Alumnus and CEO is passionate about being an involved corporate citizen

St. Cloud State University alumnus John Herges has been connected to the finance world his entire life.

"My father was a banker. At a very young age when I was in high school, I would work the summers as a teller and in the customer service area. I got to see firsthand all the different things in banking and how banks helped consumers and business people, and that really appealed to me," he said. "As I got into college, I took classes that would prepare me for a banking career."

Herges enrolled at SCSU and focused on economics and accounting. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1972. Later on he returned and completed his MBA in 1977. During his senior year of his undergraduate program at SCSU, Herges attended a career fair where he interviewed with a local bank.

"Lo and behold, I got a job right out of college with a bank," he said. "And I've been in the banking business ever since."

Herges appreciates the role banks can play in helping people, businesses and organizations succeed.

"I think I have an entrepreneurial spirit at heart. I actually started Falcon National Bank back in 2003. We were what they call a de novo bank, which is a brand new bank. I got to see firsthand what it takes to start a business," he said. "I have a whole new appreciation for people who start a business. It's not easy. But if you stay focused, do the right things, bring in good people, get the right kind of advice — you can really make it happen. I've been fortunate enough to see it all happen here at Falcon National Bank."

Herges is now CEO of Falcon National Bank, which has multiple locations in Minnesota — including its headquarters in downtown St. Cloud. He encourages his employees to be active in their communities.

"What I learned from a couple mentors of mine as I built a career in banking is that it's important for community banks to be good corporate citizens. I encourage all my employees to pick out some nonprofits, some organizations in the community they're passionate about and to get involved. And the bank will do whatever we can within reason to support them," he said. "I lead by example. There's nobody in the bank who is involved in more community type things than I am — the St. Cloud State University Foundation and the Community Advisory Board being two good examples of that. Be a good corporate citizen; give back to the community that you do business in."

Herges said it's easier to give back when you enjoy what you do for a living, and encouraged others to do the same.

"Whatever you do, do something that you're passionate about and do something that you want to do and enjoy doing," he said. "You spend way too much time at work every day to be doing something that you don't like to do."

Herges serves as secretary and on the executive committee of the SCSU Foundation's Board of Trustees, and is an inaugural member of the University's Community Advisory Board that was created in 2025.

"Both personally and professionally, I have a huge passion for St. Cloud State University. From a professional standpoint, the University has a great economic impact on the greater St. Cloud community. As a result of that, the bank directly and indirectly benefits from that economic prosperity," he said. "We have utilized the internship program at St. Cloud State University, and we've also sent some of our mid-level managers to SCSU's business school. St. Cloud State University is an important organization to the Greater St. Cloud area. I have done and will continue to do whatever I can to make sure the University not only survives but thrives."