Stephen M. Calk is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Bancorp Holdings, A Bank Holding Company; The Federal Savings Bank, a Federally Chartered Savings Bank with more than 1300 employees nationwide and annual asset turnover of more than US$7 Billion.

Mr. Calk was nominated by Congressman Phillip Crane and subsequently appointed to the Unites States Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point Prep. He enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged as a Private First Class before he was early commissioned as an Army Officer on May 25th, 1985. He is a graduate of the United States Army Aviation School and served in both active and reserve status as a helicopter pilot and commander for over 16 years. Mr. Calk received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a PPL from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Calk is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of finance, economics and real estate finance as well as National Security and Military issues. In the 2016/2017 Mr. Calk served as a Senior Economic Advisor to the President Elect of the United States. In 2017 Mr. Calk was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Midwest division.

He is regularly featured in print and on air national news programs including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Fox Business News, CNBC Squawk Box, CBS evening news, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Money, Crains Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. He has served on the Board of Directors, Advisory Board of Directors or Customer Advisory Board of Directors for various public and private companies including JP Morgan Chase’s Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp., Ohio Savings Bank, CitiMortgage, Bank of America and the former General Electric Mortgage Insurance Company. Mr. Calk has served as an advisor to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate and the Office of Professional Regulation for the State of Illinois on matters of Mortgage Banking and Real Estate finance. He has served his community on many civic and philanthropic boards including serving as the Chairman of the United States 10th Congressional District’s Service Academy Selection Committee and as a Certified Leader in the Boy Scouts of America. He has served as a Trustee for the University of Illinois’ St. John’s Catholic Newman Center and on the Board of The USO of Illinois. He has been a member of the Chicago Chapter of the World Presidents Organization and Young Presidents Organization since 2002 where he has served as the Forum Chairman, Membership Chairman and Education Chairman. He is an outspoken proponent and advocate of Veteran housing needs. Mr. Calk is a veracious trainer and mentor of junior military officers and Senior NCO’s prior to taking command positions or returning to civilian life after service to their country. He has also served on numerous civic and philanthropic boards and is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Harvard Club of New York City, Halter Wildlife Preserve and The Chicago Club where he served on the Membership Commission.

Under Mr. Calk’s leadership, The Federal Savings Bank became profitable within its first 3 months of operations and by the end of its first year of operation was named by the American Bankers Association Journal as the most profitable community bank in America with assets its size; an honor it has held the last nine years in a row. His experience and accomplishments have combined to build both The Federal Savings Bank and the former Chicago Bancorp into a dynamic team of professionals who adhere to the highest standards of excellence while funding tens of billions of dollars in loans in the last two decades.