Gateway First Bank Receives Regional Housing Champion Award Bank selected for their commitment to improving housing opportunities in Oklahoma
AFTON, OKLAHOMA - Gateway First Bank, headquartered in Jenks, received the Oklahoma Regional Housing Champion Award at FHLBank Topeka’s regional meeting on Oct. 15.
Along with its foundational mission to provide liquidity to members to support communities, FHLBank Topeka also supports affordable housing and community development in its district of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. FHLBank set aside 15 percent of its income in 2026 to support these community-building efforts through its 634 member financial institutions.
Gateway First Bank, an FHLBank member since 2019, has used three FHLBank Topeka housing and community development programs to support their members and community.
Through the Affordable Housing Program, they partnered with several organizations to provide over $4 million in support including downpayment assistance for 205 households and new construction or rehabilitation of 28 affordable rental housing units.
They also used the TurnKey downpayment assistance program to provide more than $900,000 in downpayment assistance to 101 households over the last five years.
They took advantage of Lending Enhancement Advance Program (LEAP) discounted advances to support nonprofit loan originations and infrastructure financing.
Grant Wachendorf, SVP, Treasurer, and Bruce Schultz, SVP, Community Development & Public Banking/CRA Officer, accepted the award for Gateway First Bank and shared the following during their remarks.
“FHLBank Topeka is a great partner and a big part of our strategy,” said Wachendorf. “FHLBank products from advances to the Mortgage Partnership Finance Program to TurnKey grants are all helpful in our communities.”
“The Affordable Housing Program is a great community building tool,” said Schultz. “We have had success using the program in rural and urban areas. It’s a streamlined process that supports our CRA requirements while we help create housing opportunities.”
As a part of the Regional Housing Champion award, Gateway selected a nonprofit to receive a $1,000 donation in their honor. They selected Turning Point Ministries in Edmond, Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality, attainable housing for modest-income individuals and families.
As the Oklahoma Regional Housing Champion, Gateway First Bank will be represented with the other three state winners in FHLBank Topeka’s district at the 2027 Annual Member Conference in April. One overall champion will be selected through a vote over LinkedIn.
“We are proud to honor Gateway First Bank and appreciate their commitment to the communities they serve,” said Kylie Mergen, Community Investment Officer, Director of Housing and Community Development at FHLBank Topeka. “We appreciated partnering with them to help many households in Oklahoma realize the dream of homeownership.”
About Gateway First Bank:
Gateway, headquartered in Jenks, Oklahoma, is a leading financial institution that provides banking and mortgage services to individuals and businesses. Gateway is one of the largest financial institutions in the state, with assets totaling over $2 billion. In addition to its eight banking centers in Oklahoma, Gateway has a strong national mortgage presence, with more than 80 mortgage locations and approximately 600 employees. Learn more at www.gatewayfirst.com.
Learn more about Gateway First Bank at:
www.gatewayfirst.com
Media Contact:
Jennifer Jones
Gateway First Bank
918-201-9891
jennifer.jones@gatewayfirst.com
Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender | NMLS 7233
About FHLBank Topeka:
FHLBank Topeka is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks that accesses the capital markets to provide liquidity and funding for its member banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies and community development financial institutions. FHLBank Topeka is a strong, reliable source of liquidity for financial institutions in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, who are members of its cooperative. Learn more at www.fhlbtopeka.com.
CONTACT: Tamara Taylor, FVP, Director of Corporate Communications, FHLBank Topeka
PHONE: 785.478.8157
EMAIL: tamara.taylor@fhlbtopeka.com
