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First National Bank in Sioux Falls Agribusiness Division and Market President Brian Gilbert have been named the 2026 recipients of the South Dakota State University Friend of the Beef Industry award.

First National Bank in Sioux Falls has supported South Dakota’s beef industry through specialized agricultural lending, risk‑management services, industry advocacy and leadership development.

“Brian and the Ag Division of First National Bank in Sioux Falls have been strong proponents of the cattle industry in South Dakota, and their work has strengthened cattle producers’ financial resilience and the long-term viability of the entire industry,” said Joe Cassady, SD Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Gilbert grew up on a family farm near Hitchcock, where his family grew corn and soybeans and ran a cow-calf operation currently managed by his brother. He graduated from SDSU in 2002 with degrees in agricultural business and economics. This background, understanding real-world production cycles and the capital needs of a modern operation, help him inform First National Bank in Sioux Falls’ lending and risk management approach when working with beef producers.

“I grew up in farming, and I maintain a cow-calf herd now, so from the producer side I know what they’re facing what they’re up against,” Gilbert said.

Passionate about helping the next generation return to the farm, Gilbert works with the First National Bank in Sioux Falls team and national and state programs to help family farms expand to bring people back. Not just a local advocate for future generations, in July 2025 Gilbert testified before Congress on behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Rural America and Agriculture Committee about issues affecting farm and ranch credit and risk management.

“I spoke about the need to extend credit to people who want to come back and fulfill their dreams of farming,” Gilbert said. “Community banks are the lifeblood of rural communities, and to be even a small part of that is very humbling.”

Closer to home, Gilbert has previously served on the boards of the Stockyard Ag Experience, the Independent Community Banks of South Dakota and was a member of the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership Class IX. Community endeavors all fully supported by the First National Bank in Sioux Falls. In 2020 Gilbert was named Agri-Business Citizen of the Year by the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business Division for his dedication. He currently serves on the SDSU Alumni & Foundation Board of Trustees, and his employer partnered with the university to create the Brian D. Gilbert Scholarship to support students pursuing agricultural careers and help develop the next generation of agricultural leaders.