On August 25^th, 2023, our long-time president and owner, John Kujawa, was inducted into the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s Wall of Excellence at the 2023 Leaders in Banking Excellence ceremony.

The 2023 Leaders in Banking Excellence honors current and former banking leaders who have helped shape their bank and/or our state’s banking industry.

The Wall of Excellence is located in WBA’s Engagement Center, where thousands of bankers view it each year. The information on each honoree’s plaque gives today’s bankers a glimpse of those who have helped make our industry what it is today.

John’s plaque was accepted by his children, Paul, Catherine, and Elizabeth, as they attended the event alongside their family.

John’s plaque reads as followed:

‘“You can’t change the world, but you can change the world around you.” These were the words by which John Kujawa, president emeritus of Farmers & Merchants Bank in Berlin, lived.

After returning from serving his country in the army for two years, John began working at the bank his father had founded 21 years prior. It meant a great deal to John to work side by side with his father and later continue the family tradition with three of his children and eventually some of his grandchildren. Farmers & Merchants Bank was designed to be a place where farmers felt comfortable coming in straight from the fields to do their banking business, and the welcoming family environment extended to the bank’s customers, employees, and community.

In his more than 60-year time at the bank, John never missed an opportunity to support, encourage, and “scholarship” the people of his community. Whether that was assisting with the education and athletics of young people in school, donating to local and national charitable organizations and events, or helping someone fulfill their dream, John was always there to lend a hand and provide support. Farmers, teachers, business owners, doctors, and many more got their start because John believed in them. John’s leadership in his profession and his philanthropy served as an inspiration, and his impact will reverberate for generations to come.”