Cody Bateman

Born and raised in Evanston, Wyoming, Mr. Bateman graduated with a degree in Accounting from Utah State University in 2000 and promptly embarked on a career in banking at First National Bank, a local financial institution. Beginning his journey as an Assistant Controller and IT Officer, he expanded his skills over the next two years by stepping into the role of a consumer loan officer at the same institution. After a short stint in lending, an abrupt departure from the Bank's previous CFO allowed Mr. Bateman the opportunity to serve in the CFO position at the Bank only 2½ years after beginning his banking career. In his new position, Mr. Bateman was able to work closely with federal and state regulators, including the OCC, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the State of Wyoming Division of Banking. He also served as the primary contact for the bank's external audit firm and the head of the information technology and operations departments for all eight branches. During his tenure, Mr. Bateman played an instrumental role in the opening of two new branch locations, expanding the bank from 6 to 8 branches. He oversaw federal financial reporting, tax preparation, SOX implementation (post-Glacier Bancorp acquisition), and strategic planning. When he began, the bank held $125MM in assets; when he left, it held just over $450MM. In 2008, Bateman became CFO of Uinta Bank. Under the leadership of Bateman and his team (including now-President Jon Dolezal), assets grew from under $25MM to nearly $200MM, loans grew from under $5MM to $65MM, and the bank's regulatory reputation dramatically improved. He also completed the Colorado Graduate School of Banking and served on Uinta Bank's Board of Directors. After expanding into commercial real estate and retail investments, Bateman led the acquisition of State Bank in 2021 alongside regulators at the State of Wyoming, FDIC, FRB, and the bank's legal team. He assembled a board committed to serving without compensation until the institution returned to profitability. Under his leadership, State Bank has removed its Consent Order, returned to profitability for the first time since 2016, increased assets from $31.11MM to $52.69MM, grown loans from $10.38MM to $37.72MM, and carried out modernization across operations, security, and customer experience. Bateman has served on numerous boards, including the Evanston Housing Authority, Evanston Parks & Recreation Board, Evanston Youth Club, Wyoming State Liquor Association, BEAR Project, and The Lodging Tax Board. Mr. Bateman emphasizes community engagement, regulatory excellence, and customer-centric decision-making as CEO of State Bank.