Program | Conference for Community Bankers

8:00 AM – 10:15 AM

GENERAL SESSION

Embedding a culture of innovation and creativity into everyone’s DNA

To compete in the job market with the rise of AI, businesses must focus on human traits like creativity, intuition, curiosity and imagination. But until now, no one has made innovation like this tangible. Many companies build an “innovation department,” only to find that they have not truly driven cultural change. Discover the solution: the Design Thinking Innovation Toolkit — which makes creativity tangible, innovation easy and the process enjoyable.

• Duncan Wardle, former head of innovation and creativity, Walt Disney Company

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

Coffee Break in The Hub

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

GUEST BREAKFAST

Seize your life: Unlocking your path to personal excellence

Witnessing the success of others can often lead to reflection on our own paths and potential. This dynamic program will empower you to take charge of your destiny by investing in yourself. Explore the journey toward embracing a life fueled by personal ambitions and dreams. Learn to identify and dismantle the barriers preventing you from reaching your full potential.

• Jasmine Brett Stringer, TV Lifestyle Expert, Consultant, Best- Selling Author

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

EDUCATION AND PEER EXCHANGE SESSIONS

Peer Exchanges:

• CEO Exchange: $1 Billion and more in assets
• CEO Exchange: $500 Million - $999 Million in assets
• CEO Exchange: Up to $500 Million in Assets
• CFO Exchange
• Board Member Exchange

CRE economic overview: The landscape of commercial markets
Topic: CRE Lending

Understanding the developing CRE trends in your market is essential for the top commercial lenders active in CRE markets. Get a current overview of the changing landscape and current data critical for every bank’s CRE loan portfolio management, credit offering, analysis and future deals.

• Daniel Brown, Senior Director and Economist, American Bankers Association

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

Industry Insight Lunches
RSVP Recommended

1:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Dessert in The Hub

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

EDUCATION AND PEER EXCHANGE SESSIONS

Measuring and improving board effectiveness
Topic: Board Governance

Strong board performance is essential to the strategic direction, regulatory compliance and long-term success of community banks. Learn how to identify relevant performance metrics, compare your board’s practices against industry standards and use data-driven insights to foster continuous improvement. Whether you're looking to strengthen governance, improve board engagement or prepare for succession, get practical frameworks tailored to the unique needs of your bank.

Harnessing AI: From anxiety to advantage
Topic: Human Capital

As AI reshapes community banking, HR and executive leaders may feel AI anxiety — uncertain about its effect on their people, culture and operations. Learn how to move beyond that anxiety and use AI as “Augmented Intelligence,” a strategic partner that amplifies leadership capacity, strengthens retention and builds a more resilient organizational culture. Harness AI to strengthen manager-employee relationships and improve overall performance within 90 days.

• Paul Carney, Founder, Ishtot, Inc.

Turning data into defense
Topic: Operations

Every day, fraud threats are becoming more sophisticated — and more costly. For community banks, the stakes are especially high, as limited resources and close customer relationships demand both vigilance and precision. Explore how C-suite leaders can harness the power of data analytics to proactively detect, prevent and respond to fraud. Learn how to integrate analytics into your risk management framework and leave feeling prepared to make well-informed decisions.

• Bob Sprague, Managing Director, Forvis Mazars
• Lanny Morrow, Senior Manager, Forensics & Valuation, Forvis Mazars
• Paul Benda, Executive Vice President, Risk, Fraud and Cybersecurity, American Bankers Association

Building bench strength in commercial lending
Topic: CRE Lending

Community banks are challenged with attracting and retaining talent in all areas of commercial lending. PPP money is gone and CRE lending is growing again, making it essential to refocus on the basics with a strong team in place. This session will approach the tactics you need in order to recruit, train and promote in today’s competitive environment.

• Moderator: Kraig Sutherland, Chief Credit Officer & Senior Executive Vice President, First State Community Bank
• Bill Whalen, Chief Credit Officer & Executive Vice President, Peoples Bank of Commerce
• J. Raleigh Green, VP Credit Risk Management, Bank Independent

AI strategy: Are you a cheetah, a deer or a beaver?Topic: Technology

When it comes to AI, financial institutions are following their instincts and finding their own approaches to the uncertainty of new technology. In the wild unknown of AI, is your bank a cheetah, a deer or a beaver? Learn the traits of each, and how to maneuver the AI landscape accordingly. Identify solutions that are right for your bank, deployment strategies that yield results and ways to get your employees on board.

• Kevin Green, Chief Marketing Officer, Hapax

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

EDUCATION AND PEER EXCHANGE SESSIONS

Director compensation and compensation committee best practices
Topic: Board Governance

Determining board compensation is often the responsibility of the compensation committee. Get a breakdown of director compensation packages, including cash and equity, retainers, per-meeting fees, committee fees and chair fees. Focus on relevant compensation regulations and the responsibilities of the compensation committee. Review the infrastructure of a compensation committee and the best practices surrounding such items as the committee charter, calendar, composition, expertise meeting agendas and more.

• Matt Brei, President, Blanchard Consulting, Group

Future of work in community banking: From insight to implementation
Topic: Technology

Community banks are navigating big shifts in labor supply, skills demand, customer expectations, compliance pressure, AI and more. Through an opportunity mapping exercise, prioritize what matters most for your bank’s reality and leave with a clear starting point for action. We’ll translate relevant micro and macro talent trends into branch-ready actions so you can see what’s coming, and what to do about it.

• Elisa Garn, SHRM-SCP, SVP Talent Management & Sustainability, Blood Cancer United

Accelerating ag lending for speed, efficiency and decision-making
Topic: Profitability and Finance

Digital transformation is making access to capital faster and more efficient than ever, and it’s essential that lenders embrace it. Learn the benefits of digital platforms, and analyze how you can use advanced data analytics to more effectively assess credit risk, enhance loan performance and provide tailored lending products to your clients. Discover best practices for using digital transformation to scale your services and reach a broader market.

• Jackson Takach, Chief Economist and Vice President of Strategy, Research, and Analytics, Farmer Mac

Future-ready banking: Navigating emerging technologies for strategic advantage
Topic: Technology

In an era of rapid digital transformation, community banks face both unprecedented challenges and exciting opportunities. Explore emerging technologies and business models poised to reshape the financial services landscape — like APIs and open banking, digital assets and super apps. We’ll demystify these innovations, highlight real-world applications and provide strategic insights into how they can enhance customer experience, operational efficiency and competitive positioning.

• Moderator: Ryan Jackson, Vice President, Innovation Strategy, American Bankers Association

Let data analytics drive smarter business decisionsTopic: Technology

In today’s competitive financial landscape, data is more than just numbers — it’s a strategic asset. Harness the power of data analytics to drive informed decision-making across business and operational functions and explore how to translate raw data into actionable insights that support growth, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experience. Learn how to access your most important data and leave with practical application tools.

• Moderator: Debbie Whiteside, Senior Vice President, Vendor Evaluation, American Bankers Association
• Bernie Sinner, President and Senior Lending Officer, Bank North
• Kim Snyder, CEO and Founder, Klarivis
• Steve Watterson, Strategic Analyst, Datos Insights

4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

Partner Game Changers

5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Reception in The Hub

7:15 AM – 8:00 AM

Industry Insight Breakfasts
Note: Session starts at 7:30 AM

8:00 AM – 10:15 AM

GENERAL SESSIONS

CoreConnection: Strategic insights for bank CEOs

Your bank’s resilience, scalability and competitive edge all hinge on one critical relationship — your core provider. Join fellow bank CEOs for this session, led by the ABA Core Platforms Committee, designed to help you lead with clarity and confidence in today’s evolving tech landscape. Learn to stay ahead of market shifts and vendor trends, discover tools and resources tailored to your needs and hear the top five factors that can take your core provider relationship from functional to transformational.

Money in motion: What digital innovation means for community banks

Digital assets are reshaping the financial landscape — it’s time to understand what’s real, what’s regulatory and what’s next. Demystify stablecoins, digital currency and tokenized deposits, and examine the competitive dynamics shaping deposit strategies. Learn how community banks can engage safely and strategically without disrupting their core business model. Get grounded insights, candid perspectives and actionable steps to help you navigate change.

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

Coffee Break in The Hub

11:15 AM – 12:45 PM

EDUCATION AND MASTER CLASS SESSIONS

Building bank advocates: Strengthening the voice of our industryTopic: Operations

Engaging the next generation of banking advocates is critical to the future of community banking. Discover why grassroots advocacy matters, how new tools and initiatives are helping bankers get involved and why empowering employees at every level strengthens our collective voice. You’ll hear how ABA and State Bankers Associations are partnering to build the next generation of advocates — and have an open discussion.

Beyond pay: Incentives, benefits and boundaries for community banks

Attracting and retaining top talent isn’t just about competitive pay — it’s about delivering a complete rewards experience. Get a practical, high-level look at what community banks can and cannot use to build competitive talent strategies. Reimagine compensation, wellness perks, career-growth and culture-based rewards — all while staying compliant and aligned with board expectations. Leave with actionable strategies to strengthen recruitment and boost retention.

• Matt Brei, President, Blanchard Consulting Group
• Robert N. Flowers, Partner, Bradley

Why mega mergers in mortgage create big opportunities for hyper-local lenders
Topic: Profitability

As the nation’s largest mortgage players consolidate and scale, opportunity is quietly shifting back to the local level. Learn how community banks and regional lenders can turn industry consolidation into a competitive advantage — winning business through speed, relationships and a distinctly personal customer experience. Focus on what’s happening behind the mega-mergers, how market share is opening in key segments and discover strategies for success. Get real-world examples and practical takeaways about how local lenders can compete and win in 2026 and beyond.

• Moderator: Rich Swerbinsky, Founder, Onward & Upward Consulting
• Kim Nelson, CEO, BankSouth Mortgage
• Mark Fox, President & CEO - C&F Mortgage Corp, a division of C&F Bank

The core of the future
Topic: Technology

As the pace of innovation accelerates, the question isn’t if your bank will evolve — it’s how. Join a forward-looking conversation between CEOs on what tomorrow’s banking landscape demands from today’s bank technology providers. Discover how providers are adapting to support agility, innovation and scale, and explore the shifting dynamics of core platforms in a digital world. Get a strategic roadmap for how to lead, not just follow.

• Clayton Adams, President & CEO, Mascoma Bank;
• Jim Kisch, President & CEO, Passumpsic Bancorp;
• Donald J Seeterlin, President, Chesapeake Payment Systems, a division of Chesapeake Bank

Maximize your commercial valuation review process
Topic: CRE Lending

A new focus of prudential regulators is the quality of appraisals. This session will focus on how to approach the review process for commercial appraisals. Learn how to structure your appraisal engagement letter to capture the proper content, what steps are necessary to validate the appraisal via a comprehensive review to determine acceptance of the valuation for the loan file.

• Moderator: Louis Prabell, Chief Credit Administration Officer, Park National Bank
• Jason Fenlason, AVP, Appraiser, Westfield Bank
• Beverlea S Gardner, FDIC Appraisal Subject Matter Expert (retired)

MASTER CLASSES

Everyday generative AI for bankers
Topic: Technology

Ready to turn generative AI into a real advantage in your day-to-day? Designed specifically for the banking industry, this interactive class focuses on practical, everyday use cases that you can immediately employ to transform your productivity, creativity and communication. Get foundational insights for beginners, followed by real video examples you can apply right away. This isn’t just a demo — it’s a working session packed with time-saving prompts and frameworks, custom-built for banking professionals. Come prepared with your laptop or iPad and access to your generative AI tool of choice (ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, etc.). You’ll leave with ready-to-use skills that you can bring back to your bank.

Unlocking market-leading innovation with a futures mindset
Topic: Operations

Today, we are tempted to focus on the “push of the future,” forced into a perpetual state of reacting to trends and disruption. Awaiting us, however, is the “pull of the future,” providing a framework to intentionally act upon our preferred futures that are abundant with transformative market opportunities. New visions of the future require new mindsets and unique ways of measuring. Learn to unlock your “inner futures” mindset to differentiate yourself, your bank and your community for market-leading innovation. Develop your ability to identify and use emerging issues from outside the banking industry to inform your present-day strategies.

• Yvette Montero Salvatico, Co-Founder, TFSX
• Frank Spencer, Co-Founder, TFSX

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Networking Lunch

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Spark!

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Education Sessions

4:15 PM – 5:45 PM

Closing General Session and Reception

How quieting noise increases innovation, deepens belonging and elevates performance

It’s nearly impossible for today’s leaders to avoid distraction, stay connected to their teams and manage burn-out while performing at their full capacity. Those who have cracked the code have one thing in common: they’ve mastered the art of quieting noise. Learn about the Amplified Quiet Framework, a method used by top CEOs, senior White House advisors and award-winning artists to navigate uncertainty, build resilience and activate dormant potential.

• Jesse Israel, founder, The Big Quiet