Zach Ponder | Peoria, IL
Vice President, Commercial Lending | INB, N.A.
Zach Ponder believes that discipline is the key to unlocking what you want in life. Growing up 18 miles east of St. Louis, Zach dreamed of playing for the Cardinals. He played two years of baseball at McKendree University while taking a full class schedule and working 20-30 hours a week.
The first of his family to graduate college, Ponder began his career working for a local credit union near Edwardsville, IL. Then in 2016, Zach moved his family to Peoria. Within a six-month period, he looked for and bought a house, his wife started a master's program, they had a baby, moved into their new house and started new jobs. “I became a stronger husband/father/person after this and was able to draw on this experience for future hard times that came up.”
“You can do a lot of good things being undisciplined (talent alone can go a long way), but if you want to truly excel in everything you do, discipline is the key.”
Zach has now been at INB for over four years. His manager, Steve Keenan, recounts how quickly Zach became the “face” of the bank. “He took over an existing loan portfolio of clients on day one and met this challenge head on. Zach is not afraid of tough situations or difficult conversations. He handles every situation with direct kindness and searches for a common resolution that everyone can agree on. Zach is well respected, not only by his coworkers in Peoria, but by the entire bank.”
That respect is also reflected in the community as Zach invests his time and talents in various organizations. He volunteers with Junior Achievement, teaching financial literacy to students. He serves as a Make-A-Wish Illinois Peoria Area Regional Council member and was instrumental in launching the Walk for Wishes. Zach especially loves supporting his kids’ school and family church, St. Jude. “Sharing our faith in Jesus and demonstrating a servant attitude is most important and something I want our children to know is important.”
Ponder’s principal example of self-discipline and sacrifice is his father whom he remembers “worked countless hours and overtime to make sure we always had what we needed—while still coaching us and supporting us every day no matter how tired he was.”
Zach seeks to follow his dad’s example for his own family which includes his wife of eleven years, Lauren, and their three children: Will (9), Caroline (5) and James (2). Together they love spending time in the backyard playing all sorts of sports, enjoying the playground, and taking family walks in the neighborhood. “It can be chaos sometimes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”