Keynote Speakers | Washington Summit

Washington Summit Keynotes

Angela Alsobrooks is a lifelong Marylander who was elected to the United States Senate in 2024. After graduating from Duke University and the University of Maryland School of Law, she worked as a law clerk in the Howard County Circuit Court, and later the Baltimore City Circuit Court. She went on to become the first full-time Assistant State’s Attorney to handle domestic violence cases in Prince George’s County. After holding roles in county government, Angela made history as the youngest and first woman to be elected Prince George’s County State’s Attorney. In 2018, Angela was elected Prince George’s County Executive. She honed in on driving up economic opportunity in the County, and within two years, she became one of the top job creators in the entire state.

Michelle W. Bowman took office as the Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on June 9, 2025, for a four-year term. Ms. Bowman has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System since taking office on November 26, 2018, to fill an unexpired term ending January 31, 2020. She was reappointed to the Board on January 23, 2020, and sworn in on January 30, 2020, for a term ending January 31, 2034. Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Bowman served as the state bank commissioner of Kansas from January 2017 to November 2018. She also served as vice president of Farmers & Drovers Bank in Kansas from 2010 to 2017.

Jonathan V. Gould was sworn in as the 32nd Comptroller of the Currency on July 15, 2025. The Comptroller of the Currency is the administrator of the federal banking system and chief officer of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC supervises more than 1,000 national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banks operating in the United States. Prior to becoming Comptroller of the Currency, Mr. Gould was a partner at the law firm Jones Day. He previously served as the Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel at the OCC and twice served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, including as its chief counsel.

Travis Hill was confirmed to a five-year term as the 23rd Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors beginning on January 2, 2026. Hill had previously served as FDIC’s Acting Chairman since January 20, 2025, and had also served as Vice Chairman since January 5, 2023. Prior to his terms on the Board of Directors, he was Deputy to the Chairman for Policy from 2018 to 2022 and, before that, served as Senior Advisor to the Chairman. In these roles, he oversaw and coordinated regulatory and policy initiatives at the agency and advised the Chairman on regulatory and policy matters.

Christie Huber Obenauer was born and raised in Hazen, North Dakota. After graduating from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, she began her banking career at what was then Norwest Bank in Fargo. She worked for a regional bank in the Boise market before moving back to her hometown of Hazen in 2002, where she continued her banking career at her family’s community bank, Union State Bank. Christie is the fourth generation in her family to lead their over 110-year-old institution. She is passionate about community banking, her community and her state.  

Kenneth Kelly serves as Chairman and CEO of First Independence Corp and First Independence Bank, a minority depository institution based in Detroit, Michigan. He is a respected leader in the banking community. Under his leadership, the corporation has doubled its book value over the past five years. In October 2025, he was selected as chair of the American Bankers Association, where he served as vice chair from 2023 to 2025 and as a board member from 2020 to 2023. In this role, he represented the voice of the nation’s $25 trillion banking industry.  

The CSBS Board of Directors appointed Brandon Milhorn President and CEO in December 2023. Milhorn has nearly three decades of advocacy, policy, legal, and regulatory experience, primarily in and around Washington, D.C., including five years in critical senior leadership roles with the FDIC, seven years in the private sector with Raytheon and over a decade of public service as staff director and chief counsel for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, general counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as an attorney at the CIA and in two prominent U.S. Court clerkships.

Catherine Owen is currently Chair, President & CEO of State Holding Company, which is the holding company for Eagle Bank & Trust Company, Little Rock, AR. She is also Executive Chair of the bank, which is 106 years old, $490 million state bank, with 13 branches in central Arkansas, and Mortgage Loan Offices in Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Mississippi. She has served in nearly every capacity within the bank, up to and including president and CEO. She served as Chair of the Arkansas Bankers Association (2018-2019) and remains the only female to serve in this position in its 136-year history. In October 2025 Owen was elected as Chair Elect of the American Bankers Association’s Board.  

On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Senator Rounds serves on five committees: Senate Appropriations; Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Indian Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 – 2011. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families.

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A gutsy trailblazer, Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour’s resume is an impressive collection of “firsts” including America’s first Black woman combat pilot. After her military service, FlyGirl revved up her career in the private sector as an entrepreneur, consultant to business, and author of Zero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter. As a speaker, FlyGirl unleashes hard-hitting advice and amazing anecdotes from her adventures on the battlefield and in business. She helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and build a sustainable inner force and conviction, that results in accomplishing significant goals.

David P. Barksdale serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Piedmont Federal Bank, a $1.3 billion mutual savings bank founded in Winston-Salem, NC in 1903. Piedmont Federal is the largest mutual in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia and recently expanded operations to the greater Raleigh, NC area through its acquisition of Wake Forest Federal Savings & Loan. Barksdale has spent most of his 38-year career in North Carolina community banking with roles in Credit Administration, Sales Leadership, and Strategy.

Allison Behuniak serves as Policy Director of the House Financial Services Committee, under Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR). Behuniak has worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a decade, serving on the House Financial Services Committee for half of that time. She most recently served as the Digital Assets Subcommittee Staff Director on the House Financial Services Committee, where she helped push forward then-Subcommittee Chairman Hill’s priorities. Prior, she worked on the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets and the Task Force on Financial Technology. She also previously handled the financial services portfolios for former members Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME).

Michael R. Brickman is the Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller for Community Banks at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). In this role, he oversees the supervision of national banks and federal savings associations with up to $30 billion in assets. He also serves as a member of the agency’s Executive Committee. Prior to this role, he was the Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller for Information Technology and Security and the Office of Administration, which included financial management, human capital, and administrative operations. Brickman also previously served as the Deputy Comptroller for Specialty Supervision responsible for Novel Bank Supervision, Technology Service Provider Supervision, Thrift Supervision, and Special Supervision in Midsize and Community Bank Supervision.

J.R. Buckner is the president and CEO of First Federal Bank of Kansas City, the largest independent depositor-owned community bank headquartered in Missouri. He joined the board in 2014 and leads an executive team focused on creatively meeting the capital and cash flow needs of businesses, helping individuals realize the American dream of home ownership and partnering with technology companies to deliver banking products and services in innovative, safe and secure ways. Prior to joining First Federal Bank of Kansas City in 2012, Buckner served in executive leadership roles at Bank of Lee’s Summit and First Community Bank.

Jeff Cardone represents community banks and other financial institutions, focusing primarily on transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, purchase and assumption transactions, mutual-to-stock conversions, mutual holding company formations and public offerings and private placements of subordinated debt/secondary capital. He also counsels financial institutions and their board of directors on regulatory compliance, corporate governance, SEC reporting, listing standards of national stock exchanges, state fiduciary duty law and executive compensation matters. Cardone regularly advises board of directors and management on strategic planning matters and new legal developments impacting their financial institutions. He also regularly speaks about mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, regulatory and compensation matters to various financial industry groups and has authored numerous articles and publications.

Ryan Coaxum is the Senior Vice President of Community Development and External Affairs at Moody Bank, where he leads corporate affairs and advances initiatives focused on economic opportunity, affordable housing, and financial literacy. He builds strategic partnerships across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors to deliver meaningful, community-centered impact while strengthening the bank’s brand and influence across Texas and beyond. He has been recognized locally and nationally for his business and community leadership, including honors such as 40 Under 40 and Savoy Magazine’s Power 300.

David Daraio serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Maspeth Federal Savings, a role he has held since 2013. Beginning his banking career with the institution in 1994, Daraio steadily advanced through roles in retail banking, internal branch operations, and branch management. He later served as Marketing Director before taking on executive leadership positions, which included acting as the association's first Chief Risk Officer from 2015 to 2025. Today, as Chief Operating Officer on the Bank's Executive Management team, he oversees critical departments including Branch Administration, Deposit Operations, Marketing, HR, Security, and Community Affairs. He is a 2010 graduate of the ABA School of Bank Marketing & Management and earned a diploma from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking in 2012.

Cynthia N. Day, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Trust Bank and Citizens Bancshares Corporation, joined the Company in February 2003. In February 2012, she became the first female Chief Executive Officer in the Company’s history. Under her leadership as Chief Executive Officer, the Company has reached many milestones including achieving its highest level of performance during its 100-year existence. Further, most recently, the Bank was ranked, by S&P Global, #16 in S&P Deposit Rankings for banks and #28 in the Top 100 Best Performing Banks under $3 billion in assets in the country. She was recognized as “Most Admired CEO” by Atlanta Business Chronicle and “CEO of the Year” by the Atlanta Business League.

Robert J. Dietel is an attorney and shareholder at the Concord, New Hampshire law firm Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, where he recently completed a five-year term as the firm’s President and Managing Director. His practice is deeply rooted in the representation of mutual banks, providing strategic guidance to institutions navigating complex regulatory landscapes and evolving corporate structures. Since 2009, Dietel has represented the New Hampshire Bankers Association, currently serving as its outside general counsel. His career has included numerous high-profile matters for New Hampshire banks, including as lead counsel in the successful formation of Walden Mutual Bank.

Chris Estrade began his career with Hancock Whitney Bank, then Hancock Bank, in November of 2005, where he serves as Vice President of Business Banking in Gulfport, Mississippi. Estrade enjoys serving his community and looks for opportunities to give back. He recently completed his term as the 2025 Chairman of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce, having previously chaired the chamber’s Small Business and Economic Development committee. Estrade is also proud to serve as a member of board of directors for Habitat for Humanity’s Bay-Waveland affiliate.

As Chief Financial Officer, Charles Field ensures that Penn Community Bank’s financial strategy supports steady, sustainable growth and long-term stability. A Certified Public Accountant, he brings more than 30 years of diversified accounting and finance experience across multiple industries. Field is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has presented at numerous industry conferences while participating in American Bankers Association working groups. He has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including as Treasurer of the Network of Victims Assistance (NOVA) and the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP).

Margi Fleming serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at The Citizens Bank (TCB), overseeing Human Resources, Marketing, and Branch Administration. In October 2024, she was honored in New York City by the American Bankers Association with the Emerging Leader Award in recognition of her leadership and contributions to the banking industry. Fleming’s career at The Citizens Bank (TCB) began in 2006 as a Mortgage Lender. She transitioned to Human Resources in 2008, took on Marketing responsibilities in 2012, and expanded her role to include Branch Administration in 2021. Demonstrating her commitment to excellence and continuous learning, she earned her Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP) certification in the summer of 2023.

As CEO of the largest member-owned mutual bank holding company of its kind in the Midwest, Thomas Fraser oversees the strategic vision and direction of First Mutual Holding Co. and works to empower member banks to live the mutual banking model. His role encompasses interacting with executive leadership and maintaining accountability with FMHC’s board of directors and member bank boards to ensure strategic alignment and strong results. He brings decades of financial services expertise to FMHC. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Fraser served as president of First Federal Lakewood and held chief operating officer and chief lending officer responsibilities for the bank.

Emelia A.S. Galdieri has served as the Bank Commissioner for the New Hampshire Banking Department since January 2022. She began her career at the Department in 2012, serving in the roles of Hearings Examiner, Legal Counsel, and Deputy Bank Commissioner. As Commissioner, Galdieri has advanced initiatives that drive state-led regulatory innovation, focusing on modernizing operations and enhancing efficiency. Under her leadership, the Department has transitioned from legacy systems to advanced digital platforms, streamlining processes and improving accessibility for stakeholders. Currently, Galdieri sits on the State Regulatory Registry, LLC (SRR) Board of Managers. Additionally, she serves as vice chair for District 1 of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS).

Noel Hansen has been a leader at Alpine Bank for more than 20 years, and her strategic initiatives have aided the organization in upholding its longstanding core values of Independence, Integrity, Community, Compassion and Loyalty. As a senior vice president at Alpine Bank, she leads a team of treasury management professionals and commercial sales specialists that help businesses streamline operations of collecting, distributing, and managing cash flow. Hansen has held many positions during her career at the bank—most notable are her roles as regional marketing director and branch manager of the Frisco location.

Sarah Harrison CB MBE joined the BSA as Chief Executive in December 2025. She is an experienced chief executive with over 30 years in strategic leadership roles as a public servant, working both for regulators and the government. Her previous roles include Chief Operating Officer at the Cabinet Office, Chief Operating Officer at the former business department (BEIS), Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission and senior roles at the energy regulator, Ofgem. Her earlier career was in government and public relations consultancy. Harrison has extensive senior experience of government and regulation, expertise in communications and corporate affairs and experience in leadership roles in relation to both consumer engagement and digital transformation.

George Hermann is Chairman of Windsor Federal Bank a $850 million mutual thrift institution in Windsor CT. He has more than forty years of experience in the financial service industry. Hermann is a Past Treasurer and Board Member of the American Bankers Association, and is also past president and board member of the CT Community Bankers Association. He served on the OCC’s Mutual Savings Association Advisory Committee along with a number of industry related boards and committees.

Alana M. Hill, PMP, CSP, is an international keynote speaker and change leadership expert, inspiring professionals to lead change in themselves and others to create resilient, inclusive, and competitive organizations. She is a passionate energy industry veteran who has paved the way for women leaders in tech. Her experience as an engineer and project manager in talent development provides real‐world insight into how people and teams can excel, even in uncertainty. Hill’s career has been marked by her leadership of diverse teams and the delivery of high-impact workshops worldwide.

Carl Hulse is the Chief Washington Correspondent of The New York Times and an acknowledged authority on the U.S. Congress and national political affairs. As a Washington journalist for more than 40 years, he has covered 7 presidencies and 20 congressional election cycles. He is the author of "Confirmation Bias: Inside Washington's War Over the Supreme Court," a critically acclaimed account of the history-making partisan battle over the makeup of the high court and the federal judiciary. He appears regularly on televised public affairs programs and has also served as the Washington Editor and Chief Congressional Correspondent of The Times. He is also the drummer for the NativeMakers, a popular Capitol Hill garage band.

Valerie Kovacs serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of First Mutual Holding Company, the largest member-owned mutual holding company of its kind in Ohio. She provides enterprise-level marketing leadership, aligning brand, growth and customer engagement initiatives across the holding company and its five affiliate mutual banks. A strategic marketing leader, Kovacs drives measurable business growth through data-informed, customer-centric strategies. She oversees brand transformation, enterprise marketing operations and product strategy, ensuring initiatives strengthen and sustain the organization’s mutual banking model. Prior to joining First Mutual, Kovacs was a Marketing Manager at Cleveland Clinic, where she led enterprise marketing teams focused on reputation growth, market preference and service line expansion.

Morgan LeClair is the Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management and Fraud Mitigation for Camden National Bank. She has spent the last 14 years working for community banks throughout New England and provides specialized knowledge in financial crime prevention and operational risk. LeClair strives to reduce fraud exposure while balancing customer experience and strengthening organizational accountability and risk culture. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she received formal recognition from the United States Secret Service for her contributions to pandemic fraud prevention. LeClair played a critical role in identifying, escalating, and disrupting large scale fraud schemes targeting government relief programs and financial institutions.

Jessica Rae Lovell is a senior banking leader, TEDx speaker, and Founder & CEO of Raevolution Speaking. She serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Customer Experience at First National Bank Texas, where she leads enterprise initiatives focused on customer satisfaction, omnichannel experience, and building a culture rooted in trust and people-first service. Over her 27-year career with the bank, beginning as a part-time teller at age 18, Lovell has advanced through multiple leadership roles, strengthening service delivery, improving operational efficiency, and developing high-performing teams that drive measurable results.

Pennie Lutz has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Richland State Bank since 2009 and is also responsible for managing the Bank’s investment portfolio, human resource and information technology functions along with lending functions as needed. Prior to joining Richland in 1996, Lutz was a commissioned examiner for the Sioux Falls, South Dakota FDIC office as an examiner in charge of both safety and soundness examinations and consumer compliance examinations. Outside of the Bank, she serves as an EMT on the local volunteer fire department, helps organize Bruce Community Club events throughout the year and serves on her local church council.

Bethany Manning joined the FDIC in 2001 and serves as an Assistant Regional Director in the Division of Risk Management Supervision (RMS) in the New York Region. She has supervisory responsibility for financial institutions in Maine, New Hampshire, northeastern Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Manning actively participates in regional mission-critical regulatory matters and oversees the Northeast New England Territory and San Juan Field Office. She also leads the New York Region’s Training Committee and serves on the Regional Review Committee. Manning held prior positions as the Boston South Field Supervisor, New York Region’s Regional Administrative Specialist, a Senior Examiner and a Supervisory Examiner in the Boston South Field Office, and an Examiner in the Boston North Field Office.

Jeff Marsico is a Principal at Wolf & Company and brings decades of expertise from The Kafafian Group, which was acquired by Wolf. At The Kafafian Group, Marsico oversaw all lines of business and areas of expertise with a focus on community bank strategy, profitability, and financial advisory. He has facilitated hundreds of strategic development engagements for community banks, resulting in documented, strategic plans that guide client employees and improve performance. Jeff has also negotiated, analyzed, and advised boards of directors on whole bank, branch, and fee-based business acquisitions, leading to successful transactions totaling more than $4 billion in value.

Alexander “Lex” Meagher is President and CEO of Kennebunk Savings, a Maine-chartered community bank. He joined Kennebunk Savings in September 2011 and has held several roles with the institution, including general counsel, compliance officer, and chief credit officer. Meagher is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and received his law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. An attorney and member of the Maine State Bar Association, Meagher has served as a law clerk for both the Maine Superior and Maine Supreme courts, and was a past appointee to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Lucas Miller is a cognitive scientist, author, and MBA faculty at UC Berkeley Haas. He teaches two popular MBA classes called "The Science of Productivity and Performance" and “AI for Personal Productivity and Performance” and has been featured in Wired and The Wall Street Journal. Miller’s current research focuses on the evolving interplay between productivity and technology, where he teaches organizations how to leverage AI as a cognitive copilot that can help us overcome the brain’s limitations and free up bandwidth for what matters most.

Kathleen Murphy is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Bankers Association, which represents banks of all sizes and charters and is the premier partner and trusted resource for the Commonwealth’s $602 billion banking industry. With a career spanning state and national banking associations, she joined MBA in 2020 following twenty-one years at the helm of the Maryland Bankers Association in Annapolis. Before joining the Maryland association, Murphy served as Director of Community Banking for the American Bankers Association in Washington, D. C. where she led the Association’s largest constituency group of community bank CEOs which influenced policy, education, communication and service strategies.

Charla Ouertatani is the Democratic Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee under Ranking Member Maxine Waters. In this role she manages a staff of 22 and designs, oversees and implements the Committee’s legislative, policy and oversight agenda. Under her leadership, the Committee established Congress’ first Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion; reauthorized the Export-Import Bank for 7 years; provided historic capital infusions for community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions; established the country’s first national emergency rental assistance program; released three landmark reports on diversity and inclusion; and held groundbreaking hearings with the nation’s major CEOs in the financial services industry.

Mara K. Pennell has over 20 years of progressive experience in the financial services industry, beginning in 2002. She is currently a Senior Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer III at Mascoma Bank, where she takes a collaborative approach to helping business customers succeed in an ever-changing market. She has an extensive background in commercial, residential mortgage and consumer lending. With her experience in portfolio management and credit risk, she finds joy in passing on her knowledge to the next generation of excellent bankers. Through her work she has been able to provide financing to area nonprofits and work with partner organizations to find solutions to the growing need for housing throughout Maine.

Mike Ravid is an assistant vice president for Regional & Community Bank Supervision in the Supervision, Regulation & Credit (SRC) department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He oversees the supervision of a portfolio of community banks in the First District that includes mutual banks. Ravid also oversees supervision of the first district service provider portfolio. He coordinates work on various risks related to community banks such as market, liquidity, and credit risk. Ravid joined the Boston Fed in 2002.

Vernon Roberts is an author, master instructor, coach and speaker. He is responsible for sales, finance, and HR operations for evoke virtual. Vernon founded Evoke Learning in 2003 after working 20 years in the banking and finance industry. His career, prior to Evoke, concentrated on such areas as retail sales and operations, finance, learning and development, and client relationship management. Vernon founded evoke virtual to help address the challenges that his clients experience managing and training a dispersed global workforce. In the face-to face and virtual classrooms, Vernon creates a positive learning environment and provides masterful coaching that allows participants to achieve rapid and permanent growth in their skills as communicators and presenters.

Brian Robinson, a director of human resources at Maine Community Bank, has more than a decade of experience driving talent strategy and employee engagement for financial services organizations. He is passionate about identifying and empowering next-gen leaders, building inclusive cultures, and aligning HR practices with business goals. His current focus is on helping professionals to show up with confidence, and to grow their influence and impact.

With over 25 years of progressive experience in human resources, Diahann Smith is an accomplished HR strategic leader specializing in talent management and organizational development. Currently serving as Senior Vice President and Human Resources Manager at National Cooperative Bank, she leads the bank’s HR strategy, including full-cycle recruitment, employee development, and the design and implementation of impactful programs. Throughout her career, Smith has been deeply committed to optimizing HR practices, leading the implementation of HRIS systems, developing human capital strategies, and partnering with leadership teams to drive employee engagement and organizational change. She has also played a pivotal role in implementing talent management platforms and overseeing training initiatives that support both employee growth and corporate objectives.

As CEO and President, Dave Thomas leads the EPG, Incorporated team with providing investment advisory and strategic consulting services to community-based financial institutions and select high net worth private clients. For over 30 years, he has worked closely with CEO, CFO and senior leadership teams, creating clarity and building and implementing actionable balance sheet strategies. His and EPG team’s collective specialized knowledge guides client understanding of the environments they operate in, the investment markets utilized, and creating balance sheet strategy that meet business and risk management goals. His career includes private investment and community based financial institution advisory with National bank of Detroit, Merrill Lynch, and EPG, Incorporated.

Ken Weinstein is president and chief executive officer of Newtown Savings Bank, a $1.8 billion mutual savings bank founded in 1855 and headquartered in Newtown, CT. He joined the Bank in 2011 following more than 20 years in a variety of senior roles at People’s United Bank in Bridgeport. Weinstein serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut, and on the Boards of Horizons SHU, the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Connecticut Community Bankers Association and Mutuals Matter. He is also a trustee and chairman of the finance committee at Berkeley College and a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Committee on Recommendation of Candidates.

Benjamin “Ben” S. Wheeler is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Piscataqua Savings Bank, one of the oldest and most community-centered financial institutions on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Before becoming President & CEO, Wheeler served as Executive Vice President of the bank. During his tenure he also held roles such as Vice President and Business Development Officer, giving him broad experience across customer service, business growth, and community engagement. Under his leadership, Piscataqua Savings Bank continues its mission of “community first” banking—balancing modern financial services with personal relationships and local decision-making. He champions a customer-centric culture where individuals are known by name and served with a blend of financial acumen and hometown care.

Dr. Fiona Wilson is the Director of the Sustainability Institute and Chief Sustainability Officer for the University of New Hampshire where she stewards UNH’s top national ranking in sustainability within higher education. Previously, Wilson was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of UNH’s Changemaker Collaborative, an interdisciplinary center which brings together students, faculty, staff, businesses, non-profits and government agencies committed to advancing positive change for the good of all. Prior to her academic career, she spent fifteen years in the business world, including as VP of Marketing for CMGI, a publicly traded internet investment and operating company, and in various roles at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising in London and Barcelona, working on global consumer brands.