Board of Directors

Rose Oswald Poels is the current President/CEO for the Wisconsin Bankers Association, the state’s largest financial industry trade association. As part of her work, she regularly advocates on behalf of Wisconsin banks with our congressional delegation as well as our state elected officials. Regulatory advocacy is also a significant part of her work with state and federal banking regulators. She routinely speaks to the media, local civic groups, and other organizations about the banking industry and has personally educated thousands of bankers over her career on a variety of banking compliance topics. Oswald Poels received her B.A. with honors from Michigan State University and her JD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin. In addition to serving as Chair of the Board for WBA’s subsidiaries and the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation, Oswald Poels is a member of several outside groups and organizations including: the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, the Graduate School of Banking and its Prochnow Educational Foundation, the Wisconsin Civil Justice Council, the University of Wisconsin – Madison Puelicher Center Board, and the University of Wisconsin Whitewater Finance and Business Law Department Advisory Board.

Paul C. Adamski founded The Pineries Bank in 1997 with 15 other local investors. With over 45 years of experience, Adamski’s passion for the banking industry is evidenced by his involvement with the Wisconsin Bankers Association as well as his commitment to the community. He has served on numerous financial industry boards including WBA, Financial Institution Products Corporation (FIPCO), Bankers’ Bank, Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), Wisconsin Savings Bank Review, and Wisconsin College Savings Program (Edvest). Locally, Adamski has been active in various community organizations such as Bill Cook Chapter-Izaak Walton League, Portage County Business Council, Community Foundation of Portage County, United Way, Community Industries Corp., Stevens Point Area YMCA, UW-Stevens Point Foundation, and UW-Stevens Point Alumni Association. Adamski has served in the banking industry since graduating college from UW-Stevens Point in 1974. He was Deputy Commissioner of Savings and Loan for the State of Wisconsin from 1988–1991, serving under Governor Thompson.

Oliver Buechse is the CEO of Advancing Digital, providing education and consulting services on Navigating Digital Transformation and focuses in areas such as employee education, leadership alignment, and overall strategy. He has been a featured keynote speaker throughout the state of Wisconsin on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and other disruptive trends. Advancing Digital is an evolution of Advancing AI Wisconsin of which he co-founded and led from 2017–2019. Buechse initiated the Digital County initiative in 2018 and worked with Brown County and Racine County in 2019 on developing the first county level digital visions in Wisconsin. Buechse originally learned the strategy business in Germany, Austria, and California during his time with McKinsey & Company and subsequently as SVP of Strategy for Union Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. He came to Wisconsin in 2010 as Chief Strategy Officer for Associated Bank. Buechse holds a PhD in Economic Psychology from Alpen Adria University in Klagenfurt/Austria and currently serves as Executive in Residence – Digital Transformation at the Cofrin School of Business at UW Green Bay.

Denise Bunbury is a senior vice president, in the Correspondent Department, with Bell Bank. She has been in the Wisconsin banking industry for over 30 years and has held a variety of positions within community banks. She attended Edgewood College. She is also a board member for the Bank Holding Company Association and is a previous board member of Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C) and the American Cancer Society of Western Wisconsin.

Cathy Couey is VP of Operations at Oakwood Bank in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Couey began her career in radio but switched to banking after helping her hometown bank with an IT issue and being offered a job immediately after. Within a few years, she was leading the department. She eventually spearheaded a complete system overhaul, ushering in new systems such as online banking, cash management, remote deposits, bill pay, and more. Couey joined Oakwood Bank in 2023.

Morgan Farmer’s first experience at Park Bank was as a 13-year-old part time teller at the branch in downtown La Crosse. He worked at Park Bank every summer and Christmas break until he graduated from Notre Dame. Then he spent 10 years working at Firstar and U.S. Bank in the Twin Cities. Eventually, he was responsible for a $80 million loan portfolio and $2 million in annual revenue.

In 2010, he and his wife moved their family back to the La Crosse area, where he had the opportunity to work with his dad at Park Bank. Now he works closely with Park Bank’s 20-member “family” in Holmen, La Crosse, and Sparta in addition to helping their customers buy houses and build small businesses.

Ami Myrland serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Capitol Bank in Madison, Wisconsin. Myrland is responsible for the retail, finance, marketing, technology, and human resources areas of the Bank. Prior to joining Capitol Bank, Myrland held a variety of roles from auditor to controller to CFO and had experience in a variety of projects and initiatives. She holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance from Edgewood College in Madison. She is also a member of the Council for CATCH (Community Around the Children’s Hospital), the Chair for the Executive Committee for Madison’s Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, on the Board for the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation, and Chair for the Finance Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. In 2019, Myrland was recognized as one of InBusiness Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in Dane County. In 2020, Myrland was an Athena Young Professional Award Nominee. Myrland is also a 2022 recipient of the Independent Community Bankers of America 40 Under 40 award.