Michael J. Clampitt is a new member of the Indiana Bankers Association Board of Directors. He joins the Board by merit of his new position as president of the IBA Future Leadership Division Advisory Board. Clampitt is senior vice president, commercial banking at North Salem State Bank.

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?

My first job was working at my father’s Pizza King, waiting tables and making pizza starting at age 10. I learned how to talk to people, manage my time and make sure people leave satisfied with their product and service.

Who has inspired you, and how?

Professionally, John Colvin, the current chairman of our board and retired president of my bank. I don’t make this comment in hopes of personal gain. I have banked at North Salem State Bank since I was 1. I would go to the bank every Monday with my father for that week’s business deposit. If I had new boots on, I would barge into Mr. Colvin’s office and show them to him. If I was playing basketball, he would offer me $1 for every free throw I made.

Later in life, I asked why we drove past so many other banks to deposit our money. My parents said, “When we were 18 and recently married, Mr. Colvin was the only banker who would give us a car loan so we could go to work.” For that reason, after college, I decided to work for Mr. Colvin. I hope I can make a similar impact on one of my customers.

What drew you to banking?

I was in my junior year at Indiana State University’s Scott College of Business when my grandfather passed away. The funeral was attended by a lot of NSSB employees, and I was eager to recite everything that I learned at business school. I had just finished a money and banking class, so I talked to all the NSSB management in attendance about things going on in the banking world. John Colvin called my mother’s office the next day and said, “You tell Michael that he needs to be a banker and to call me when he graduates.” That day, I decided to take some finance classes and become a banker.

What advice do you have for those starting careers in banking?

Learn as much as you can at the beginning of your career. If you are talking with a veteran banker, listen to what they are saying. If you don’t understand what they are talking about, get to a class and learn about it. Customers depend on their bankers to help them make informed decisions about their financial well-being.

What do you do for fun when not working?

I like to golf, fish, hunt and coach my two boys in sports. My in-laws live on a lake, so I am definitely NOT a guy who hates going to the in-laws’ for a weekend.

If you weren’t a banker, what would you be?

I would probably be a police officer or prosecuting attorney. In my teenage years, the small-town marshal would let me ride along during his shift. He would let me play with the night vision goggles, use the radar gun and run the sirens. It created the “itch” to become a police officer one day.

What’s one item on your bucket list?

I want to see the northern lights in person. I have always been mesmerized by them and hope to travel north one day to see them.

Please share a bit about family/home life.

I have been married to my best friend, Lauren, for eight years. She is a special education teacher at our local school.

We have two boys — Gavin, 6, and Cooper, 4. My favorite thing to do right now is coach the boys in sports. My wife and I coach the boys in soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis and golf. Basketball is likely our favorite sport as a family. We live in a rural community and are surrounded by woods, so the boys like to take their four-wheelers and power wheels in the woods and break things.

I am heavily involved in our local economic development commission and serve on the Dean’s Executive Council at the Indiana State University Scott College of Business.