April 6, 2011

Nichol Beckstrand, chief operating officer for St. Paul-based Sunrise Community Banks, has won a “40 Under 40” Award from the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal magazine.

Beckstrand, formerly a principal in the financial institutions group at Larson Allen Weishair & Company, has been with Sunrise Community Banks for five years. In her role as COO, Nichol oversees all of Sunrise’s operations as well as those of its affiliate banks: Franklin Bank in Minneapolis and Park Midway and University Banks in Saint Paul. Beckstrand was chosen as a “40 Under 40” honoree for her role in leading two acquisition efforts – Franklin Bank’s purchase of EastBank and University Bank’s recent purchase of a branch of Rosemount National Bank on the East Side of St. Paul. She was also instrumental in Sunrise’s efforts to help Somali businesses and families who couldn’t find regional banks willing to provide remittance services to Somalia. Nichol epitomizes the Sunrise mission to be “The Leader in Improving Our Urban Community” through her commitment to volunteerism and developing products for underserved families.

Sunrise Community Banks is a locally-owned family of three nationally chartered banks totaling over $600 million in assets. To learn more about Sunrise Community Banks please visit us at www.sunrisebanks.com.

About Sunrise Banks: Sunrise Banks, N.A., based in St. Paul, Minnesota, strives to be the most innovative bank empowering financial wellness. Sunrise is certified by the U.S. Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a designation earned by approximately 100 banks nationwide. Sunrise Banks is also a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, a public benefit corporation and a certified B Corp for its demonstrated commitment to transparent corporate governance and positive community impact. Learn more at SunriseBanks.com, on Twitter @SunriseBanks, or on Facebook. Member FDIC.