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After graduating from Iowa State University with a business administration degree and going to work in construction, Brad Botos realized he wanted to take his career in a different direction. So he went into community banking, where he has worked his way up ever since. This spring, he was named president of Liberty Bank’s Ankeny market, which is being separated from the Des Moines market. He will manage two branches for the parent company, which has more than $1 billion in assets and more than 30 branches across Iowa.

Why is Liberty Bank separating the Ankeny and Des Moines markets?

Because of the growth we’ve experienced here, which has been dynamic, they decided it was a good time to [make Ankeny a] stand-alone market.

Is this the first market to break away from Greater Des Moines?

For the Des Moines metro, yes. What Liberty has done is try to stay true to a community-bank feel by providing each market with a market president. But for the most part, our other markets are two or three branches. The metro, had nine prior to us splitting off.

What is your career background?

I’ve been here roughly a year. I was with Gateway Savings Bank, which became Northwest Bank, for about eight years prior to that, all in Ankeny. Before that, I was with Security Bank in Newton and Grinnell for about six years and did everything from consumer lending to mortgage lending.

What got you into banking?

Honestly, out of college I was helping a guy do construction, and I knew that’s not what I wanted to do with my life. I talked to some of the folks at my community bank, I’m from Story City originally, and that particular bank in Story City was owned by the bank that I ended up working for.

What are you most excited about in this new position?

I’m excited about the commitment to Ankeny. That sounds like a political answer, but I really am. There are a lot of new banks coming to town. I think the niche that Liberty provides in the community-banking field is one that would prove to be really successful here. When you talk to people in Ankeny, very few are from this town. They all came from the rural markets, and in those rural markets, you had your local banker and that’s who you dealt with, and that’s kind of the feel we’d like to carry on here.

What excites you about banking?

I love dealing with the customers. I’ve certainly enjoyed the success we’ve had here to date. When I came on, the Ankeny market was about $12 million in total assets. Today we’re at about $60 million. So in a year’s time, we’ve seen some pretty dynamic growth.

Is there another goal on your career path?

I’d always like to continue to move forward, but that takes time. I’ve still got a lot of learning to do. I’ve had the benefits of working with some of the best community bankers, I think, in the state, and hopefully as I continue my career path, I can do those folks justice.

Where would someone find you on the weekends?

With my family. Hopefully on the golf course every once in a while. I’ve got a 17-year-old and a 2-and-a-half-year-old, so there’s always something going on.

Are there other clubs or activities you’re involved with?

I’ll be the Rotary [Club of Ankeny] president in July and then I’m slated to be the Ankeny Chamber [of Commerce] president in 2010. I think community bankers are expected to be leaders in those civic organizations, and I take that very seriously.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

In high school, a girl I was dating, her family ran a turkey farm, so we would have to get up at 3 in the morning and go corral turkeys onto a semi. The smell was bad, the dust was bad. It was pretty miserable.