Susan Horton, president and CEO of Spokane-based Wheatland Bank, has led the institution through a period of enormous growth since joining the bank in 1999.

Horton's leadership has guided Wheatland Bank through significant growth in the last two years since the bank became a division of Kalispell, Montana-based Glacier Bancorp in 2024. Since then, Wheatland Bank has roughly doubled in size from 14 branches, 150 employees, and $750 million in total assets, to 26 branches, 300 employees, and over $2 billion in total assets.

Horton serves on the Spokane Business Association board of directors and the Washington Bankers Association board of directors. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and her four horses on her ranch.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting, Washington State University.

What’s the best career advice you’ve received? Get a great education, work really hard, treat people right, and never sacrifice a strong code of ethics. My mother is the one that instilled that in me from day one.

What’s one thing that makes you most proud? Raising my daughter. She’s getting a Ph.D. right now at UC Irvine in pharmacological sciences. I think the thing I’m most proud of is the amazing human being that my daughter has grown to become.

What career or job would you want to have if you weren’t in your current role? My knee-jerk reaction would be a professional barrel racer. But, when I really think about it, I made the right decision. I knew as a young woman that horses were my hobby, but that it wasn't really going to be as rewarding of a career as the one I have.

How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader? First of all, I'm a CPA, so I have to have 40 hours a year of continuing professional education. I also network with other leaders in the industry and with leaders in other industries. And I'm part of several different organizations and boards.