Board of Directors

Thomas B. Gronstal

(Family member — cousin of Matt Gronstal and Bob Gronstal)

Tom currently serves as the Chairman of the Board. Tom began his employment with the bank in 1978 and served the bank for several years as its President and CEO. Tom relinquished the role of President in February of 2002 when he served as the Iowa Superintendent of Banking until January of 2011. Tom also served as chairman of the board of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Tom is a 1973 graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. His civic activities have included serving as treasurer of the Iowa Bankers Association (1987-1989); president of the Carroll Chamber of Commerce (1989); president of the Iowa Bankers Association (1990); mayor of Carroll, Iowa (1994-1999); Governor’s Strategic Planning Council (1999-2000); and member of the Carroll Area Development Corporation (1999-2001).

Jeffrey G. Scharfenkamp

Jeff began his employment with the bank in September of 1997. He started as a lending officer, was promoted to the role of Senior Ag Loan Officer in December of 1999 and became Executive Vice President and Senior Lending Officer in December of 2001. Jeff became President and CEO and joined the Board in June of 2010. Prior to formally joining the Board, he attended meetings for several years as the bank’s Senior Lending Officer.

Jeff is a 1984 graduate of Iowa State University and a former examiner with the Iowa Division of Banking from 1987 through 1991. He is also a graduate of several bank training programs, including the Iowa Commercial Lending School, Iowa School of Banking and Graduate School of Banking in Madison. His civic activities have included the Rotary Club of Carroll, Carroll City Council, Carroll Area Development Corporation Board Member, St. Anthony Board of Directors Member and Chairperson, and Iowa Bankers Insurance Services Board Member and Chairperson.

Robert B. Gronstal

(Family Member — cousin of Tom and Matt Gronstal)

Bob has served as a director since December 1982 and is currently a CPA. He has taught accounting classes at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska for forty-six years and also previously maintained a small tax practice for nearly forty years. Bob graduated from Creighton University in 1969 with a degree in Accounting and received his MBA degree from University of Nebraska Omaha in 1982.

It is interesting to note that Bob was involved in the establishment of the Metropolitan Community College Credit Union in the 1980s and he served as the CEO for a period of time. Eventually the credit union merged with a larger Omaha-based credit union. 

Matthew D. Gronstal

(Family member — cousin of Tom and Bob Gronstal)

Matt has been with the Bank since 2003 and a member of the Board since 2006. He established Availa Bank's presence in the Council Bluffs market in 2003. Matt played a key role in growing this market which currently operates out of two full-service branch locations.

Matt is a graduate of St. Albert Catholic High School in Council Bluffs and a graduate of St. Mary’s University. He is a former National Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Matt has been active in the Council Bluffs community where he has served on boards with the Iowa West Foundation, Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact (SINC), Mercy Hospital/CHI, St. Albert Schools, St. Patrick’s Parish, Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, Mid America Center Commission, Historic General Dodge House, and the Council Bluffs City Planning Commission.

Stephen R. Baade

Steve began his affiliation with Carroll County State Bank when he was hired as a Lending Officer of the formerly affiliated Citizens State Bank of Pocahontas in July of 1985. Steve was elected President of Citizens State Bank in 1994 and continued in that capacity until November of 2014 when Citizens State Bank merged with Carroll County State Bank. Prior to his retirement in August of 2024, Steve served as the Northern Region Manager and Pochaontas Market President for Availa Bank. He has been a member of the bank’s Board of Directors since 1994.

Steve is very active in the community and was heavily involved in various Pocahontas civic activities. He served as the President of the Pocahontas Community Foundation, Treasurer of the Pocahontas Service Club and board member for the Pocahontas County Cattlemen Association. He also served on the committee for the City of Pocahontas Revolving Loan Fund, the Pocahontas Area Community School Board for six years and is a former board member of the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce. He is the past President of First Choice Financial Services, Inc. which offers insurance and investments as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Availa Bank.

Steve is a 1980 graduate of Westmar College. He also runs a farming operation.

Jeffrey A. Johnson

Jeff Johnson graduated from the Pocahontas Community High School in 1977. Jeff then attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa, earning an Associate of Specialized Business Degree with an Accounting Major in May of 1979. Jeff purchased his tax and accounting practice in 1982 and established Jeffrey A Johnson LPA PC.  Jeff is Enrolled to Practice before the Internal Revenue Service, is a Licensed Public Accountant, is a Certified Financial Planner, and is a fellow of the National Tax Practice Institute.

Jeff is a member and past president of Accountant’s Association of Iowa, a member of the National Society of Accountants, and a member of the National Association of Enrolled Agents.

Jeff is a sole practitioner and has been in practice for over forty five years in Pocahontas, Iowa. He specializes in tax preparation of farm and small business tax returns, compilations for small businesses, and fee-only financial planning. Jeff joined the Availa Bank Board in December of 2014.

Steve D. Goodhue

Steve D. Goodhue has been on the Availa Board since 2019. He is the President of Knapp Tedesco Insurance Agency in Ames and Platform President of AssuredPartners with management oversight of agencies in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Knapp Tedesco and AssuredPartners is a multi-lines insurance broker. Prior to this, Goodhue was a Regional President for First American Bank where he spent thirteen years of his career.

Steve is active in the Ames and central Iowa community and has served on the boards of over twenty local organizations.  In addition to Availa Bank, Steve is on the board of the Ames Economic Development Commission, Independent Insurance Association of Iowa and Iowa Renewable Energy Board, a position appointed by Governor Reynolds.  Steve is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and is married to Tami Goodhue, a retired teacher. The Goodhues have two children.

Jessica L. Morton

Jessica is an attorney with the law firm Bruner, Bruner, Reinhart & Morton, LLP in Carroll. She currently serves as president of the Carroll County Bar Association and is actively involved in several community and statewide organizations. She was appointed by the Iowa Supreme Court to serve on the Board of Law Examiners and has participated in various Judicial Branch task forces.

Jessica holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell College, a Master’s degree from Western Illinois University, and earned her law degree from the University of Iowa in 2014. She joined the board in May 2021.