October 27 – 29, 2024
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
Scottsdale, AZ
COMMUNITY BANKS: Stable and Here to Stay
DAY I – SUNDAY, October 27, 2024
4:00 to 5:00pm – WSDEF Board meeting – Greenway Boardroom (lower level)
4:30 to 6:30pm – Registration – Herberger Foyer West (lower level)
6:00 to 8:00pm – Welcome Reception – Marshall’s Outpost Pavilion (outside)
Respectively-Adults Only
Experience a beautiful Scottsdale autumn evening amidst the bistro lights and background music, mingle with new and old friends while enjoying cocktails and an abundant supper.
DAY II – MONDAY, October 28, 2024
7:00am to 3:15pm – Registration – Herberger Foyer West (lower level)
7:00 to 8:15am – Breakfast – Northern Sky Terrace (outside)
8:30am to 3:15pm – General Session – Herberger 1, 2, 3 (lower level)
8:30am – Welcome
Andy Miller, Chairman of the Board, Western States Director Education Foundation
President, Sundance State Bank, Sundance, WY
Moderator
Christopher (Chris) Moya, Board Member, Western States Director Education Foundation
President and CEO, Independent Community Bankers Association of New Mexico, Farmington, NM
8:45 to 10:00am – Economic Realities in 2024: Inflation, Interest Rates and the “Illusion” of a soft Landing
Dimitri N. Delis, Ph.D., Managing Director, Director of Fixed Income Research, Piper Sandler Financial Strategies
To be sure, the labor market and consumer spending remain unexpectedly resilient, but at this stage of the Fed hiking cycle they usually are. With several well-established recession indicators flashing red, the odds of a significant slowdown in 2024 is extremely high. Collectively these signals have not been wrong in the past. In this presentation, we will examine the potential rise of deflation as a major risk in 2024 and discuss why the recent significant rise in long-term yields doesn’t necessarily indicate the beginning of a bear market in bonds. Furthermore, we will discuss how the ongoing reduction of the Fed’s balance sheet will impact the banking system.
10:00 to 10:20am – break
10:20 to 11:45am- PANEL – Succession Management, Retention and Recruitment
Moderator – Greyson E. Tuck, Attorney and Consultant, Gerrish Smith Tuck, Memphis, TN
Panelists:
Tech: Anne Benigsen SVP–CIO & CISO of Bankers’ Bank of the West and President of CivITas Bank Solutions, Denver, CO
Outside Director: James Durfee, Sundance State Bank and Holding Company, Sundance, WY
HR: Sally Minihan-Ayers, Senior Vice President-CHRO, Hilltop National Bank, Casper, WY
11:45am to 1:00pm – Lunch – Northern Sky Terrace (outside)
1:00 to 2:00pm – Forecasting the Future of Community Banking
Michael L Stevens, President & CEO, Graduate School of Banking at Colorado
An important principle of GSBC programming is to foster an innovative learning environment which encourages community bank leaders to innovate and co-create a positive future. Mike will share established methodologies and processes learned from these discussions. Participants can expect to broaden their thinking about obstacles and possibilities, be exposed to these processes so they can utilize in their own banks and begin to strategize a desired future for their organizations.
2:00 to 2:15pm – break – topics
2:15 to 3:15pm – Riding the Risk/Reward Wave of Artificial Intelligence
Jimmy Sawyers, Chairman & Co-Founder, Sawyers & Jacobs LLC
Join Jimmy Sawyers as he discusses the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the banking environment and how this new technology can improve efficiency, mitigate risk, and enhance the performance of your bank. Learn how your bank can craft an actionable AI strategy and balance the risk/reward proposition that AI represents.
As bankers navigate this new technology, Jimmy will discuss the cybersecurity and fraud implications of AI, as well as how certain applications can help bank management increase revenue while reducing costs. Leave this session with practical takeaways from one of the most informed and independent voices in the banking industry and an enhanced understanding of how your bank can be ready to ride the wave of AI, setting up your bank for growth and high performance while mitigating risk.
DAY III – TUESDAY, October 29, 2024
6:45 to 7:45am – Breakfast – Northern Sky Terrace (outside)
8:00 to 11:30am – General Session – Herberger 1, 2, 3 (lower level)
8:00 to 9:00am – Long-term Trends in Community Banking
Ryan Harwell, Vice President – Examinations and Inspections, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Over recent decades, major fiscal, monetary and regulatory policy changes have presented community bankers with a steady flow of new challenges. In 2024, there are some signs of relative stabilization, and community bank balance sheets and income statements look different than they have in several years. This session will offer perspective on long-term financial trends, regulatory responses to shifting risks, and recent business strategies deployed by community banks. The session will also focus on critically important risk management and governance considerations from a bank supervision and regulation perspective.
9:00 to 9:15am – break
9:15 to 10:15am – Updates from the Hill
Jenna Burke, EVP, General Counsel, Government Relations & Public Policy, Independent Community Bankers of America
This session will provide a community bank update covering hill updates, regulatory hot topics in both compliance and safety and soundness, and the status quo of national litigation affecting the community banking industry and the federal regulatory agencies.
10:15 to 10:30am- break
10:30 to 11:30am – The Undeniable, Jaw-Dropping Power of Encouragement
The business strategy you cannot afford to ignore
Brad Montgomery, Certified Speaking Professional
Your people are your most valuable resource. It’s time to invest in them now. Encouragement is the best place to start because it’s free, it’s easy, it’s underused, and it’s proven. Organizational Benefits Include increased performance, job satisfaction, loyalty, recruitment, retention and productivity. Picture a workplace where everyone feels valued and significant, where loyalty and job satisfaction reach unprecedented heights, and productivity flourishes. Achieving this is attainable by emphasizing the positive impact of encouragement among your team. In today’s high-performance business environments, fostering loyalty, trust, and unwavering commitment is essential. Encouragement serves as a catalyst, driving innovation, turning challenges into opportunities, and setbacks into pathways for growth.
Brad Montgomery is a proven, award-winning business keynoter who makes this program come to life. Not only is Brad really funny (he got his start as a professional comedian and magician), but he uses story and humor to illustrate ways to improve our ability to harness encouragement to improve ourselves and those people around us.