Ashley Ahrens, senior vice president-retail banking at North Salem State Bank, has been honored with the Indiana Bankers Association 2025 Woman on the Rise award, sponsored by Amundsen Davis LLC. She was presented with the award on Thursday, Oct. 23, during the IBA Banking on Women conference.
This honor recognizes a woman in banking age 40 or younger who is making a significant impact in her industry and community through engagement, drive and teamwork.
“Ashley has been a high performer since day one,” said Matt Howrey, president & CEO of North Salem State Bank, who nominated Ahrens for the honor. “In less than two years, she was so far ahead of everyone that she became our trainer in addition to her other responsibilities. Always eager to learn, Ashley has completed nearly every training opportunity that the IBA and Independent Community Bankers of America has to offer, continuing to move up the ladder until her recent promotion to the executive team.”
Since that promotion, Ahrens has undertaken a complete operations and technology makeover to bring the bank’s customer-facing technologies on par with larger institutions. She’s doing all this while also serving the bank’s board of directors as its corporate secretary and continuing to take numerous calls daily from customers who aren't willing to let her go after years as a community-favorite branch manager.
Among her many points of community service, Ahrens volunteers with the Hendricks County 4-H Fair, National Night Out, Hendricks County Historical Museum, Danville Rotary Club and her two sons’ youth baseball leagues.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, received the Independent Community Bankers of America’s NextGen Scholarship in 2023, graduated from the IBA’s Leadership Development program in 2024 and is on track to complete the Stonier Graduate School of Banking next summer.
“Ashley is truly ‘on the rise’,” said Amber R. Van Til, IBA president & CEO. “She is dedicated not only to her own growth as a lifelong learner, but the growth of those around her as a trainer and trusted leader. A long-time volunteer with our Future Leadership Division, I know this is only the beginning of an incredible career and I cannot wait to see what she does next.”