Whenever you hear stories from people who have been to ICBA LIVE for the first time, they're just blown away from the atmosphere, from the camaraderie, from that one mission focus … It just makes such an impression that you will never be the same once you come to this event,” says Brad Bolton, former ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala.   In March 2024, Orlando plays host to thousands of community bankers looking forward to connecting, learning and pushing the industry forward.   Bolton and Lindsay LaNore, ICBA’s senior executive vice presiden ..read more

Technology is ever advancing, and it’s critical for community bankers to stay ahead of it. According to Dharmesh Mistry of FinTech Futures, a media platform dedicated to global banking and the fintech industry, three of those trends are generative AI, faster payments and the cloud.   “2024 can continue to be a transformative year for community banks. Cloud is a way to pursue that to drive down some of the costs, create some more efficiencies,” Mistry says. “It’s not just about pure expense reduction and revenue growth but creating more efficient operations, and I think that's a very inter ..read more

Connection is at the heart of what community bankers do. That’s one of the reasons that the social networking platform ICBA Community was created. And it’s not only creating online connections, it’s helping bankers build relationships with each other outside of the forum.   “It's been helpful right now just to have others that you can go to and really connect with,” says Leah Brink, marketing and training director of BankStar Financial and co-lead of ICBA Community’s marketing group. “I've seen examples to where people are reaching out to each other through the through the app, but then t ..read more

With hundreds of millions of cyberattacks happening each year, it’s critical for community banks to fortify their cybersecurity operations. While it may be tempting to go after the hottest new cyber protections, it’s important not to forget the basics, says Adlumin Inc.’s CEO, Robert Johnston.   “If you get the blocking and tackling done correctly, 85% of threats you can take off the table,” he says. “Get that right and you will save yourself a lot of pain from just brilliance in the basics.”   It can be daunting to figure out how to best keep your cybersecurity defenses strong, but ..read more

AI technology is growing exponentially. While it can bring many advantages to community banks, some bankers may have concerns about possible security issues. So, why take the risk if your bank is performing well? BAC Community Bank in Stockton, Calif., which worked AI-specialist fintech Agent IQ, was able to develop a thorough understanding of the technology and create better systems that benefited both staff and customers.   “We weren't really trying to solve a problem,” says Jackie Verkuyl, EVP/CFO of BAC Community Bank. “But it gave us this opportunity—that we could have better communi ..read more

“I think when you’re looking to buy any kind of a product, a data product,” says Kim Snyder, CEO of the fintech KlariVis, “you need to make sure that the vendor that you’re purchasing it from understands your industry and understands how that technology is going to be utilized in your industry.” Finding the right fintech for your community bank takes time, but Snyder and Alice Frazier, president and CEO of Bank of Charles Town, worked to create a partnership that has proved invaluable for both parties. Our two guests join Charles Potts to talk about the importance of budgeting for innovation ..read more

“You can go anywhere and get a loan,” says Dan Schopp, president and CEO of First Security Bank in Mackinaw, Ill. “I always say we don't want to be an ATM— just dollar dispensers. The biggest challenge is showing your customer, what value am I adding to you or your operation?”   Every year, Independent Banker ranks the top community bank loan producers of the year, and in this episode we’re lucky to have representatives of three winners with us. Schopp is joined by Mike Rizzo, senior vice president, chief banking officer of Five Star Bank in Roseville, Calif.; and Chris Benjamin, senior v ..read more

2“I just think it's so important to have that overall [compliance] culture at the bank, because then people are also more open and willing to come to you and say, ‘Hey, I have a crazy idea. Do you think this can work?’” Ann Buckmiller, director of compliance at Reliabank Dakota in South Dakota, says she has worked hard to integrate compliance throughout her community bank by building personal connections and leading with innovation.   She and her fellow Independent Banker 40 Under 40 winner, Carolyn Watson, marketing officer at Ambler Savings Bank in Pennsylvania, talk to ICBA’s ..read more

“We're not just seeking growth to grow and to reach a certain asset size, or reach a certain profit dollar amount. We're going to stick to our lending philosophy … and let it come as it may.” For State Bank of Texas, says president Sushil Patel, blind growth just isn’t in its business plan.   In this episode, Patel tells host Charles Potts why this immigrant-founded community bank has thrived by cornering the hospitality lending market and capitalizing on its leaders’ and board members’ own experience in the hotel industry.   Something’s clearly working: State Bank of Texas was recen ..read more

“What a great time for us to demonstrate who we are,” says Derek Williams. “What a great time to talk about what makes the community banking model different.”    The president and CEO of Georgia’s Century Bank and Trust and newly minted ICBA chairman believes that the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in late March are an opportunity—an opportunity to show that community banks’ relationship-based business model sets them poles apart from the risky practices of megabanks like SVB.   He and ICBA president and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey talk to host Charles Potts abo ..read more