Kristi and Anthony Hanson have three children – Samuel, Audrey and Jacob – and make their home in Hutchinson. You can find them at church, at the hockey rink, at the gym, at a baseball game, at a local parade. Cheering, supporting, encouraging, coaching and engaging with the people around them. In many ways, Kristi and Anthony practice Southwest Initiative Foundation’s mission of connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities.
Kristi, born and raised in Hutchinson, thought living in a big city would be the life for her. “It was fun right out of college, but I soon realized that I couldn’t be as involved as I would like to be.” After some time working in the metro area, Kristi returned to her hometown and has spent the past 20 years working as a registered nurse at Hutchinson Health. Kristi likes that she can “really get involved and make an impact in all the different parts of life here.”
Civic engagement comes naturally to Anthony. Raised in St. James, his family still operates a small business, and his mom serves as a city council member. His parents have modeled ways to be active citizens, which served as a guide when Anthony moved to Hutchinson to pursue banking after college. Immediately getting involved in volunteer opportunities and civic life, Anthony secured his commitment to strengthening his community.
Currently the President of Citizen’s Bank & Trust, Anthony volunteered with Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) as a member of the loan review team and serves on the Hutchinson EDA Finance Team and the city’s utilities commission. In reflecting on their decade-long financial support of Southwest Initiative Foundation, Anthony says, “Not everyone looks long term. SWIF has had the ability to look at the bigger picture.” The Hanson family continues to support many organizations locally and understands the importance of the impact Southwest Initiative Foundation has economically in our region.
“We wouldn’t be able to be here if there weren’t jobs here for us. SWIF supports the fabric of our community.”
– Anthony Hanson
