40th Annual Connecting Leaders Conference

June 26-28, 2025 | Galveston


IBAT’s Connecting Leaders Conference gives up-and-coming community bank leaders the opportunity to network, learn from and develop personal relationships with their peers and tenured leaders in the industry—all while enjoying family time in an informal setting. Members and staff both enjoy the unique aspects of this conference that make it unlike any other event throughout the year.

2024 Agenda 

 

 Wednesday, June 26

 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.  Golf Tournament Check-in
 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Conference Registration
 1:00 – 5:30 p.m.  Golf Tournament (Shotgun start at 1:00 p.m.)

Thursday, June 27

 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Conference Registration
 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.  General Session + Breakfast Buffet
 Paige Velasquez Budde and Rusty Shelton, Zilker Media
 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Teddy Bear Mobile
 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Complimentary Brand Audit Sessions with Zilker Media
 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. 

 Concurrent Sessions and Tracks:

  • Leadership/Strategy: Managing the Balance Sheet in Uncertain Times
  • Operations: Leveraging Banktech Partnerships to Drive Success
  • Risk Management: UDAAP, It is not a Dance move!
  • Credit/Lending: Benefits of SBA and USDA Guaranteed Lending 
 11:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.  Kids' Camp (includes lunch)
 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.  General Session: The Secret to Building High Trust/High Responsibility Teams
 Christopher Williston, VI, Independent Bankers Association of Texas
 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.  Concurrent Sessions and Tracks:
  • Leadership/Strategy: Leading the Charge: Military Leadership Principles for Banking Success
  • Operations: Data Driven Targeted Marketing
  • Risk Management: Change Management
  • Wildcard: Behind the Curtain on PAC, Politics and the Political Process
 2:30 – 6:00 p.m.  Free for Family Afternoon
 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  IBAT Grand Slam Wiffleball, Dinner and More...

Friday, June 28

 7:00 a.m. – Noon  Conference Registration
 7:15 – 9:00 a.m.  Buffet Breakfast
 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.  Concurrent Sessions and Tracks:
  • Leadership/Strategy: Leadership Change on the Horizon?
  • Risk Management: Navigating Your Next Regulatory Examination: Stories from a Former Bank Regulatory Attorney
 8:00 a.m.  2:00 p.m.  Complimentary Brand Audit Sessions with Zilker Media
 8:45 – 10:15 a.m.  General Session: Insights in Leadership Panel
 10:15 – 10:30 a.m.  Coffee | Refreshment Break
 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.  Concurrent Sessions and Tracks:
  • Leadership/Strategy: Communicating in a Crisis
  • Operations: Reg E: Disputes and What Everyone is Talking About
  • Risk Management: Building a Culture of Cybersecurity
  • Credit/Lending: Behind the Headlines: Navigating Student Loan Debt for Bank Customers
  • Wildcard: Project Management Deep Dive
 Noon – 1:30 p.m.  Closing General Session and Awards Luncheon
 Dave Davlin, Guinness World Record Holder & Author
 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.  Concurrent Sessions and Tracks:
  • Leadership/Strategy: Building Culture Among Your Team
  • Operations: AI in Community Banking
  • Risk Management: Enhancing Third-Party Risk Management: How to Safely Onboard and Partner with Fintechs According to Updated Regulatory Guidance
  • Credit/Lending: Community Bank Lending Hotspots - Current Issues and Solutions (Panel)
  • Wildcard: Project Management Panel
 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.  Free for Family Afternoon
 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Hospitality Suite
 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.  Friday Night Fever Family Fun Night

 Saturday, June 29

 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.  Grab-and-Go Breakfast

2025 Event Sponsors

Strategic Sponsor
 


Diamond Sponsors

             

Gold Sponsors

                                  

                     

Silver Sponsors

ADVANTAGE, Powered By JMFA
CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)
CP Insurance Associates
Diebold Nixdorf
 

Fenimore Kay Harrison LLP
Glory Global

Holland & Knight LLP
IntraFi

Bronze Sponsors

AccuBranch
Agent IQ
Bedel Security
Data Business Equipment, Inc. (DBE)
Digital Onboarding, Inc.
Eide Bailly LLP


FIntegrate Technology
HC3
Kristopher James Company

LemonadeLXP
Revio Insight
 
 Blue Ribbon Sponsors
 
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