Tracks & Breakout Sessions

If you're wondering what other compliance officers are watching, worrying about and preparing for, this is the session for you. As regulatory expectations continue to shift and new risks emerge, community banks must balance compliance responsibilities with operational realities.

In this interactive panel discussion, experienced compliance professionals will share the issues rising to the top of their risk radar and the challenges they're actively working through today. Attendees will hear how peer institutions are approaching examination trends, regulatory developments, operational hurdles and emerging areas of concern. Whether you're a seasoned compliance officer or new to the role, you'll leave with a better understanding of the issues shaping compliance programs today and ideas to help your bank prepare for what's next.

Customers have more choices than ever before. They can compare rates, research products and gather information long before they ever walk through your doors. In that environment, relationships remain one of the few competitive advantages community banks can truly own.

In this session, Mark will explore how relationship managers and lenders can move beyond transactional conversations and become trusted advisors to their customers. Mark will share strategies for preparing more effectively for customer meetings, asking questions that reveal business goals and challenges, and listening for insights that lead to stronger customer relationships. Attendees will leave with proven approaches for conducting more effective customer conversations, identifying needs that might otherwise go unnoticed and building relationships that extend beyond individual products or transactions.

No bank expects to experience a cyber incident, but every bank should be prepared for one. When an event occurs, the speed and effectiveness of your response can make all the difference in limiting disruption, protecting customer trust and getting operations back on track.

In this session, Cal will walk through the key elements of a strong incident response program and the steps banks should take before, during and after a cyber event. Using real-world examples and lessons learned, attendees will learn how to address common response challenges, minimize disruption and improve coordination across their organization. Participants will leave with proven approaches for strengthening their bank's readiness and greater confidence in their ability to respond when every minute counts.

In today’s competitive world, there’s no time to recover from setbacks slowly. The research-based strategies from Courtney’s new book, The Successful Struggle, will have your team managing change, chaos, conflict and life’s other challenges in the fastest, most productive way possible. Building resilience means developing new behavior patterns in tough times, and Courtney will show you the research behind the quickest ways to get back on track and be successful, no matter the challenges you face in life and work.

Attendees will explore the benefits of connecting with the purpose behind change, strategies for maintaining personal power and a sense of control during times of change and chaos, and Courtney’s “Stop, Drop and Roll” technique for managing challenges when life and work become overwhelming.

For decades, reputational risk has influenced how banks evaluate customers, business relationships and strategic decisions. Now, federal banking regulators are signaling a shift in how reputational risk is viewed within the supervisory process, while policymakers continue to debate the role banks should play in providing access to financial services.

In this session, Kyle will break down recent regulatory actions, the ongoing discussion surrounding debanking and what these developments could mean for community banks. Attendees will learn how supervisory expectations may be changing, where questions and uncertainties remain and how banks can navigate this evolving environment while balancing risk, compliance and business objectives.

A bank's greatest asset isn't found on a balance sheet. It walks through the front door every morning. Yet many leaders spend more time managing results than developing the individuals responsible for achieving them. Strong teams don't happen by accident. They are built through intentional coaching, clear expectations and ongoing investment in employee growth.

In this session, Mark will challenge leaders to think differently about their role in developing talent and maximizing team performance. Attendees will learn how to evaluate individual strengths and opportunities for growth, have productive conversations that encourage accountability and create development plans that help employees reach their full potential. Participants will leave with a framework for building stronger teams, developing future leaders and creating a culture where both employees and the organization can thrive.

Treasury management plays an increasingly important role in relationship growth, customer retention and non-interest income. Yet many banks face the same questions: Which services are gaining traction? What are customers asking for? And where should we focus our time and resources?

This interactive roundtable brings community bankers together to discuss the opportunities, challenges and trends shaping treasury management today. Participants will share experiences, compare approaches and explore what's working at their banks. Whether you're looking to grow treasury management services, increase customer engagement or better understand where the industry is headed, this session offers a chance to learn from peers and continue the conversation long after the conference ends.

Community banks have always competed for talent, but today's workforce presents new challenges and new expectations. Employees are looking for more than a paycheck. They want opportunities to grow, leaders who invest in their success and a workplace culture that supports both personal and professional development.

In this session, Dr. Chittenden will explore the role leadership plays in attracting, developing and retaining high-performing employees. Attendees will examine the factors influencing workforce decisions, discuss strategies for strengthening employee engagement and consider how leadership actions shape workplace culture. Whether you're leading a department, managing a team or planning for future growth, this session will help you think differently about one of your bank's most important competitive advantages: its people.

Community banks are being asked to make more decisions, more quickly and with more data than ever before. At the same time, new technologies are creating opportunities to better serve customers, improve efficiency and uncover insights across the organization. The challenge is making sure the information behind those decisions is accurate, secure and reliable.

In this session, Sean will explore how effective data governance supports both innovation and compliance. Attendees will discuss common challenges related to data quality, ownership, security and privacy, along with considerations for building a stronger foundation for future growth. As banks continue investing in analytics, automation and emerging technologies, this session will focus on the work that needs to happen behind the scenes to make those investments successful.

Some of the biggest conversations shaping the future of community banking are happening around stablecoins, tokenized deposits and digital payments. While the technology continues to evolve, community bankers are left with an important question: What does this mean for my bank?

In this session, Julie and Charles will explore the opportunities, challenges and potential implications of on-chain financial services. Attendees will discuss how stablecoins and tokenized deposits work, why interest in these technologies continues to grow and where community banks fit into the conversation. Whether you're just beginning to explore these concepts or actively evaluating their potential impact, this session will help attendees cut through the noise and better understand what's happening, where the industry is headed and why it matters.

The fraud threats facing community banks today look very different than they did just a few years ago. Criminals are becoming more sophisticated, technology is creating new opportunities for fraud and customers are often the first targets. The schemes making headlines today may not be the ones keeping you up at night tomorrow.

In this session, Harrison will discuss emerging fraud trends, evolving attack methods and the risks community banks should be watching closely. Attendees will examine how fraud schemes are changing, where banks remain vulnerable and what steps can be taken to strengthen prevention and response efforts. This session will challenge attendees to think beyond today's fraud risks and consider what may be coming next.

Fraudsters only have to be right once. Banks have to be right every time. As organized financial crime continues to evolve, staying informed about emerging threats has become a critical part of protecting both banks and customers.

In this session, Robert Wagner of the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) will share real-world case studies involving skimming, wire fraud, ATM crimes and other criminal schemes affecting financial institutions today. Attendees will hear how these crimes are carried out, the trends law enforcement is tracking and the warning signs banks should be watching for. This session offers a rare opportunity to see financial crime from the investigator's perspective and understand the threats law enforcement is watching most closely.

Every economic forecast comes with one big disclaimer: things can change. And over the last several years, they have. As community banks navigate questions around interest rates, inflation, credit quality and economic growth, staying informed is only part of the challenge. Understanding what those trends mean for your bank is where the real value lies.

In this session, Dillon will break down the economic forces shaping today's banking environment and discuss what community bankers should be watching in the months ahead. Attendees will explore the trends influencing markets, businesses and consumers while considering how changing economic conditions may affect decision-making across their institution.

Winning a new customer feels like a victory. Losing them before they become fully engaged is a missed opportunity many banks never see coming. As customer expectations continue to evolve, community banks are rethinking how they build relationships from the very first interaction.

In this session, Ted will explore how banks can create customer journeys that strengthen engagement from day one. Attendees will discuss how communication strategies, customer behavior and data can help identify needs, build trust and encourage long-term loyalty. This session will challenge attendees to think beyond account opening and focus on what it takes to become a customer's primary bank.

Behind every successful leader is a collection of people who challenged them, encouraged them and helped them grow. While careers are built through hard work and determination, mentorship often plays a defining role in helping leaders reach their full potential.

In this session, attendees will hear from both a mentor and mentee as they share their experiences, lessons learned and the impact the relationship had on their personal and professional development. Through a moderated conversation with Abbey Carnes, Brad Womack and Kaci Klaeger will explore what makes mentorship successful, the impact a trusted advisor can have on a career and why investing in others remains one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the future of community banking.