Jean Ann & Gordon Honegger
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Laureates
Co-CEO/Group President, Morton Community Bank & Vice Chairman, Hometown Community Bancorp
Chairman Emeritus, Morton Community Bank & Co-Chairman, Hometown Community Bancorp
Gordon and Jean Ann Honegger have known each other almost their entire lives, having grown up together in the town of Forrest, Illinois. Gordon’s family operated a large chicken hatchery and multi-state animal feed company. Jean Ann’s family ran a custard stand and dime store. Each of them was actively involved in these family businesses and learned first-hand the effort required to be a business owner and operator.
Gordon and Jean Ann attended the same grade school and high school together, two classes apart. Gordon earned his undergraduate business degree at the University of Illinois, then his MBA at Northwestern University, and finally his Doctorate in agricultural economics at Purdue University. Jean Ann earned her undergraduate degree in education from Illinois State University, and her Master’s degree in HR from Purdue University.
Gordon became President of Morton Community Bank in 1973 when the Bank was a just over ten years old and had $7 million in assets and seven employees. Jean Ann then joined the Bank when their children, Andy and Molly, were old enough to go to school. Since that time, the Bank has pursued a successful growth strategy, and together they have grown the Bank to its present size of $4.1 billion in assets, with 43 branches and almost 500 employees.
Morton Community Bank prides itself on its employee ownership and community involvement. Through the Bank’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), all employees have ownership in the Bank and, therefore, take an ownership-style responsibility over all aspects of their work and their interactions with customers and co-workers. Like owners should, Bank employees are actively involved in the community, always trying to make our communities better for the people around us.
Today, driven by their passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed, Gordon and Jean Ann continue to work at the Bank every day, with Andy now serving as the Bank’s President. Gordon and Jean Ann are also enjoying opportunities to pursue their lifelong love of travel and frequently vacation with Andy, Molly and their families.
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