Robert E. Fishback

Chairman
Fishback Financial Corporation & First Bank & Trust, Brookings

Bob Fishback joined his father, Horace, at First National Bank in Brookings in 1961. He had the pleasure of being introduced personally to our community and farm customers by his father, and very much enjoys dealing with the people of this area. He saw fit to provide more service by establishing a trust department in 1969 and by purchasing several area banks.

Bob graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and got his MBA from the University of Chicago graduate school of business. He has been active in many civic organizations.

Bob enjoys music and sports including tennis and basketball. He and his wife, Patricia, have two children, John and Ann.

Van Fishback

President & CEO
Fishback Financial Corporation

A third generation banker and native of Brookings, SD, Van Fishback joined his family’s banking organization in 1972, after attending Stanford University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Economics and attended the Graduate School of Business, and the University of MN Law School, where he obtained his law degree.

Van has been involved in many professional and civic organizations and has a passion for sports, community work and higher education. Van and his wife, Barbara, live in Brookings, SD and have three adult sons, Thomas, Paul and James.

David Waligoske

Executive Vice President
Fishback Financial Corporation

Dave Waligoske joined the organization in 1992 as an auditor for First National Bank in Brookings before being promoted in 1993 to Vice President and serving as manager of the credit card division. In 1996, Dave became Vice President and Acquiring Manager, and started a national merchant portfolio. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Administration in 1999.

Dave earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. He received his Chartered Bank Auditor certification in 1990 and has over 27 years of banking experience.

Dave is Chairman of the Board of First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls, SD (an affiliate bank of FFC), and oversees Fishback Financial Solutions, the national product division of FFC. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Kid's World day care and Advance in Brookings, SD.

Alan Baker

Al Baker became CFO at Fishback Financial Corporation in 2001 and has over 15 years of experience managing the financial and accounting operations at various banks. Al held previous positions at accounting firms in Fargo, ND and Sioux Falls, SD and has his CPA. Al earned his B.A. in accounting from Moorhead State University, where he was a varsity baseball player and involved in many campus clubs and organizations.

Al enjoys playing golf, ping pong, and is involved with the finance committee at his church. He is also on the board of Brookings Health Systems in Brookings, SD.

Paula Wagner

Paula Wagner has worked for Fishback Financial since 2003 and has held management positions in Corporate Compliance and Risk Management. Paula has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry in both the US and Europe. In the late 90's, Paula completed a 2.5 year assignment for a credit card business stationed in Brussels, Belgium. Throughout her career, she has held positions in customer service, legal, IT and project management.

Paula serves on the Board of Directors for the Volunteer Service Bank, and also the Brant Lake Improvement Association Board. She is active in her community as well as in various professional organizations.

Paula and her husband Mike, have been married 35 years, and have three children and five grandchildren. They enjoy not only traveling to visit family, but traveling worldwide, where they've visited six of seven continents.

Keith Eichacker

Keith Eichacker joined the Fishback organization more than 15 years ago. He started as an Ag loan officer in 1995 with 10 years of lending experience. In 1998, he was promoted to Vice President and served as the Manager of the Ag Department. He was then selected to spearhead FFC's Emerging Markets division in 2000, as the bank became more involved with financing ethanol, winds, carbon credits and large dairies throughout the upper Midwest. In 2006 he joined the corporate management team and is responsible for managing the overall credit quality throughout the organization. He also serves on the Board of Directors for First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls, SD. Keith holds a degree in Banking/Finance from Lake Area Technical Institute. Keith and his wife, Dawn, live in Sioux Falls, SD, and have two children, Allison and Jack.