News Story

Update (November 2022)

The Illinois Bankers Association is honored to share that Betsy Johnson and Mick O’Rourke have both been elected to 4-year terms on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago’s Board of Directors!

THE FHLBC ELECTION
Your vote in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Board of Directors election is essential as Illinois has two directorships to fill during this election cycle. Their term of office begins January 1, 2023, and through December 31, 2026.

The Illinois Bankers Association is pleased to support Marty Davis, Betsy Johnson, and Mick O’Rourke for election to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Board of Directors.

Martin “Marty” L. Davis is the President and CEO of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company and the President/CEO of Murphy-Wall Bancorp in Pinckneyville Illinois. Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company is a $160MM bank that was established in 1874. Mr. Davis has over 37 years in community banking with experience in various levels of both managerial and executive roles. Since 2000, he has served as the President/CEO where the bank has grown from $63MM. His career also includes extensive lending experience in the southern Illinois region. Mr. Davis’s involvement with the IBA includes the 2001-2018 Government Relations Committee, 2004-2014 Board of Directors, 2004-2006 Strategic Planning Committee, 2007-2008 Illinois Bankers PAC Board, 2009-2010 Ag Advisory Committee, 2010- 2011 Annual Conference Committee, 2010-2011 Illinois Bankers Education Services Committee, 2011-2012 Illinois Bankers Business Service Board, 2012-2013 Chair Illinois Banker, 2016-2017 Annual Conference Committee, 2019 Nominating Committee, 2021 Strategic Planning Committee, and 2021 Banker of the Year.

Betsy A. Johnson is the current President and CEO of Solutions Bank, formerly known as Forreston State Bank, where she began her journey with the bank as an executive assistant in 1996. Since that time, Ms. Johnson has held several titles and responsibilities from mortgage, consumer, and agricultural lending, human resources, asset liability management, risk management, and regulatory examination and reporting. Johnson and management acquired and merged two banks in the last two years. Since 2010, Johnson has been a director of the bank and holding company boards. Outside of banking, she has been a zone chair for the Lions Club and serves as the treasurer for her local Lions Club. She has served on the Forrestville Valley School Foundation as a member and treasurer and continues to be involved in the Foundation’s fundraising committee for the last 20 years. She also has served as church council president, pastor search committee, and building committee. Johnson is a 2003 graduate of the Graduate School of Banking-Madison (GSB-Madison) and has served on the Banker Advisory Board of GSB since 2017, currently as the Chair. Johnson also has served on the Fiserv Precision Core Advisory Council. Ms. Johnson’s involvement with the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) spans many years of serving on boards and committees including the Agricultural Advisory Committee, Annual Conference Committee, Audit and Finance Committee, Government Relations Committee, Illinois Bankers Education Services Board, Illinois Bankers PAC Board, Membership Committee, and Nominating Committee. Since 2017, she serves on the Board of Directors and is the current 2022-2023 Chair for the IBA. Johnson also serves on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Community Banker Advisory Committee since 2021.

Michael “Mick” G. O’Rourke currently serves as President and CEO of Signature Bank and has over 30 years of banking experience. He previously served as Executive Vice-President of Associated Bank, until he left to organize Signature Bank. He was previously employed by LaSalle Bank N.A. and American National Bank. He is currently Chairman of the Board of St. Patrick High School and Treasurer of the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholar Foundation. Mr. O’Rourke is a member of the Community Bank Council for the American Bankers Association. He also serves as a Director of St. Angela School, the American Ireland Fund, and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Illinois Bankers Association Board of Directors from 2014-2018 and the Illinois Bankers PAC Board from 2018-Present. He served as Director of Navy Pier from 2010-2020. Also, he previously was a Director of Schawk, Inc. (SGK) and Lancer Insurance. Mr. O’Rourke has a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and a master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago.

About FHLBC and the Election
The FHLBC is a leader in the Federal Home Loan Bank system as measured by member services, innovation, and its commitment to providing member institutions access to critically important products and services to support and enhance housing finance and community investment. We are confident that Marty Davis, Betsy Johnson, and Mick O'Rourke bring the knowledge, experience, and hard work needed to support the mission of the FHLBC while serving as strong advocates for all FHLBC members and the entire banking industry.

The policy of the IBA is to endorse IBA members who are incumbents and to support all IBA members who are new candidates for FHLBC board elections. With two Illinois Member Directors to be elected this year, the Illinois Bankers Association asks for your vote for two candidates who are Members of the IBA.

The ballots were sent electronically on or around September 19, 2022. We encourage all members of the FHLBC to exercise their right to vote by the deadline of 5:00 p.m. CT, October 20, 2022.