Meet Brianna Kane: Balancing Family, Growth, and Community at Coulee Bank

Brianna Kane is a Business Banking Assistant in our St. Paul branch. As a lifelong history enthusiast, she pursued a degree in anthropology at St. Cloud State University, where she gained hands-on field experience excavating a site at the Little Elk River Mission Preserve. Her passion for research carried beyond the field, as she wrote a paper and presented it at a student research colloquium, earning second place—just behind a graduate student.

In her final semester of school, she got married, welcomed a baby, and began working as a part-time teller at a community bank. Within six months, she was promoted to Universal Banker and spent the next three years building strong, lasting relationships with customers. While she enjoyed the role, opportunities for continued growth were limited.

Her ambition led her to her current role as a Business Banking Assistant at Coulee Bank. After several months with the bank, she began pursuing her Master of Business Administration in 2023 and graduated in 2024. This experience expanded her knowledge of commercial lending and continues to support her work in her current role. During this time, she also recognized the strong support she received from her colleagues, including Coulee Bank CEO Dirk Gasterland and her supervisor, SVP Business Banking Officer Dan Motoyoshi. She says, “Dan was one of my biggest supporters during my MBA program, helping me balance my workload alongside my coursework. I’m grateful for his flexibility and support.”

“I love working at Coulee Bank. The culture is people-focused. We support our colleagues and our co-workers in day-to-day interactions,” she says.

Kane is highly detail-oriented and exceptionally organized. She values flexibility and is always willing to step in to support her colleagues when needed. Recognizing that no one person can know everything, Kane isn’t afraid to ask questions and actively seeks out information to continue learning and growing in her role.

As for inspiration, without hesitation, she says, her children. They bring her joy, so she ensures she is setting a good example. Kane leads a very fulfilling life; she wants her children to see her happiness and know they can be a part of a community. Her youngest daughter even wants to be a Coulee Bank worker.

She supports her children by volunteering as the treasurer for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She believes in supporting the teachers who give so much to her children.

Outside of work and volunteering, Kane’s life experiences and personal interests have played an important role in shaping her perspective. In undergraduate, she spent a short time in China working at an orphanage for disabled children. It was on this trip, while walking the Great Wall of China, that she had a profound moment of reflection, setting goals and making decisions that motivated her to work hard for what she truly believes in.

Outside of work and family life, Kane enjoys a few everyday favorites that help her relax and show a lighter side of who she is. “Reading and audiobooks are self-care for me. I love historical fiction and fantasy books,” she says. Her current read—and one she highly recommends—is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. “It is well-written and touches on relevant present-day topics sprinkled with dragons,” she explained.

And finally, one fun fact about Kane…she collected rubber ducks in college. They came in all shapes and sizes and decorated her dorm room. She even had special edition ones to round out her collection.

Brianna Kane, thank you for bringing your passion and talents to Coulee Bank. We appreciate you and wish you much success in your career at Coulee Bank.