Samantha Tabert, Vice President and Commercial Banker at Alliance Bank

Samantha Tabert never expected to become a banker. While she didn’t grow up on a family farm, as a teenager, she did show horses in 4H and help out on a friend’s farm picking strawberries and feeding animals. A natural animal lover, she opted to major in animal sciences at Michigan State University and soon became involved with the university’s Rodeo Club.

“I helped put on the Spring Stampede Rodeo,” said Samantha, who organized and coordinated the event, finding it a perfect blend of comradery and horses. She job-shadowed several large animal veterinarians, though she didn’t foresee herself becoming a vet. Instead, she figured that her agribusiness management minor and experience with events might propel her into ag extension, but a summer internship at a community bank completely changed her direction.

“Banking helps business owners grow,” said Samantha. “I never realized how much value you can add to a farmer’s operation and how you can become a trusted advisor for them.”

A love of numbers and a passion for community has made the job into a career for Samantha, who also grows corn and soybeans with her husband, a second-generation farmer in Benton and Warren counties in Indiana.

We recently spoke with Samantha about building relationships, her love of numbers and why keeping an open mind, especially when it comes to careers, can be beneficial.

Geswein Farm & Land (GFL): What do you do as a commercial banker?

Samantha Taber (ST): I work on the lending side mainly and I work mainly with family farms, and I also do a lot in the commercial real estate space as well. Being right outside of West Lafayette, we do quite a bit in Tippecanoe County as well, and I actually do quite a bit in Indianapolis, too. When it comes to working with agricultural producers, I sit down with people on an annual basis, and we talk through financials. I think that it’s important for any farmer to be able to have somebody to sit down and kind of coach them. Farmers wear so many hats. I love being able to sit down them and talk through their numbers on an annual basis.

GFL: What’s a typical day like for you?

ST: My days range from visiting with farmers, business and investor clients, completing site visits, underwriting and studying numbers helping our credit team make sure we have the most accurate information, coaching clients whether farmers, business owners or investors on what their numbers are telling us today and what the trends mean so they have the right knowledge and tools to make decisions for their operations moving forward. I try to keep up with education and market updates as well attending conferences, events and webinars. There’s a lot more travel than I expected in the position, but that is one of the reasons I do love what I do – no day is the same. I could be working from home underwriting and creating reports and the next meeting with a farmer at their farm, visiting a potential rental property with an investor, meeting a business owner in office and helping a client close at a title company the next.

GFL: What do you do on a site visit?

ST: Site visits are different depending on where you are going. On the farming side, it’s to show them we care, build relationships and notate collateral is on-site and in good condition. Heading to a rental property, it’s good to note that the property is in good condition without any water or fire damage since you last saw it or major deferred maintenance, and if there are any environmental concerns like a possible gas station next door that could require some additional due diligence on our part. We also stop out to monitor that construction loans are staying on track and continuing to be completed whether bins, tool sheds or multifamily housing, etc.

GFL: What’s the best thing about your job?

ST: I love being able to help coach and provide feedback and advice on people’s financials. People will come to us unsure sometimes even how to create a balance sheet. Being able to talk that through with them and teach them – and I love being able to get creative in how we finance. It’s my favorite thing about working for a community bank. They allow that flexibility that sometimes larger institutions aren’t able to obtain. So, whether it’s getting creative on terms on a for a real estate deal to where maybe it helps with amortization or however we can find a way that makes it work for the client’s needs and the bank’s needs. Just being able to get creative and figure out the best term structure that could help with the client and works with the bank’s needs. I love the creative aspect of it.

GFL: What type of professional skills would you say someone needs to have to be in the position that you’re in?

ST: Having empathy and having the ability to talk to people. A lot of this is a sales position, but it’s also about building relationships, especially long-term relationships. You also need to be detail-oriented and understand the numbers side of things and have a passion for numbers. We still have balance sheets. On a lot of the days, we’re diving through cash flows and figuring out why there’s discrepancies in numbers. Being willing to dive in and truly understand those is what makes an overall well-rounded lender and makes you enjoy what you do. If you have a passion for people and you have a passion for understanding financials, lending is a really great opportunity for you.

GFL: What advice would you give someone who may want to go into the same industry or is new to the industry?

ST: I think, especially for like college-aged students or somebody who’s even in high school, when they’re not sure of all of the different areas that they could go into, it’s best to keep an open mind. You never know what opportunities could fall into your lap. Banking was definitely not even on my radar when I first started out. And it just kind of happened that way. And it’s become something that I’m very passionate about. And I’m glad that I had kept an open mind and was willing to try new things because I really did find something that I truly enjoy.

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