He worked for a year in radio sales and then made a life-changing move to the world of banking, making his first loan ever to an anxious pig farmer. Now, 31 years later, Fifth Third Bank Community President Randy Reimers is cashing in and retiring effective June 1st.
The effervescent and well known community leader just turned 55 this week, but with a 94-year old father and 89-year old in-laws requiring love and attention in their golden years, Randy is stepping away from his banking career to spend some quality time with family going forward.
It was Bob Burch and Hilda Banyon who lured him into his banking career decades ago when he launched that part of his business life at Inter-City bank, forerunner to today’s Chemical Bank. He started in the Baroda branch and says his first loan was to a farmer who walked into the bank and said his pigs had arrived and he needed $6,000.00. As Randy tells it, “I told the farmer I would get the loan together and he could sign for it tomorrow, but the farmer told me that the pigs were on the truck and he need the $6,000.00 now and would come back and sign later.” So, Randy handed the farmer $6,000.00 in cash and the farmer came back two days later and signed the loan documents. That was in a day and age when that one signature was the only thing required to conduct the transaction.
Later on, Randy ended up marrying his boss at Chemical Bank, Monika. They’ve been happily together ever since, and it’s her parents that Randy will be helping care for as he steps away from the world of high finance.
After 9 years at Chemical Bank, Reimers moved to Michigan National Bank as the Berrien County Regional Manager, and by 2005 had moved to Fifth Third Bank as the regional manager and eventually took over the role as Community Bank President.
Randy earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and General Finance from Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee in 1987 and headed off on his career.
Randy’s presence has been felt far beyond the teller’s cage or that commercial loan office. In those three decades of service to the community at large he has served on a whole host of community boards. In 2003 he was the Gordon Hosbein Volunteer of the Year Award winner for Blossomtime. Four years later, in 2007, he was the United Way Campaign Chair for all of Berrien County.
In 2015, he and Monika were the Chairs of the Lake Michigan College Winners Circle Auction followed a year later by his exemplary performance in taking the Judge’s Choice in the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s Dancing With the Stars event.
Over the course of his professional career, Randy served three different service clubs including the Exchange Club, the Lions Club and Rotary.
Randy currently serves as an active member of the Cornerstone Alliance Board of Directors, sits on the Lake Michigan College Foundation Board, and is currently the president of Grace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph.
His infectious laugh and smile are renowned and his business acumen has long been well-received by hundreds of businessmen and women throughout Michigan’s Great Southwest.
