Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa, Arizona
October 26 – 28, 2025
PEOPLE: The Community Bank Advantage
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2025
4:00 to 5:00pm – WSDEF Board Meeting – Dunes AB
4:30 to 6:30pm – Registration – Palm Grove (adjacent)
6:00 to 8:00pm – Welcome Reception – Palm Grove (outside)
Respectively, for Adults and Registered Guests
A casually elegant reception awaits you, bringing new and longtime friends together featuring an abundance of delicious fare while enjoying the sophisticated sounds of Spanish guitarist, Miguel de Maria.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025
7:00 to 8:00am – Registration – Vaquero A&E (lower level)
7:00 to 8:15am – Breakfast – Vaquero E1 to G2 (inside – lower level adjacent to Vaquero ABC)
8:15am to 3:30pm – General Session – Vaquero ABC (lower level)
What’s Right and What’s Wrong With the U.S. Economy?
Stephen Happel, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business
What is the Next Chapter for Your Bank?
Philip K. Smith, Chairman & CEO, Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC
Not Just Buzzwords – How Community Banks Can Utilize AI, Stablecoins & Other Digital Trends
Carey Ransom, Managing Director, BankTech Ventures
12:15 to 1:15pm – Lunch – Terrace Court (outside)
Navigating Fraud, Cybersecurity, and the Impact of Emerging Technologies in Banking
Paul Benda, EVP, Risk, Fraud & Cybersecurity, American Bankers Association
Keynote Session – Good People Win
Dave Martin, Speaker, Writer, Bank Advocate
bankmechanics
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2025
6:30 to 7:45am – Breakfast – Vaquero E1 to G2 (inside – lower level adjacent to Vaquero ABC)
8:00 to 11:30am – General Session – Vaquero ABC (lower level)
Amplifying the Community Bank Impact
Rebeca Romero Rainey, President & CEO Independent Community Bankers of America
Artificial Intelligence and Community Banking
Chris Tuzeneu, CISA, C|EH, VP-Information Security, CivITas Bank Solutions
Closing levity provided by the Outcasters Improv Troupe
Spouses and guests are welcome and encouraged to join this session!
Enjoy The Outcasters improv comedy show for our closing session. No scripts. No plans. No safety net. Every scene, every situation, and every ridiculous twist is made up on the spot, making each show a one-of-a-kind experience!
*Agenda subject to change