About North Star Bank

History

In an area that seemed far north of the St. Paul city proper, a group of local businessmen saw a need for banking services. The area was made up mostly of farm and prairie land plus land owned by the University of Minnesota. But these businessmen saw the potential for future growth. The first stockholders meeting of Falcon Heights State Bank was held on January 13, 1947. On February 3, 1947, Falcon Heights State Bank opened in a shopping center on the southeast corner of Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues.

By 1969, the bank had outgrown its facilities and began an ambitious expansion and relocation plan. Property was sought that could accommodate a financial institution with the most modern and up-to-date banking concepts – including electronic drive-up facilities. After two years of hard work, the bank moved into a new 15,000 square-foot facility at 1820 North Lexington Avenue in Roseville. The “Bank in the Round” was constructed to conserve and improve upon the beauty of the area and become the “Bank in the Park.” Along with the move came a new name – the North Star State Bank of Roseville.

In September of 1985, North Star State Bank again remodeled its facilities to meet the needs of a growing customer base. The bank was completed in July of 1986. On March 24, 1989, the bank opened its first branch office in a temporary facility in White Bear Lake.
On October 9, 1990, North Star State Bank of Roseville officially changed its name to North Star Bank. A beautiful new building was built to house the White Bear Lake office. It was opened August of 1991.

2004, North Star Bank is very fortunate, once again, to meet the needs of a growing customer base by remodeling the Roseville bank. The remodeled bank is a wonderful place to continue serving the community we’ve been a part of for more than 70 years.

 Commercial Lenders

Jack Ritt Chairman of the Board/Chief Executive Officer	Jack graduated from Cretin in 1959 and went on to graduate from Georgetown University in 1963 with a BSBA in Economics and Marketing. With over 59 years in the banking industry my passion is helping others realize the vision they have for their family, education and business. I would be pleased to introduce you to my colleagues, and I personally invite you to “experience the difference, experience North Star Bank”.
Lane Peterson President of North Star Bank	A graduate of Concordia College- Moorhead and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, with over 30 years of experience in community banking and experienced in all areas of commercial lending and bank management.
Frank Fuller Senior Vice President, Commercial Loan Manager (651) 487-4403 [email protected]	A graduate of St. Cloud State University with over 30 years of banking experience, Frank has an extensive commercial lending background along with executive bank management experience. He is a customer advocate and provides guidance to his customers along with proper financing to ensure a high probability of success for his client base.
Steve Ritt Vice President, Commercial Lending [email protected]	Steve has been in the Commercial Lending Department at North Star Bank since 2002. He is a graduate of St. Cloud State University and earned Cum Laude honors while achieving a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Marketing. He currently serves as the Banks Chief Investment Officer and helps facilitate loans of all types. Steve volunteers his time at the Century College Foundation, where he serves as President, and is a member on several other committees including the Alumni association.
Jon Stow Senior Vice President, Senior Commercial Lender (651) 762-7380 [email protected]	With 25 years of Residential and Commercial lending experience, Jon is well versed in all types of Commercial Lending, specializing in Commercial Real Estate and Small Business Administration Loans. Jon has a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls and a Bachelor’s degree from Augsburg College. Jon has worked extensively with business customers throughout the Twin   Cities and Western Wisconsin. Jon is active with Business Networking International and volunteers his time with Junior Achievement & Rotary International.
David Lameyer Vice President, Commercial Lending (651) 487-4419 [email protected]	David is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and has over 20 years of experience as a commercial lender. As a commercial banker, David has worked hard to be a true partner to all of his clients and has helped grow   many different businesses throughout the Twin Cities. He has always been involved in the community and is presently on the board of East Side Neighborhood Development Company and the 622 Education Foundation. He has served on two capital campaigns building the Hmong American Partnership and the Arlington Hills Community Center. David looks forward to meeting you and helping your business grow.
Brian Williams Vice President, Commercial Lending (651) 487-4413 [email protected]	Brian is a graduate of Bemidji State University. He has over 35 years of banking experience. Brian has 30 years of experience in commercial lending and 11 years experience in bank management. Brian has experience in commercial real estate, equipment, SBA and asset-based lending.  One of his favorite quotes from a customer is, “Brian is my banker and partner. I don’t make a major decision without talking to him first.”
Brad Garnes Vice President, Commercial Lending (651) 487-4425 [email protected]	Brad is a trusted business advisor who has over 32 years of banking experience. He has 13 years of experience working with commercial clients in surety bond underwriting and 19 years in commercial lending and banking roles. Brad graduated from St. Cloud State University and currently serves as a middle-school youth mentor with the Hope For Tomorrow program.
Sarah Kortmansky Vice President, Commercial Lending (651) 487-4414 [email protected]	Sarah is deeply committed to helping businesses and people thrive. She builds trusting, collaborative relationships and is fanatical about honest banking and win-win scenarios. Sarah brings over 20 years of commercial banking experience working with start-ups, small businesses, middle-market companies and non-profits. She holds a BA in Economics from NYU an MBA from UMass Amherst and completed the Graduate School of Banking, UW Madison.
Shane Herbert  Sr. Credit Analyst/Commercial Lender (651) 487-4433 [email protected]	A graduate of Forest Lake High School and St. Mary's University of Minnesota, Shane has 8 years of experience in business/personal finance. Shane believes in building strong trusted relationships with his customers and is dedicated to finding the best solution for their business needs. Shane and his wife, have 3 kids and 2 dogs. Outside of work you'll most likely find Shane on the ice, as he has been a youth hockey coach for 10 years.