Tuley selected for HOF

For nearly half a century, Dean Tuley of Holton has been associated with Denison State Bank, starting as an agricultural lender and working his way up the ladder to president before retiring from the bank in 2016.

But for Tuley, who’s being inducted into the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame this coming February, one of the most important things he learned during his time at the bank was the importance of giving back to the community — and as a result of that giving, he said, the Holton community has given so much back to him, his wife Peggy and their family.

“Peg and I feel like we are truly blessed to have lived, worked and raised our girls in Holton,” he said. “It’s been a great privilege.”

In naming Tuley a member of the Hall of Fame’s class of 2022 — alongside David and Evelyn Allen, Vern and Cari Andrews and Chris Mercer — the Chamber is also recognizing the privilege of having Tuley in the community, serving several organizations including the Jackson County Fair Association, the Holton school board, Holton Parks and Recreation and the Chamber itself.

The importance of community service, Tuley said, was instilled in him by his boss at Denison State Bank and fellow Chamber Hall of Famer, the late Jim Birkbeck, who brought Tuley on board at DSB as an ag lender in 1973.

“Jim and Mary Lou and their family have been very special to Peggy and me,” Tuley said. “I learned from the best. Jim believed in giving back to the community with his support, time, money, involvement and leadership, and he really encouraged his staff to be involved. That’s probably why I became involved with so many organizations — because of him.”

Dean and Peggy Tuley grew up in nearby Effingham and attended Kansas State University, where Dean graduated with a degree in agricultural economics.

“At that time, I grew up in farming, and being an agricultural representative was a pretty prominent thing,” he said. “But I always liked finance, and when I went to K-State, I looked at different options.”

The Tuleys moved to Holton in 1973, and Dean went to work at DSB while Peggy completed her education at Washburn University, getting a degree in elementary education and going on to a fulfilling 27-year career in the Holton school district.

On Birkbeck’s inspiration to get involved in the community, Tuley sought out local service organizations and found the Holton Jaycees, which he said was “a great experience for more than 12 years.” He served in several capacities with the Jaycees, going from treasurer to president.

“We got to meet a lot of young people who were our age at that time, raising families,” he said. “We did a lot of projects… there were a lot of different fund-raisers and a lot of social events in the Jaycee world.”

The Tuley family grew with the addition of two daughters, Taige and Taren, in the 1980s, and Tuley joined the bank’s board of directors in 1981. He also found himself serving as a member of the Jackson County Fair Association’s board of directors, serving as its treasurer at the behest of another Chamber Hall of Famer, the late Homer Clark.

To read the rest of the article, subscribe to The Holton Recorder.