Sheppard promoted to assistant vice president of lending at Independence Bank

Press release

Independence Bank recently promoted Mason Sheppard to assistant vice president of lending.

Sheppard came to the bank in 2015 as a credit analyst and was later promoted to loan officer in 2017. In 2021, Mason accepted the responsibilities of managing our credit analyst department and then in 2022 took on the supervision of the ag/commercial lending staff in Havre. In 2023 Mason became a senior Loan Officer and a member of the Banks loan committee. Mason will be entering his second year of banking school at the Graduate School of Banking - Colorado.

"Mason has served the Bank in many different capacities as a member of the ALCO committee, Loan Committee and chair of the bank's profit-sharing committee, developing strong leadership and credit skills. The development of those skills has allowed Mason to expand his roles within the Bank. Mason is a rising star in the banking industry, and we are excited about his future. The community and the Bank are well served to have someone of Mason's skillset," Independence Bank President/CEO Bill Keller said. "Mason will be instrumental in the Bank's continued growth, as he understands our communities and the needs of our Ag and Commercial customers."

Sheppard was born and raised in Havre. After earning his bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of Montana, he returned to Havre to be near friends and family. Sheppard and his wife, Haley, are busy with their two daughters, Aubrey, 5, and Hayden, 3. When he isn't chasing his little ones, he said you can find him at the hockey rink coaching and playing hockey, golfing, or spending time with his family and friends.

Independence Bank is a locally owned community bank headquartered in Havre, Montana with branches in Malta, Glasgow, Poplar, Scobey, Conrad, Shelby, Great Falls, Wolf Point and Plentywood. For over 50 years, the bank has specialized in ag and commercial lending and focused on providing a complete range of banking services for the people and businesses it servea. The bank's mission is to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships through consistent commitment to its communities and customers.