John F. McKinney III says his job as first vice president and assistant counsel for West Bank keeps him on his toes, as he never knows what will happen on any given day. One day, he will help a customer grow a business, get a car or buy a home. The next he might advise the bank on working out a delinquent loan.

McKinney grew up in Des Moines and graduated from Central College in 1994 and from Drake University Law School in 1997. After graduation, his first full-time job was with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. as counsel. He commuted from Des Moines to Grinnell every day, and found that he liked the job, but not the drive. Three years later, he joined West Bank as second vice president and assistant counsel.

According to McKinney, West Bank is locally owned and operated, and has been operating in the Des Moines area for more than 110 years. The company has eight local branches and recently expanded through its acquisition of Iowa City-based Hawkeye State Bank.

“I take great pride in working for a company that cares about being part of the community,” McKinney said. “They encourage involvement in the community as much as their employees want.”

He is a member of the Roosevelt High School Foundation board of directors, and West Bank gives him the time and support necessary to undertake that type of endeavor. His job recently gave him a unique opportunity to help the community. In December, someone stole a trailer containing about $30,000 of marching band instruments from Roosevelt High School. West Bank donated money to help Roosevelt buy new instruments and opened an account to gather more donations. McKinney helped with the fund-raising efforts.

“It was a tragic event for the kids,” he said. “We, with the help of private individuals, were able to raise the necessary funds in a short time. It was great fun to see active community members and businesses come together for a common cause — so high school students could continue with fine arts pursuits. When funding is cut, the fine arts are often the first thing cut, but they’re very important.”