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Gill rose to head teller and assistant branch manager. At the urging of her first bank supervisor, an interest in commercial lending became a career pursuit.
Gill started business administration classes at the University of Maryland but before too long,
Gill's home life was about to go through some changes. She had married and her new husband was in the military. The military career brought them to England, where she continued her college studies and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. The next move took them to Rapid City, ., where Gill landed a commercial lending position with Rushmore Bank & Trust. She now calls the Black Hills of South Dakota home.
Gill is proud of her bank's high profile in the community. She enjoys the community involvement and feels that "it's important for employees to give back to the community." She encourages young women to look at banking as a career, and recommends a college degree in order to progress within the industry. She notes that summer interns at the bank are usually college students who have studied bookkeeping and insurance.
When asked about her tough assignments and challenges, she recalls the numerous workout loan situations she has faced over the years.
"In banking as in life, good people skills and ambition will help you get ahead," she says, "and it helps to be a team player." She notes that role models are important. "They help develop future leaders," she adds.
Her sense of adventure is evident in her work. "Barbara has loads of energy," says Martha Rodriquez, a city council member in Rapid City. "She gets people motivated, gets them involved. She's willing to try new things."
Gill will need to draw from that reserve as the new president of United Downtown Association in Rapid City, where she works with business managers, provides support to new business owners and encourages people to take a chance and start the new business they've dreamed of. Tracy
Manning-Egge, retail banking manager at Rushmore Bank & Trust, says "Barbara serves on the bank's senior loan committee and is an integral force in our commercial lending department. She has been recognized by the bank as a Woman of Distinction." Gill also is a member of the Women's Network and is a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.
Barbara's high energy level and sense of adventure has taken her to Alaska on several occasions. She enjoys hiking, charter halibut fishing and river fishing for salmon. She recalls the towns of Anchorage, Kenai, Homer and Seward like they were just down the road from nearby Deadwood, Lead or Spearfish in the Hills of western South Dakota. She recalls the beauty of Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula as breathtaking. Gill has enjoyed February dog sledding near Talkeetna on the frozen Susitna River, north of Anchorage, but her favorite adventure is fishing the Kenai River for the trophy king and silver salmon so common to the area.
And Gill's commitment to starting up a successful singles group in town (currently more than 60 members), and organizing the longest line dance in an effort to break the world's record (resulting in more than 3,000 dancers showing up) are other stories entirely.
By Michael Hohmann
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