Jerry Jacobson, president of Northwestern Bank of Chippewa Falls, has been named 2023 Wisconsin Banker of the Year by the Wisconsin Bankers Association. An award ceremony was held February 8, 2024 in Wisconsin Dells. “On behalf of our Association it is my honor to congratulate Jerry on earning this recognition” said Rose Oswald Poels, WBA president and CEO. “He is a highly accomplished yet humble individual who leads by example in his bank, in his community, and at the state and national levels of the banking industry.”
A Chippewa Falls native, Jerry earned his degree in Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, then furthered his education in Chicago where he earned his MBA in Finance. He joined Northwestern Bank in 1978 and in the 45 years since, has served the bank as a teller, auditor, cashier, executive vice president, and president. He has been president of the bank since 1998. Northwestern Bank, founded in 1904, is based in Chippewa Falls with branches in Altoona (River Prairie), Lafayette, Boyd, Cornell and Thorp.
Jerry has a strong passion for philanthropic giving, community engagement, and strengthening the future of the Chippewa Valley. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, one of 12 Federal Reserve districts, and has recently been named to the regional task force formed in response to the upcoming hospital closures in the Chippewa Valley. Jerry and his wife, Mary Jacobson, are active in many civic and community organizations including the Community Foundation of Chippewa County, and Blugold Beginnings which is a program to help underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation students to attend UW-Eau Claire. Jerry has taken on leadership roles with organizations including the Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Chippewa Falls Business Improvement District. In speaking of the award, Jerry commented “this honor could only have been achieved with the support of all my fellow employees and Board members (past and present). The employees and Directors of NB are the reason that our customers and communities can enjoy a better life through our work at Northwestern Bank. I am proud to be a colleague of everyone and share this award with the entire Bank. Thanks for all you do for Northwestern Bank.”
The Wisconsin Bankers Association, based in Madison, was founded in 1892 and is the state’s largest financial industry trade association, representing more than 200 commercial banks and savings institutions. The Wisconsin Banker of the Year Award, which began in 1986, is presented to one Wisconsin banker each year in recognition of outstanding service to their bank, to the vitality of their community, and to the banking profession.
