Tricia Buehne, Vice President, First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust

By KATE GENO
    Tricia Buehne of First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust is an ideal example of how dedication to one’s profession and hands-on training can lead to success in the business world.
    As a child, Buehne enjoyed math and recalls playing the role of bank teller with friends. She always knew that banking was the natural choice for her career. She was raised on a dairy farm in St. Rose and after graduating from high school, she pursued a position at a local bank to obtain experience. First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust hired her as a part-time teller and proof operator. She then graduated to the loans department and is now a vice president at the bank.
    Buehne has spent 16 years with First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust. In her current role as a mortgage lender at the Highland branch, she is able to work with all types of people from young families to retired persons.
    “It is exciting to help people buy their own home,” said Buehne. “They are so excited and it makes me happy to work with them. I have met so many people through my job and have had the chance to develop many relationships.”
    Buehne’s position requires her to stay up to date on new programs that are released, especially those relating to FHA, IHDA and RD mortgages. Her thirst for learning doesn’t stop there. She is now gaining experience in the commercial lending department, helping with consumer loans, and pitching in when needed on loan administration and daily operations at the bank.
    “My goal is to develop a reputation as a knowledgeable person in the industry so I can better meet the needs of my customers,” said Buehne. “In my opinion, that means keeping up my training and being flexible to meet clients wherever and whenever is best for them.”
    Buehne has always worked with women in senior management positions at First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, so she is confident there is room to grow and there are many opportunities available to women.
    First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust is very involved in the community. Buehne says the culture motivated her to volunteer her own time to local organizations. She is a board member and ambassador for the Highland Chamber of Commerce; an executive board member and senator for the Illinois Jaycees; a member of the community involvement committee for the Greater Gateway Association of Realtors; and a member of the Realtor Association of Southwestern Illinois.
    First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust was awarded a Bauer 5-star financial rating and ranked in the top 200 community banks in the nation by American Banker. First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Mattoon, Ill., is the parent company of First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust, N.A.; Mid-Illinois Data Services, Inc.; and First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust Insurance Group. Over its long history — the bank was first chartered in 1865 — it has grown into an over $1.5 billion community-focused organization that provides financial services through a network of 38 locations in 25 Illinois communities.