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On Jan. 27, Kevin Paulsen retired from his job as community bank president at First Bank and Trust in Pipestone after about 18 years in that position and about 29 years total at the bank.
“It was a little surreal at first, but something that I had been preparing myself for and I was ready,” said the 65-year-old. “I’m healthy. I wanted to be able to enjoy some things and just take time to relax and spend more time with family and grandkids. We have a lot of grandkids right here in town who we get to watch. Five of my six are right here in town and they’re all very active and involved in a lot of stuff, so we’ll spend a lot of time watching them.”
A retirement open house was held for Kevin Paulsen on Jan. 27 when he retired as community bank president at First Bank and Trust in Pipestone. Paulsen has also stepped back from many of the community organizations and activities that have been a large part of his life for many years. Contributed photo
Paulsen’s wife of 44 years, Barb, retired a little over a year ago from her job as a paraprofessional at Pipestone Area Schools (PAS). Paulsen prepared for his retirement by gradually stepping back from many of the organizations and activities he’s been involved with in the community.
Over the last four decades, he’s been involved with the Pipestone County Cattlemen’s Association, PAS School Board, Pipestone County Fair Board, Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce, Pipestone Area Community Foundation, Pipestone Economic Development Authority, Minnesota West Foundation, Pipestone Forward, Southwest Minnesota CEO program, Minnesota State High School League Senate Assembly, Pipestone-Jasper Athletic Hall of Fame and Kiwanis. He’s also coached freshmen basketball, officiated high school basketball and football games, and kept score and served as announcer at basketball games.
“I’ve given it a lot of thought and I probably overdid it a little bit with being involved in so many different things,” Paulsen said.
That being said, Paulsen said he enjoyed being so involved and found it meaningful to help the community any way he could. One thing he noticed through all that community involvement is the collaboration between government entities, businesses and others in the community, which he described as incredible and rewarding.
One example of that collaboration is the effort to clean up blighted properties in the city, which Paulsen was involved with on several levels.
Through his position at First Bank and Trust he had regular communications with Pipestone Veterinary Services (PVS), which had a seat on the bank’s advisory board. That channel of communication and his positions as chairman of the Minnesota West Foundation and the Pipestone EDA fostered conversations that led to the establishment of the city’s blight fund, to which PVS donated $75,000 and other businesses in the community donated another $75,000. Those funds were used to finance a partnership between the EDA, Minnesota West and PAS through which the EDA acquires blighted properties, high school and college students in Minnesota West’s carpentry program renovate the properties and the EDA sells them and uses the proceeds for another renovation project.
Paulsen said that program was one of the highlights of his community involvement.
“That really helped so many different things,” Paulsen said. “It not only cleaned up some blighted properties, but we taught some people some new skills, put a house back on the tax rolls and created home ownership for somebody. That checked a lot of boxes. That’s a program that’s been talked about all over the state and the Midwest really. A lot of communities have contacted Pipestone.”
Another program that he’s particularly proud to have been involved with is the CEO program. The program is an entrepreneur class that gives juniors and seniors in high school access to real-world, real-life opportunities and experiences through area businesses. Area businesses also help fund the program and local business leaders serve as mentors.
“Witnessing the personal growth, the changes they go through during the course of the school year, what they learn, the confidence they build, that’s just really incredibly rewarding watching those young people develop,” Paulsen said.
He remains involved in the CEO Program as a mentor and plans to remain a member of the Kiwanis and First Bank and Trust’s advisory board now that he’s retired.
“That’s enough for now, I think,” Paulsen said.
While he’s stepping back, Paulsen encouraged others to jump in and be actively involved in their community. For him, part of the driving motivation to do that was to create a community where his children would want to live.
“I always wanted to make sure we have things in the community that attract that younger generation to stick around,” Paulsen said. “For continuity and continuation of a community you need people sticking around and moving back home and that sort of thing. It’s always a matter of having those opportunities available.”