Grand Traverse State Bank Names Kelly Kuhns Vice President

Grand Traverse State Bank announced on November 5, 2025 that Kelly Kuhns has joined the institution as Vice President of Branch and Business Banking. The bank said Kuhns brings more than 20 years of banking experience, lives locally in Traverse City, and graduated from Davenport University. The release noted her volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Michigan and said bank leaders expect her to be an integral member of the bank leadership team.

The appointment is notable for local customers and businesses because the role combines branch management with a focus on business banking. In community banking, senior hires who are rooted in the area often serve as a bridge between deposit customers and small business borrowers, helping to shape credit access and relationship banking at a local level. For Traverse City firms seeking loans, deposit products, or advisory services, a local executive with long standing community ties can change how quickly and closely those needs are understood and acted upon.

Kuhns arrives at a time when community connections matter for financial institutions competing for small business relationships. Her local residency and volunteer involvement suggest she will bring community perspective to the bank's outreach and decision making. The bank included contact information for Kuhns in its announcement for business inquiries, indicating she will be a front line contact for commercial customers and branch operations.

For residents, the hire may translate into more visible leadership at branches and potentially expanded outreach to nonprofit and civic groups. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an established youth mentoring organization in the region, and Kuhns involvement there underscores a continuity between community service and local banking leadership. The presence of senior bankers who volunteer locally can reinforce trust in community banks, which often rely on reputational capital in addition to financial metrics.

From a broader economic perspective, hires that strengthen branch and business banking capacity can support local lending and cash management needs, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises that drive employment in the county. While the announcement did not include specific business or lending targets, the combination of two decades of industry experience and local engagement positions Kuhns to influence how Grand Traverse State Bank serves Traverse City and surrounding communities.

The bank release provided contact details for business inquiries to reach Kuhns. Local business owners and community organizations interested in connecting with the bank are encouraged to use the information in the announcement.