FSB's Barta appointed to State Banking Board

In her more than 37 years of experience in banking, including the last 12 1/2 years as president and chief executive officer of The Farmers State Bank in Holton, Tonya Barta has done her part to give her bank customers confidence that their money is being handled wisely at the local level.

With her recent appointment to the State Banking Board, Barta’s taking her banking experience to the state level.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s appointment of Barta and three other Kansas bankers to the State Banking Board was approved unanimously by the Kansas Senate on Feb. 17. Barta says she’s proud to be able to serve on that board, serving the state and the banking industry for the next three years.

“This is a prestigious honor, receiving this appointment to the board from the governor and confirmed by the Senate,” Barta said. “It also puts Holton and The Farmers State Bank on the map a little more, too.”

The primary duty of the State Banking Board, which serves in an advisory capacity to the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, is making sure that Kansas banks and trust companies operate in a manner that provides competitiveness, financial stability, customer protection and sound banking practices.

“We review any troubled state-chartered banks or trust companies in the state,” Barta said. “We hear any complaints issued against state-chartered banks and approve or disapprove of any state-chartered bank mergers, acquisitions, closures or new branches.”

The nine-member board consists of six Kansas bankers and three non-bankers representing the public interest, and per Kansas law, it represents each Congressional district and maintains a political party balance, it was reported.

Barta, who has also worked at banks in Topeka, Manhattan and her hometown of Arkansas City over the course of her banking career, was nominated for a position on the board by State Bank Commissioner David Herndon, and she submitted an application form and her resume to the Appointments Department of the Governor’s Office.

For more on this and other stories, please log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select “March 4, 2026” under “E-Editions.”