Since 1980, for more than 40 years, we have been supporting and advocating the success of community banks.
Formed in 1980 as a full services noncompeting correspondent bank, Bankers’ Bank of the West provides high-quality products and services as well as deep industry expertise to hundreds of community bank clients in the western states and Great Plains region.
Our community bank clients derive value-added benefits including responsive customer service, problem-solving assistance, and a pricing strategy designed to boost the client bank’s bottom line. Our employees, many of whom have a decade or more of experience in the banking industry, operate out of two locations — BBW’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado, and a field office in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The aim of keeping community banks strong and relevant has driven everything Bankers’ Bank of the West has done since 1980 — and it will remain our purpose for many years to come.
Meet our Executive Team
Click to watch a special message from our president and CEO, Bill Mitchell
William A. Mitchell Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bill has been the president and chief executive officer of BBW since 2007. Earlier in his three-decade banking career, he was the president of two other community banks and a branch manager for a national financial services firm. Bill served on the governor-appointed Colorado State Banking Board for 16 years, including two years as chairman. An active proponent of the nation’s community banks and the industry associations that support them, he is a current member of the Pacific Bankers Management Institute Board and a participant on the American Bankers Association correspondent bank working group. He served as board chairman of the Western States Director Education Foundation before assuming his current role as that organization’s secretary/treasurer. Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in management and organization from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Anne Benigsen
SVP–Chief Information Officer & Chief Information Security Officer
Anne draws on nearly 30 years of experience in the fields of technology, cybersecurity and compliance to ensure the bank’s strategic goals are accomplished effectively. In 2020, she became president of CivITas Bank Solutions, a BBW affiliate that aids community banks with their IT and cybersecurity needs. Before joining BBW, Anne worked in the private and public sectors accruing a broad and deep base of knowledge in her chosen fields. She is a certified information systems security professional in addition to other certifications, and she frequently speaks on information security for both the banking and security industries. Her bachelor’s degree is from Bryn Mawr College.
Jeff Benson
SVP & Chief Operating Officer
In his current role at Bankers’ Bank of the West, Jeff orchestrates new product development and directs all strategic initiatives for the organization. His 19-year tenure with BBW, background in lending and correspondent services, deep understanding of community banks, and knowledge of BBW functions make him uniquely qualified for this leadership role. Jeff’s bachelor’s degree is from Montana State University; he is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. In addition, he is a graduate of the GSBC Executive Development Institute program for C-suite bank officers and a former GSBC Alumni Advisory Board member.
Chris Hill
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
Chris oversees financial reporting, liquidity and funding, safekeeping, and compliance and audit for BBW and its affiliates. Chris launched his community banking career after college, gaining experience in credit, lending, and bank information technology. Today he serves on the boards of directors for the Young Americans Education Foundation and Young Americans Bank, chairs the ABA’s Correspondent Bank Working Group, and is actively involved with the ABA Risk Management School Advisory Board and U.S. Coin Task Force. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Colorado State University and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado; in addition, he completed the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and the ABA Advanced Risk Management programs.
Paul Harrison
SVP & Chief Credit Officer
Paul has played a vital role in credit administration, special assets, and loan underwriting for BBW since 2009. A longtime banker with a strong lending background, Paul also serves as the correspondent services officer for Arizona-based banks. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Bankers Foundation of Colorado, a charitable organization. Paul has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Northern Colorado.
Jim Swanson
President–Bank Strategies LLC
Before becoming president of Bank Strategies LLC, Jim Swanson held the positions of community bank chief credit officer, a director of compliance and manager of loan services for an accounting and bank consulting firm, and a commissioned bank examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In his current role as head of Bank Strategies, which became a Bankers’ Bank of the West company in 2018, Jim brings decades of banking experience, balanced perspective, and highly developed skills to every consulting assignment he undertakes for community bank clients. Jim holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Nebraska.
Debbie Wendt
SVP & Chief Payments Officer
Debbie’s duties include oversight of the bank’s federal funds, and operational functions. She is the BSA and security officer for BBW as well as a member of its information technology and business continuity committees. In 2020, Debbie played a pivotal role in the successful deployment of BRIDGE, a modernized online cash management portal for community banks. She served on the Faster Payments Task Force; she is a current U.S. Faster Payments Council participant and a member of the WesPay payments association board of directors. A graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, she maintains Accredited ACH Professional status.
Scott Wintenburg
SVP & Chief Growth Officer
With 15 years of experience in financial consulting and account management, Scott joined BBW in 2006 as a credit analyst. He was promoted less than two years later to correspondent lender and mentor for the bank’s relationship management team. He became head of BBW’s Bank Card Division in 2019, subsequently taking on the additional duties of business development and production. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Regis University; he graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.