice clean community, it was a chance of a lifetime,” Engesser said. “I got a chance to do what I wanted to do. I’m blessed.”
Particularly, he said Luverne has countless opportunities to help others and to improve the community.
“It’s not that people in Luverne think they’re better; it’s just that they want to make Luverne a better place to live and to visit,” Engesser said. “I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
In her Chamber write-up about the award, Lanphere provided background on Engesser’s role at the bank that was acquired by the Short family in 1987 when the name changed to First Farmers and Merchants Bank
From there, Lanphere noted, Engesser’s accomplishments were quickly acknowledged as he was promoted in the company.
He became vice president/cashier in 1987 and senior vice president/cashier and COO in 1990.
In 1998 Engesser became president and CEO of First Farmers & Merchants Bank, a position he held through 2016.
During that time, from 2005 through 2016, he also served as senior vice president and secretary of the 215 Holding Company with banking locations in Brownsdale, Austin, Sargent, Grand Meadow, Racine and Stewartville reporting to him.
Now in retirement Engesser serves the bank in an advisory capacity as director and chairman of FFM in Luverne and director and secretary of FFM banks in Fairmont, Le Sueur, Brownsdale, Grand Meadow and Cannon Falls. He also continues to serve as vice president of the 215 Holding Company.
“In selecting Mike Engesser for the 2017 Outstanding Chamber Member, the Chamber Board of Directors recognized Mike’s extraordinary accomplishments in his banking career but also recognized the extremely important contributions he has made and continues to make to our community,” Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere shared in her 2018 year-end newsletter.
Current Chamber president Kevin Thelen shared Engessers accomplishments with those who gathered Monday’s reception.
Engesser’s contributions through the years have included membership and leadership in a long list of organizations:
•Tourism Committee for the Luverne Chamber of Commerce for three years.
•Community Strategic Technology Planning Committee.
•Luverne School District Long Range Planning Committee.
•Chamber’s appointee for the LCEDC .
•Blandin Community Leadership Program in 1998.
•Luverne Music Boosters.
•Luverne School Foundation.
•Citizens for School Board Leadership (Engesser founded this group in 2012 to improve communication between the public and school district.)
•Luverne School District Referendum Committee.
•Luverne Area Community Foundation.
•Luverne Education Association as the Friend of Education.
•Luverne Lions Club 37-year member (In 2005 he was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellow Award from Lions Clubs International for his dedicated service to humanitarian causes.)
•Luverne Economic Development Authority, 26 years.
•Luverne Housing and Redevelopment Authority, 26 years.
•Beaver Creek Mutual Insurance Company board.
Engesser is an active member of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church where he’s served on several committees, boards and councils through the years.
“Throughout his career and daily life, Mike has spent his life in service to others. He is a person we know we can count on to meet the needs of the community, individuals, businesses and organizations,” Lanphere said.
“In being selected as the 2017 Outstanding Chamber Member, the Luverne Area Chamber Board of Directors recognizes his outstanding accomplishments in career and personal life and thank him for his continuing service to the people of Luverne and Rock County.”