Randall Fewel, former president and CEO of Inland Northwest Bank, remains in touch with some of his one-time counterparts in the banking industry, but he’s really enjoying being out of the business.

Fewel, who had been a regular source of insights regarding news stories about banking throughout his career, last was quoted in the Journal when he retired from INB in 2015.

Early in his retirement, he remained on the board of the bank’s Spokane-based parent, Northwest Bancorporation Inc., for another three years.

“Then the bank was sold to First Interstate, and they didn’t invite any or our directors,” he says.

Fewel, who will be 76 in a few weeks, says he isn’t currently a member of any board.

“If invited, I probably wouldn’t do it,” he says. “I’m loving retirement.”

He says he’s been playing a lot of golf and enjoying travels abroad.

He and his partner Kathy Kopczick have been living summers in Spokane, where Fewel owns a condo in Browne’s Addition. The couple winter in Surprise, Arizona, where Kopczick owns a home in a development with four championship golf courses and where Fewel was contacted by phone for this update.

Fewel met Kopczick when the two were on the board of the Spokane Area Economic Development Council, before it merged with the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce in early 2007.

“We’ve been together about 15 years and living together about 12,” Fewel says.

Kopczick, who retired in 2016, was a partner at the Spokane office of international public accounting firm BDO USA LLP.

“We’ve probably taken 10 trips to Europe,” he says. “We just got back from a trip to Greece, Montenegro, Turkey, and Croatia.”

He says his favorite destination “by far” is Italy.

“I’ve been there six times, and just love the food, wine, scenery, and history.”

Fewel says he also took up swimming in retirement. “I swim at the Spokane Club four days a week,” he says. “Down here, I swim outdoors.”

He says he’s also a member of the Kalispel Country Club.

Some of his friends here include active community bankers Mike Wilson, who is CEO of Riverbank, and Greg Deckard, CEO and board chairman of Spokane Valley-based State Bank Northwest.

"They will buy lunch every once in a while and pick my brain," he says. "I keep in touch with the guys at First Interstate in the Spokane office."

At this point, his insights don’t really amount to consulting, he says.

"My time is in the past,” he says.

Fewel, who had been with INB for 22 years, starting when the bank was 5 years old, says he had mixed feelings about the sale of INB to First Intestate Bank in 2018. He says, however, a sale is a natural part of the life cycle of such a community bank.

“Generally, a community bank has trouble paying cash dividends, as shareholders want to hold onto equity and continue to grow,” he says.

At some point, however, many shareholders tend to want a liquidity event, he adds.

“First Interstate was a terrific partner and pays excellent cash dividends,” he says “INB had a good run—almost 40 years—roughly speaking, twice what a community startup bank generally lasts.”

Fewel lauds the vision of his successor, Russell Lee, who led INB through its acquisition by Billings, Montana-based First Interstate.

“I was married to the bank and didn’t want to see it go away,” he says. “When it came time for me to retire, (Lee) didn’t have the bias of being part of that. What he did was best for shareholders.”

Fewel says it would quite a challenge to start a new community bank here today.

“You would have to start with a lot more capital," he says. "Fred Schunter started INB with less than $15 million in capital.”

Starting a new bank here now likely would require $50 million or more in capital, Fewel says. “Could you do that in Spokane today?” he asks rhetorically. 

He says credit unions are filling a void left by absorption of community banks, and the growth of credit unions’ involvement in the business banking sector is difficult for startup community banks to compete with.

“They’ve gotten powerful, strong, and they’re doing a heck of a job,” he says of credit unions. He adds, however, “They don’t pay income tax, so they have a built-in advantage.”

Fewel has three children—two living on the West Side of the state and one in Texas. He’ll always consider Spokane home.

“I stay in touch with what’s going on and still vote in Spokane,” he says. “It can’t be beat in the summertime. I wouldn’t want to live (in Arizona) in the summer.”