Miles McDole South Central State Bank, Red Cloud Community Fund

Miles grew up in Red Cloud and graduated from Red Cloud High School in 2015. He attended Chadron State College after high school and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with options in management and finance. Miles moved back to Red Cloud after college and started working at South Central State Bank in Campbell. He and his wife Samantha, who is a junior high teacher at RCHS, married in 2020. They have a German Shorthaired Pointer named Ripley and an English Lab named Bella.

What is your favorite thing about Red Cloud?

My favorite thing about Red Cloud is the people. It seems like there is always someone friendly you can talk to when you are out doing something.

You’ve been involved with the Red Cloud Community Fund for around a year. What attracted you to RCCF and why did you decide to serve on the board? Is there anything you wish people knew about the work that RCCF does?

I was attracted to serving on the RCCF board after seeing all the good things that they are doing for Red Cloud. From supporting the TVCDC, spearheading the walking trail, helping raise money to improve the ballfields, and many other projects, the RCCF is really trying to improve life in Red Cloud for everyone. I hope everyone knows that the things we are doing on the RCCF are what we genuinely think are in the best interests of the whole town.

As an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, the RCCF makes investments in community betterment projects from our prudently managed endowment funds. RCCF helps local organizations purchase equipment, boosts the local tourism industry, funds historic preservation efforts, provides scholarships to high school and non-traditional students, improves infrastructure for youth recreation, care, and education and much more.

The Red Cloud Community Fund is really trying to improve life in Red Cloud for everyone. I hope everyone knows that the things we are doing on the RCCF are what we genuinely think are in the best interests of the whole town.

You work at South Central State Bank. Is there anything you wish people knew about services SCSB provides and/or things it supports in Red Cloud and surrounding communities?

I think most people know that South Central State Bank is primarily an agriculture bank, but we also provide consumer services such as vehicle loans and personal loans. I feel that we provide a more personal level of service to our customers compared to what you would get at bigger banks. We also do our best to support good causes in the towns and areas that our branches are in.

McDole and coworkers at the Red Cloud Street Car Days Parade last August. South Central State Bank is invested in its local communities and sponsors many local events.

I’m most proud of my wife. I see every day how hard she works trying to be the best teacher and person she can be. She is always grading, lesson planning, or working on her Master’s homework. She’s also always more than willing to help me and the rest of my family with anything we need.

Do you have a favorite TV show and/or podcast?

My all time favorite TV show would have to be The Office, but I’ve found the point where it has become harder to keep watching it after so many times. Some of my other favorites would have to be Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Game of Thrones, Yellowstone, Breaking Bad, and The Mandalorian. With all the different streaming services out now, it is hard to just have one favorite.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

If knowing everything is considered a superpower, I would choose that. If you knew everything, you would be able to do anything you want.

Do you have any hobbies or interests you’d like to share?

I enjoy going to the gym and lifting weights, and I have recently started trying to learn how to golf. Golf has been one of the most humbling things I have tried to do, but I have been enjoying it. I wanted to get into golf because it is something you can do as you get older and we have such a nice course here in Red Cloud.

Do you have any pets?

We have a German Shorthaired Pointer named Ripley and an English Lab named Bella. They automatically brighten my day when I see them in the morning and then when I get home from work in the afternoon. Aside from the fact that I’ll never have a great looking backyard because of them, I don’t know what I’d do without them.

What would your high school teachers or guidance counselor say about you if we asked?

I think they would say that I could have some not so great moments or blunders, like most kids do, but for the most part I hope they thought I was a good kid.

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my wife. I see every day how hard she works trying to be the best teacher and person she can be. She is always grading, lesson planning, or working on her Master’s homework. She’s also always more than willing to help me and the rest of my family with anything we need.

Do you have a mantra or mission statement you live by?

The closest thing to a mantra or mission statement I try to live by would be the Golden Rule. I just try to treat others how I want to be treated.

What historical figure or celebrity would you most like to have dinner with? Why?

I would have to pick Jesus. To be able to find out more about him and ask him anything would be too tempting to pass up.

After college, what convinced you making a move back to rural America was the right choice? Do you have any advice for someone looking to relocate to rural America?

Moving back to Red Cloud after college was all about good timing and having my parents here. The bank was hiring at that time and the school had an opening for what Sam wanted to teach. We were worried that we wouldn’t be able to find jobs in the same area, so when it happened in Red Cloud it was too good to pass up. I think it is important to have family or friends around if you are moving to a rural area. You don’t have to know anybody when moving to a rural area by any means, but it does make it easier.

The closest thing to a mantra or mission statement I try to live by would be the Golden Rule. I just try to treat others how I want to be treated.

What is your favorite song and/or recording artist?

I would say that Post Malone has been my favorite recording artist over the last few years. His style is pretty unique and it seems like he does a little bit of everything and doesn’t stick to one genre. He has one of the only albums that I can listen to and not find a bad song.

Who is your favorite actor?

Chris Pratt is probably my favorite actor. He’s done comedy on Parks & Rec and action and adventure with the new Jurassic World movies and now the Terminal List, so I think he has a pretty wide range. He seems like a genuine guy and hasn’t let Hollywood and fame change or silence his beliefs and values. Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger is his father-in-law so that makes him even cooler.

What is your dream vacation?

Going to the Philippines would be my dream vacation. It wouldn’t be the most luxurious vacation, but I would love to see where my mom grew up and my family there. I have been there before, but I was too young to remember any of it.

The McDoles with friends.

What’s your favorite place to visit in Nebraska?

I love going back to western Nebraska. I have some friends in Scottsbluff and it’s so much fun to go there. I really want to go back to Chadron soon as well because I haven’t been there since college. I really thought about staying around that area after college, but my hometown and having my family closer meant more to me.

I feel that South Central State Bank provides a more personal level of service to our customers compared to what you would get at bigger banks. We also do our best to support good causes in the towns and areas that our branches are in.