TORRINGTON – After working in the banking industry for 43 years, Pinnacle Bank Regional President Todd Peterson announced his intention of retiring March 31.

Peterson has worked for Pinnacle Bank since 1997 when he became the Bank President of the Mitchell, Neb. location. Two years later in 1999, Peterson returned home to Torrington where he served as Regional President for 22 years.

“I began working in banking in 1978 at Farm Credit in Scottsbluff,” Peterson said. “I moved around Nebraska and Wyoming before getting the job with Pinnacle.”

Torrington has always been home for Peterson. He grew up in the town and knew he always wanted to get back. His father still lived here, and he enjoyed being able to see the grandkids play high school sports.

At the time when he and his family moved back to Torrington, his mother had just passed away, so it was good for his father to have family close by again.

“Dad was still alive, and he was able to watch my three boys go through athletics,” Peterson said. “He was able to be better connected and we were really happy to get back here.”

Besides working for Pinnacle Bank, Peterson is also very involved with various organizations throughout Torrington and plans to continue working with those organizations
in retirement.

Peterson has been on the board at St. Joseph’s Children’s Home for 20 years and plans to be more involved with development work. He’s also the President of the college foundation at EWC and plans to continue working with them. He is also involved with economic development and sits on the board of the Wyoming Lottery Commission.

“I don’t think I’m going to be too bored,” Peterson said. “I’ll be working the other full-time jobs still and plan to travel and spend time with family.”

When looking back on his time in the banking industry, Peterson talked about how his relationships with coworkers and clients alike will be what he remembers most when looking back on his career.

“Number one is being able to work with the people that I’ve been able to work with,” Peterson said. “The rewarding thing has been able to work with borrowers over the years and to watch them succeed.”

Another thing Peterson reflected on was how quickly the industry changed when the Ag crisis hit in the early 80s. Interest rates soared, and prices went down. He learned a lot of valuable lessons from that time that he carried with him to the end of his career.

Peterson said he applied those lessons learned nearly 40 years ago every day of his career to help preserve his clients’ equity and to help a borrower who might’ve gotten in trouble due to outside circumstances from mother nature. 

When Peterson retires March 31, current Senior Vice President Wade Bruch will take over as the Market President at the Torrington branch. Matt Behrends, current Market President at the Cheyenne location will take over Peterson’s duties as Regional President.

Peterson doesn’t expect he’ll have a big retirement ceremony due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic, but he says he’d rather it be small anyway.

“I’ve done my time, I appreciate everything and it’s time to just quietly move on,” Peterson said. “I’m sure the company has got something a brew though, but I’d just assume put my keys on the desk, turn out the lights and walk out to my pickup.”