BOISE — Idaho Bankers Association members voted to elect Bruce Lowry, president and CEO of Ireland Bank, as chairman of the board for the coming year.

Lowry, who previously served as vice chairman, is succeeding Lori Dizes of U.S. Bank. The Idaho Bankers Association also elected Dale Austin of Wells Fargo to the position of vice chairman and Dan Price of Mountain West Bank to the position of treasurer.

Trent Wright, president of the Idaho Bankers Association, said, “I am deeply grateful to our retiring chair, Lori Dizes, and our board for their support and leadership during a challenging year. With their steadfast guidance we were able to effectively advocate on behalf of our industry, and let the public know of the tireless efforts of our bankers to help keep people in their homes and provide flexibility throughout the pandemic, while they continued to support their communities through lending, charitable giving and community aid — as they always do.”

Lowry is a 1992 graduate of Utah State University and is a 2005 graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. After first working with First Security Bank of Idaho and Wells Fargo in the Pocatello area, he joined Ireland Bank in 2001 as vice president and Pocatello loan manager. He has held positions within the bank, including northern regional manager and executive vice president, and in May 2011, he took the reins as president and CEO.

In his role as president and CEO, Lowry has been active in banking industry associations, formerly serving in the board of directors for the Western Independent Bankers and the succeeding Western Bankers Association and the Idaho Community Bankers Association. He is currently serving on the Advisory Committee on Community Banking with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. This past year, he has served as vice chairman of the IBA board and chairman of the Government Affairs Committee.