YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Being a trusted adviser in business banking is not something Kendal R. Dingus takes lightly.
“I am facilitating and guiding my clients through some of the largest and most important financial transactions in their lives,” he says. “These transactions not only affect the financial well-being of my clients, but the trajectory of their future personal and business financial success.”
As vice president and commercial loan officer at Central Bank in Springfield, sometimes he has to work long and unusual hours, especially when it comes to lending.
“Often the best deals must be acted on quickly, and my clients rely on my ability to provide assistance and guidance in these types of situations on a regular basis,” he says. “In my position, my laptop goes with me nearly everywhere I go. I have spoken with clients and worked files on vacation and in physician office waiting rooms.”
With the ongoing changes in banking and real estate, continuing to learn and keep up with the latest trends is what Dingus says “makes it fun and interesting.”
“Government regulations are ever changing which requires I stay well versed and educated in my field,” he says. “There are many resources I utilize to stay up to date in my industry, including subscribing to daily market updates, reading daily economic news bulletins related to equities, federal rates and market earnings, listening to my favorite finance or lending podcasts, as well as reviewing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bulletins.”
Dingus says he also monitors monthly yield curves for projected trends preparing for the continuing financial shifts. In the past two years, the volume in the business banking portfolio he manages doubled to $101 million, with 856 clients served in 2021.
Being a commercial banker for all sorts of clients is something he says he is proud to be able to do.
“I have the honor and privilege of affecting the lives and financial well-being of my clients every single day,” he says, citing work with new homeowners to seasoned business owners.
“I get to serve as a coach, mentor and often a cheerleader as we navigate their financial journey side by side,” he adds. “I have the opportunity to affect the lives of clients who perhaps have not had the best luck of handling their past finances. I spend months and often years coaching and providing guidance to overcome a variety of hardships so that they may realize their goal of opening a business, purchasing a home or even buying that first vehicle.”
Dingus is involved in the Missouri Bankers Association and earlier this year graduated from MBA Lending School.
Outside of the bank, Dingus has served in multiple volunteer positions, especially in the city of Nixa. He serves on the board of directors of the Nixa Education Foundation, as chair on the city’s board of adjustments and vice chair on the Home Rule Charter Review Commission. Previously Dingus served as a Nixa council member and as a planning and zoning commissioner.
A 2023 Harvard Business Review study suggests significant positive changes when employees take sabbaticals, including greater self-clarity and management confidence.