Program | Washington Summit

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

Forums Breakfast

Open to all attendees from the Mutual Community Bank Forum, Emerging Leaders Forum, and Women and Allies Forum.

8:00 AM – 9:45 AM

Women and Allies Forum
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10:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Mutual Community Bank Forum
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10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Emerging Leaders Forum
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12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking Luncheon

Open to all attendees from the Mutual Community Bank Forum, Emerging Leaders Forum, and Women and Allies Forum.

1:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Mutual Community Bank Forum
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1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Emerging Leaders Forum
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4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Orientation for Capitol Hill Visits

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Opening Reception
Sponsored by ABA Foundation

All attendees must have their badges to attend.

7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Opening Remarks

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

The Road Ahead for the House Financial Services Committee

House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, a former community banker, shares his top priorities for the committee in 2025 and his outlook for legislation affecting banks in the 119th Congress.

• Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Chairman, House Financial Services Committee

The View from Main Street

Three ABA banker leaders share their perspective as CEOs on the current health of the banking sector, the changing regulatory environment and the importance of advocacy.

• John Asbury, ABA Chair; Chief Executive Officer, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation
• Kenneth Kelly, ABA Chair Elect; Chairman and CEO, First Independence Bank
• Cathy Owen, ABA Vice Chair; Chair, President and CEO, State Holding Company
• Moderator: Peter Cook, Chief Communications Officer, American Bankers Association

Advocating for America’s Banks

With the administration and Congress contemplating major changes in banking rules, ABA’s top policy experts share the very latest on the key issues that will affect your bank’s future. Learn how you can add your voice to ABA’s advocacy efforts.

• Jess Sharp, Executive Vice President, Advocacy and Innovation, American Bankers Association
• Kirsten Sutton, Executive Vice President, Congressional Relations and Legislative Affairs, American Bankers Association
• Brooke Ybarra, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Strategy, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Naomi Camper, Chief Policy Officer, American Bankers Association

The View from the FDIC

Acting FDIC Chairman Travis Hill will deliver a keynote address and then join ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols in a conversation on bank regulation as well as his priorities as leader of the FDIC.

• Travis Hill, Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• Moderator: Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

The Road Ahead for the Senate Banking Committee

Senator Tim Scott will outline his agenda since becoming Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Among other issues, Chairman Scott will discuss the committee's ongoing efforts to "right-size" bank regulations, improve financial inclusion and create opportunity across the country.

• Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Moderator: Kirsten Sutton, EVP, Congressional Relations and Legislative Affairs, American Bankers Association

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Luncheon

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Capitol Hill Visits

7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent

Secretary Bessent, the 79th Secretary of the Treasury, will deliver a keynote address and then join ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols in a conversation about the economy and the banking system's health.

• The Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Moderator: Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

The View from a Senate Freshman

Arizona freshman Senator Ruben Gallego joins ABA Chief Policy Officer Naomi Camper to discuss his initial impressions of the Senate Banking Committee, his banking policy priorities and the prospects for bipartisan agreement on banking legislation in the 119th Congress.

• Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Member, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Moderator: Naomi Camper, Chief Policy Officer, American Bankers Association

10:15 AM – 10:25 AM

Welcome Remarks

• Thomas J. Fraser, ABA Mutual Committee Chair; President and CEO, First Mutual Holding Company

10:25 AM – 10:45 AM

Washington Update

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Mutual Survey Results and Implications

ABA’s head of economic research will join two mutual bank leaders to discuss feedback from the latest ABA survey of mutual banks. The discussion will focus on emerging trends and spotlight opportunities and risks facing mutual banks in our rapidly changing economic environment.

• David P. Barksdale, CEO, Piedmont Federal Bank
• Thomas J. Fraser, ABA Mutual Committee Chair; President and CEO, First Mutual Holding Company
• Warren Hrung, SVP, Head of Banking and Financial Services Research, American Bankers Association

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Rapidly Evolving Issues

Rapidly evolving issues are increasingly presenting compliance, legal and reputational challenges for all banks — especially mutual banks with limited resources. In this session, Meg McIsaac, President and CEO of Bluestone Bank, will discuss how mutuals can best address these issues with a panel of ABA experts.

• Lora McCray, SVP, Workforce Excellence, American Bankers Association
• Ryan Miller, Vice President, Innovation, American Bankers Association
• Joe Pigg, SVP and Counsel, Sustainable Finance and Mortgage Policy, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Meg McIsaac, President and CEO, Bluestone Bank

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking Luncheon

1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Regulatory Panel

Don’t miss this invaluable opportunity to hear directly from the regulators who oversee mutual banks. The panel, which will include representatives from federal and state prudential regulators, will offer an overview of regulators’ priorities and the concerns they see on the horizon.

• Kevin R. Allard, Superintendent, Ohio Division of Financial Institutions
• Michael Brickman, Deputy Comptroller for Specialty Supervision, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
• Bethany Manning, Assistant Regional Director, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• Michael Ravid, Assistant Vice President, Supervision, Regulation & Credit, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Moderator: George Hermann, Executive Chairman, Windsor Federal

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Removing Client Friction and Bending the Cost Curve

This mutual bank CEO discussion will share how a series of mutual banks have taken important steps to remove client friction, enhancing their ability to win new business and improve customer experience.

• Clayton Adams, President and CEO, Mascoma Bank
• Steve Lewis, President and CEO, Thomaston Savings Bank
• Paul Thompson, President and CEO, M2
• Moderator: Tom Long, Founder and Principal, The Long Group

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Break

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM

Creating Payments Advantages and Broadening Client Relationships

Learn how to prepare your institution for the future of payments and leverage your bank’s ability to compete for primary financial institution status among clients. You’ll gain insights from BayCoast Bank and Cambridge Savings on how they have effectively built strong client relationships and overcame the challenges faced by mutual banks.

• Nicholas L. Christ, President and CEO, BayCoast Mortgage Company
• Angela Conti, SVP, Head of Consumer and Small Business, Cambridge Savings
• Stephen Kenneally, Senior Vice President, Payments, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Tom Long, Founder and Principal, The Long Group

4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Looking to the Future: Mutual Advocacy

7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

The Forums Breakfast

10:00 AM – 10:05 AM

Welcome Remarks

ABA Emerging Leaders Council leadership, Noel Hansen and Ryan Coaxum, kicks off the 12th annual ABA Emerging Leaders Forum.

• Noel Hansen, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair; Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking and Sales Manager, Alpine Bank
• Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair-Elect; Senior Vice President, Community Development, Guaranty Bank & Trust

10:05 AM – 11:00 AM

Master the Game Within

The greatest challenge of our time isn’t technological — it’s psychological. As AI reshapes every industry, success depends on our ability to maintain clarity and purpose during constant transformation. This isn’t about resisting change; it’s about developing the mental agility to thrive in it. This session will help enhance your capacity to think clearly and adapt quickly, as it isn’t just an advantage — it’s a survival skill.

• Patrick McAndrew, Founder and CEO, HARA

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Competing in a Hyper-Distracted World: Attention, Action and Impact

Your clients and colleagues aren’t just distracted. They are hyper-distracted. To get ahead, you need to adapt — fast — to new ways of doing (and driving) business. This fast-moving session will equip you with tools to communicate with extreme clarity — so you can lead, influence and succeed in today’s dynamic world. You’ll leave with powerful, practical strategies to communicate for maximum impact that will advance your career.

• Betsy Hubbard, Founder, Mindset Digital

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking Luncheon

1:00 PM – 1:05 PM

Afternoon Opening Remarks

• Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair-Elect; Senior Vice President, Community Development, Guaranty Bank & Trust

1:05 PM – 1:30 PM

Leading for Today and Tomorrow: A Conversation with ABA Leadership

In this panel, you will hear from ABA leadership on how they navigated their career and lessons learned in being nimble, forward-thinking and collaborative while leading the banking industry into the future.

• John Asbury, ABA Chair; CEO, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Noel Hansen, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair; Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking and Sales Manager, Alpine Bank

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Fireside Chat: Amplifying Your Voice and Building Relationships to Influence Policymakers

Join us for an insightful fireside chat on the political landscape, the power of advocacy and the crucial role of relationship building in driving change. Learn how emerging leaders like you can find your voice, foster meaningful connections and effectively engage with policymakers to shape the future of the banking industry.

• Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY)
• Moderator: Kirsten Sutton, Executive Vice President, Congressional Relations and Legislative Affairs, American Bankers Association

2:00 PM – 215 PM

ABA Insight: Grassroots Advocacy

Join a panel of emerging leaders as they discuss their paths into advocacy and how their experiences as banking advocates contributed to the creation of ABA’s new Grassroots resources and tools. Discover how they leveraged their knowledge to develop these resources—and how you can use them to get involved and make a difference. Brought to you by ABA’s Emerging Leaders Council.

• Christina Geffrard, Vice President & Executive Assistant to Thomas Rudzewick, President and CEO, Maspeth Federal Savings 
• Matthew R. Vaillant, Chief Innovation Officer, North Shore Bank
• Moderator: Laura Lilly, Vice President, Advocacy & Political Affairs, American Bankers Association

ABA Insight: BankPAC

Learn how ABA’s BankPac supports the banking industry’s advocacy efforts. Discover its purpose, impact and the role it plays in strengthening our collective voice.

• Sarah Baker, Senior Director, BankPAC, American Bankers Association

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Networking Break

Refuel, mix and mingle with fellow attendees.

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

The Exchange Live: An Honest Conversation with Emerging Bank Leaders

Experience The Exchange—an online community platform—brought to life in an interactive discussion designed to inspire and connect. You’ll hear directly from emerging banking leaders as they share their career journeys, challenges and strategies for success.

• Margi Fleming, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Branch Administration & Marketing, The Citizens Bank
• Jennifer Huffman, Senior Vice President, Manager of Solutions Banking, Atlantic Union Bank
• Billie Jo Parker, Senior Vice President, Client Services Area Manager, Pinnacle Financial Partners
• Moderator: Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair-Elect; Senior Vice President, Community Development, Guaranty Bank & Trust

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

From the Ring to the Rainforest: Leadership Principles from an Ultimate Fighter’s Remarkable Journey

In his inspiring keynote, Justin Wren shares the rollercoaster of his life — from headlining UFC matches in Las Vegas to plummeting into the abyss of addiction and ultimately, finding redemption in Africa by helping those most in need. With raw vulnerability and emotion, he’ll share how he discovered the power to create change through personal accountability, resilience in the face of adversity, and profound gratitude for each new day. This keynote will ignite your determination to create meaningful change in your work, your life and our world.

• Justin Wren, Founder and Executive Director, Fight for the Forgotten