[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 21 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO TERRY R. JORDE ON HER ELECTION AS CHAIRMAN OF THE 
                INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY BANKERS OF AMERICA

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                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2006

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the remarkable 
achievement and leadership of a great North Dakotan, a remarkable 
business CEO and a wonderful woman--Terry R. Jorde. Today on the 
occasion of Terry Jorde's election as chairman of the Independent 
Community Bankers of America, ICBA, we celebrate her service and 
success. Firsts for Jorde are commonplace: She is the first North 
Dakotan and the first woman so honored.
  Terry Jorde is president and CEO of Country Bank USA, a locally owned 
community bank in Cando, ND. Her career embodies the spirit of Cando--a 
town literally named for the ``Can Do'' spirit of the town's founders.
  Terry Jorde started her banking career at age 21 as a teller and 
bookkeeper, and in 11 years she advanced to election as president and 
CEO of the bank. Jorde successfully led the bank through the 
agricultural crisis in the early 1990's, achieving strong growth in 
profitability and diversifying the bank's geographic and revenue base.
  ICBA's election of Terry Jorde as the organization's chairman comes 
in recognition of her service to ICBA members. Independent Community 
Bankers of America is dedicated to enhancing services and values of the 
Nation's community bankers for the benefit of their customers. Locally 
owned community banks are the bankers for municipalities and school 
districts. Community bankers generally know personally many small 
business owners and establish lending relationships with these 
individuals and their businesses. These small businesses, in turn, 
provide the majority of new jobs in our economy.
  Like other community bankers around the Nation, Terry Jorde provides 
tremendous leadership in her communities of Cando and Devils Lake, 
which is critical to economic development and community revitalization. 
In any given week, she might spend 6 hours in a hospital board meeting, 
4 hours in an economic development corporation meeting, and another 4 
hours working with other local community bankers to develop a financial 
incentive package for a potential new business in Cando. She knows that 
community service is an important and cost-effective way to invest her 
time. The vitality of Country Bank depends on the economic success and 
vitality of the local communities of Cando and Devils Lake.

  Jorde has taken that service mission to the national and State 
levels. She has been an important voice for rural America calling for a 
strategic vision that brings together a broad rural coalition of 
various private sector entities, government and educational 
institutions to focus on the many challenges facing our rural 
communities. She has testified before congressional committees and had 
the privilege of being the only active banker to sit on the FDIC's 
Advisory Committee on Banking Policy. Terry is past president of the 
Independent Community Banks of North Dakota and a past member of the 
Federal Reserve Board Consumer Advisory Council. She also served on the 
board of the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions.
  With ICBA, Jorde has served on the Executive Committee as treasurer 
and as chairman of ICBA's Services Network, the holding company that 
oversees the trade association's six for-profit subsidiaries. She has 
also been chairman of ICBA's Securities Corp. and ICBA's Agriculture-
Rural America Committee.
  Terry Jorde is a business development leader, serving on the board of 
the Towner County Economic Development Corp., the Towner County Medical 
Center, the Cando Community Foundation, and the North Dakota 
Development Fund. She is also currently a member of Fannie Mae's 
National Advisory Council.
  Terry Jorde holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University 
of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She and her husband also farm 1,200 
acres of potatoes, and they are the parents of three children.
  North Dakota is very proud that her outstanding leadership skills and 
banking expertise are being recognized with this important national 
association position.

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