Tom Pennings joins the bank as Sr. Vice President – Chief Commercial Banking Officer. In this new role, he will oversee the commercial lending functions of the bank and join the executive management team while continuing to serve his own portfolio of business customers. Pennings brings 30 years of extensive banking expertise from financial institutions, most recently with Investors Community Bank. He’s a life-long resident of the Fox Valley and has a strong history of developing meaningful relationships with business owners in the area. Pennings is looking forward to helping small and mid-size businesses grow and thrive in our local economy through the community-focused offerings of Wolf River Community Bank. He holds a Bachelor’s in Finance from UW-Oshkosh and is a long-time member of the Appleton West Rotary. He has been a volunteer for Junior Achievement for over 20 years and is a former board member for JA-Winnebago Area. Pennings enjoys golf and is a member of Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two adult children.

Karl Spaay joins the bank as Asst. Vice President – Credit Operations Manager, where he will oversee the credit department and loan operations of the bank. Spaay started his career in community banking over ten years ago and has been a credit analyst, financial advisor, and most recently, Asst. Vice President – Business Credit Manager for Investors Community Bank. He graduated from UW-Oshkosh with majors in economics and finance. He is looking forward to being a part of a community bank that supports local businesses and nonprofits. As an outdoorsman, he appreciates Wolf River Community Bank’s history of supporting conservation organizations, such as Mosquito Hill Nature Center and Shadows on the Wolf, in addition to their annual volunteering for Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup. Spaay lives in Wrightstown with his wife. They enjoy hiking, fishing, and kayaking and have a goal to visit all of the state parks in Wisconsin. Spaay is a hobby woodworker and listens to a wide array of podcasts.

“We’re honored to welcome these two well-known and highly respected bankers onto our team,” said Jason Bloxham, Executive Vice President – Chief Lending Officer at Wolf River Community Bank. “It’s our goal to provide businesses throughout the Fox Valley with the highest level of service in a community bank setting.  Tom and Karl will help us do exactly that.”