As INB gears up to open a new branch location in Bloomington-Normal, we’ve added a new commercial lender to the team.

With more than 10 years of lending experience, Chris Thoennes, our new vice president, commercial lending, has the knowledge needed to help business clients achieve their financial goals. He has managed relationships in small business, middle-market, and government sectors, always working to help his clients enhance efficiencies, remain competitive, and grow their business. He has experience in financial analysis and credit risk management.

Chris’s knowledge of the community plays an equally important role when he’s working with a customer. He has first-hand experience with a number of community organizations and currently serves on the Junior Achievement of McLean County Board of Directors. His earlier role in the organization was going into the schools and teaching the JA curriculum. “I really enjoyed teaching,” he says. “So that’s why I’m still very active. Financial literacy is so important, but it’s something that’s not usually emphasized in schools. JA makes sure all young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background, are given the chance to learn the fundamentals.”

In addition to his work with JA, Chris is a past board member and membership chair of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce NEXT Professionals, and he is especially proud of the substantial growth the organization realized during his term. He has also been a volunteer and fundraiser for a number of not-for-profit organizations, including United Way, The Baby Fold, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, and the Great Plains Life Foundation.

College Connections Establish Career Track

Chris has a marketing degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During his senior year in college, he began networking with a number of B-N business people, one of which was a commercial banker. This connection assisted him with landing a job as a personal banker. Three years later he moved to small business banking and, eventually, transitioned to commercial banking.

Chris joined INB because he was attracted to the bank’s customer promise, “We Make Banking Easy.” He says, “I’ve seen INB staff put this in action. Being easy to work with is what sets us apart from other banks. Our size gives us the ability to anticipate and respond quickly to our clients’ needs, and at the same time, we are well-positioned to compete against all banks – large or small. Further, our senior management and board members are here in Central Illinois, and everyone on our team is committed to working together to offer our clients the best possible solutions.

And as someone born and raised in Bloomington-Normal, he has a vested interest in the area’s continued success. Today, he and his wife are raising their three children in the community that Chris proudly calls “a great place to live, raise a family, have fun, and do business in.”