RIVER FALLS — After about nine years as chairman of the First National Bank of River Falls Board, Sandy Smith Wurm officially retired. Bank President and CEO Jeff Johnson will take over in the role of chairman, and Polly Smith Stafford will assume Johnson’s role of vice chairman.

Through all the changes, Smith Wurm will become a non-voting member (director emeritus) on the board.

“As far as what this means to our community, I guess, or to the bank, really not a whole lot has changed,” Johnson said. “Certainly the way we do business will stay the same. We will do everything we can to support our community.”

Smith Wurm joined the board in 1992 and took the chair position in 2016. The bank has been operating under the fifth generation of Smith family ownership since the early 1900s, according to Johnson. Sandy and Polly are two of five sisters that continue to lead in the community representing the Smith family.

“[Sandy] was involved pretty heavily in managing our charitable giving,” Johnson said. “Was really involved in the community… She kind of carried on her, not just the philanthropy, but volunteerism from her father.”

Her father, David Smith, now has the UWRF football stadium named after him after a life of community contributions.

“I just want to basically keep their legacy intact,” Johnson said. “Continue the legacy that they’ve set forth for the last five generations, which is community first. Without our community, we don’t have anything as a bank.”

Johnson became president and CEO of the bank in 2009, overseeing $325 million in assets. He has previously served as chair of the River Falls Community Foundation Board, vice president and founding director of the River Falls High School Athletic Booster Club and treasurer for River Falls Boys Youth Basketball. He was also previously named River Falls Citizen of the Year.

Johnson plans to stay involved in the community for his time as chairman.

“It’s important that we’re here as a community bank,” Johnson said. “I’ve been in banking for 38 years now. Typically the community banks are one of your pillars of small towns, and I’ve seen a lot of cases where community banks have left, or been bought… When that happens, a lot of the philanthropy goes away, a lot of the volunteerism of the employees kind of subsides.”

Johnson said remaining in the community for another 120 years will be a two-way road between community support and the bank giving back to the customers and community.

“It’s certainly my goal and our goal to make sure that, hopefully, we’re around for another 120 years,” Johnson said.