Kelly Hegney never intended to go into banking. Now she can’t imagine working anywhere else.

After studying sociology and psychology at North Dakota State University, Kelly initially thought she might become a social worker. But after graduating, she started working full-time at a bank where she had previously been a teller, and 30 years later, she’s still in the industry.

“I guess it stuck more than I anticipated,” said Kelly, a project specialist and longtime member of Bell’s correspondent banking team.  

Kelly has held numerous roles in her career, including teller and investment assistant with her previous bank, followed by administrative assistant for commercial lenders once she joined Bell 23 years ago. 

Six months after she started at Bell (then known as State Bank of Fargo), Tom Ishaug was hired to develop the correspondent banking department. Kelly transferred to the new team shortly thereafter, and the two have worked together ever since. 

"Kelly is a fantastic teammate and a great ambassador for Bell Bank correspondent banking to all the banks we work with,” said Tom, Bell’s SVP/correspondent banking manager. “We’ve worked together for 23 years, and it’s an ongoing joy to work with her every day.”

In her role, Kelly manages loan logistics with Bell’s correspondent banking network, including both the buying and selling of loan participations. She also helps the correspondent business development teams with troubleshooting issues, provides ongoing communication with community bankers, and attends bank association conventions and meetings. 

She is also heavily involved with planning and organizing Bell’s annual AgViews Live seminar, working closely with Lynn Paulson, Bell’s director of agribusiness development, throughout the year.

“AgViews Live is one of the most fun events we do,” Kelly said. “Even if you have nothing to do with agriculture, you'll still learn a lot from Lynn."

A Rewarding Career

Over the years, Kelly has enjoyed the relationships and friendships she’s built with community bankers in Bell’s correspondent banking network. 

“They’ve become my friends – they're like my co-workers,” Kelly said. 

And her Bell co-workers, she added, are like family. 

“It’s one of those departments where we rarely have turnover. We all get along so well, and we have a really good relationship with everyone on our team,” she said.

Kelly and her correspondent teammates have seen plenty of changes, from the growth of Bell as an organization to larger changes in the banking industry in general.

“The banking world has changed a lot,” Kelly said. “Approvals, processes, documentation – it’s all much different than it used to be.”

And though her career went in a direction she wasn’t expecting, Kelly is happy with the result.

“It’s been a great place to build a career,” she said. “It’s been very rewarding.”