The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal recognized Kelly Skalicky, CEO and president of Stearns Bank, in its annual Women in Business awards. Now in its 23rd year, the Women in Business awards honor industry-leading executives, entrepreneurs and business owners for their professional accomplishments and community involvement.

Skalicky spearheaded the process of developing Stearns Bank’s Small Business Administration lending program to become one of the top 15 Small Business Administration lenders in the country. Most recently, Stearns Bank was ranked as one of the nation’s top equipment finance lenders on the Monitor 100.

A passionate advocate for employees, Skalicky implemented a richer offering of employee benefits at Stearns Bank, which includes four days of paid volunteer time, a new stepped-up 401(k) match as well as expanded health and family benefits. She’s also dedicated to fostering equality and advancement for women within financial service leadership; more than 60% of the senior leaders within Stearns Bank are women compared with the national average of 22%.

“The most important challenges women face today are equal pay, equal opportunity in senior management and investor support for business ownership,” Skalicky said. “You must be your own strongest advocate. When you’ve proven your value to your company, make sure your contributions are acknowledged and recognized, and demand to gain the equal pay and career advancement you deserve without compromise. Continue to strive harder, reach further, step up and speak out.”