Lea B. Olsen Named to Bank’s Board of Directors
6/3/2021 4:05:00 PM
Bell Bank is excited to welcome Lea B. Olsen of Minneapolis, who is joining our board of directors in June. Lea is Bell Bank’s first board member from the Twin Cities, where we have been steadily expanding our banking footprint for the past decade.
“Lea has such an impressive professional background and skillset,” says Michael Solberg, Bell Bank president and CEO. “We are excited to partner with her and benefit from her experience and guidance at the board level. One of the things that first drew us to Lea was not only her roots in the Twin Cities and the region, but also the way she thinks about success – as she puts it, finding your win – while remaining true to your values. As our company grows and expands, one of our greatest challenges is to continue to authentically connect with people through our core values to grow our business and have a lasting impact. Lea fits right in with that philosophy, and she’ll bring her own insights to her interactions with Bell Bank’s leadership and our team members.”
About Lea Olsen
Lea played basketball at the University of Minnesota, then launched her career in sports journalism. She has been a broadcaster for ESPN covering the WNBA, a game analyst for the Minnesota Lynx, and a television sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Bally Sports North, along with college and high school games. She is also a motivational speaker who founded Rethink the Win in 2015 with the goal of preserving the fun in youth sports while teaching athletes and professionals alike how they can apply sports lessons to the real world.
“The most important lesson I have learned from my career in sports and business is that culture is critical for success,” Lea comments. “As I have built relationships at Bell Bank, I witnessed firsthand Bell’s mission of ‘Happy Employees! Happy Customers!’ It resonated with me and my value system of empowering people through opportunities. I’m incredibly proud of growing up on the south side of Minneapolis and representing the state as a Minnesota Gopher, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to serve my community. As a Bell Bank board member I’m excited to provide my unique perspective at this pivotal point in the company’s growth.”
Bell Bank in the Twin Cities
Bell Bank’s expansion in the Twin Cities began in 2011, when what was then State Bank & Trust acquired Bell Mortgage, a company originally founded by early Minneapolis civic leader David C. Bell in 1880. We opened our first Twin Cities banking location, Minneapolis – Colonnade, in 2012, rebranded as Bell Bank, and added full-service banks in Woodbury, Stillwater, Maple Grove and Forest Lake, and loan production/deposit production offices in Bloomington and White Bear Lake.
Our newest full-service Twin Cities bank opened recently in City Center as part of continued development in downtown Minneapolis, and our Bloomington – Bell Plaza office will become a full-service banking location this summer.
“Lea has such an impressive professional background and skillset,” says Michael Solberg, Bell Bank president and CEO. “We are excited to partner with her and benefit from her experience and guidance at the board level. One of the things that first drew us to Lea was not only her roots in the Twin Cities and the region, but also the way she thinks about success – as she puts it, finding your win – while remaining true to your values. As our company grows and expands, one of our greatest challenges is to continue to authentically connect with people through our core values to grow our business and have a lasting impact. Lea fits right in with that philosophy, and she’ll bring her own insights to her interactions with Bell Bank’s leadership and our team members.”
About Lea Olsen
Lea played basketball at the University of Minnesota, then launched her career in sports journalism. She has been a broadcaster for ESPN covering the WNBA, a game analyst for the Minnesota Lynx, and a television sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Bally Sports North, along with college and high school games. She is also a motivational speaker who founded Rethink the Win in 2015 with the goal of preserving the fun in youth sports while teaching athletes and professionals alike how they can apply sports lessons to the real world.
“The most important lesson I have learned from my career in sports and business is that culture is critical for success,” Lea comments. “As I have built relationships at Bell Bank, I witnessed firsthand Bell’s mission of ‘Happy Employees! Happy Customers!’ It resonated with me and my value system of empowering people through opportunities. I’m incredibly proud of growing up on the south side of Minneapolis and representing the state as a Minnesota Gopher, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to serve my community. As a Bell Bank board member I’m excited to provide my unique perspective at this pivotal point in the company’s growth.”
Bell Bank in the Twin Cities
Bell Bank’s expansion in the Twin Cities began in 2011, when what was then State Bank & Trust acquired Bell Mortgage, a company originally founded by early Minneapolis civic leader David C. Bell in 1880. We opened our first Twin Cities banking location, Minneapolis – Colonnade, in 2012, rebranded as Bell Bank, and added full-service banks in Woodbury, Stillwater, Maple Grove and Forest Lake, and loan production/deposit production offices in Bloomington and White Bear Lake.
Our newest full-service Twin Cities bank opened recently in City Center as part of continued development in downtown Minneapolis, and our Bloomington – Bell Plaza office will become a full-service banking location this summer.