John Sorensen, president and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association, will retire at the end of 2024, the association announced Monday. He will continue leading the organization until the search process for a successor is completed.

Sorensen has 38 years of experience at the state banking association, including 27 as president and CEO.

“The Iowa Bankers Association is a unique 137-year partnership of professional staff and volunteer bankers working for the common good,” Sorensen said in a prepared statement. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from some incredibly talented, hardworking people dedicated to creating jobs and growing Iowa’s economy.”

The Iowa Bankers Association serves 265 member banks with advocacy, workforce development and community bank solutions in insurance, mortgage and regulatory compliance. According to a news release, 98% of Iowa banks are members. Under Sorensen’s leadership, the organization also grew to have the largest staff and most revenue of any state banking association in the U.S., a spokesperson said in an email.

In his career, Sorensen has chaired the national Alliance of State Banking Associations, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin and the Iowa Society of Association Executives. He has served on the boards of the American Bankers Association, Shazam Inc., the Iowa Business Council, the Iowa PBS Foundation, and other community and economic development organizations.

The association has retained the QTI Group, a human resources advisory services firm based in Madison, Wis., to conduct the search for the new president and CEO.