Flying High During Turbulent Times
October 29 – 31, 2023
SUNDAY, October 29, 2023
4:00 to 5:00pm – WSDEF Board meeting
4:30 to 6:30pm – Registration
6:00 to 8:00pm – Welcome Reception
MONDAY, October 30, 2023
7:00am to 3:30pm – Registration/Meeting Planner Station
7:00 to 8:15am – Breakfast
8:30am to 3:30pm – General Session
8:30am – Welcome
Bruce Hellbaum, Chairman of the Board, Western States Director Education Foundation
President and CEO of RNB/Front Range State Bank, Longmont, CO
Symposium Moderator
Christopher (Chris) Moya, Board Member, Western States Director Education Foundation
President and CEO of Independent Community Bankers Association of New Mexico, Farmington, NM
8:45 to 10:00am – A Tale of Economic Metrics: Understanding Current and Potential Future Economic Conditions
Thomas F. Siems, PhD, and Chief Economist, Conference of State Bank Supervisors
What indicators should be used to understand current and future economic conditions? In this session, participants will (1) get an overview and outlook for the national economy, including economic insights for Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico; (2) understand various perspectives on what defines an economic recession; and (3) recognize the importance of several unique economic indicators that can be used to better understand economic conditions.
10:00 to 10:20am – break
10:20 to 11:45am – PANEL
Directors Address Board Governance
Moderator – Jeffrey C. Gerrish, Gerrish Smith Tuck Consultants, LLC / Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC
Panelists:
Ruth Christopher, EVP & CFO, Citizens Bank of Las Cruces, Las Cruces, NM
Lee Glenn, Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee, Platte Valley Bank, Scottsbluff, NE
Ed MacArthur, Chairman of the Board, Yampa Valley Bank, Steamboat Springs, CO
Dave True, Chairman of the Board, Hilltop Bank, Casper, WY
Incorporating current trends, the community banker panel will take a look at the essentials; liability, corporate structure and compensation. They will address common questions such as how to find and retain excellent board members, including their experience of what a new bank director needs to focus on, and action steps to efficiently bring them up to speed. The dialogue will also include effective board committee structure including the duties, responsibilities, and expectations of various committees for different sized banks.
11:45am to 1:00pm – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00pm – Portfolio Management in Evolving Rate Cycles
James L. Reber, CPA, CFA, President, and CEO, ICBA Securities
Rarely, if ever, have community banks been faced with the volatility of the last two years. The bad news and the good news is interest rates have shown a bright light on the bond portfolio, which quickly went underwater last year, but is poised to take advantage of the attractive rate environment. We will review recent investment performance and make suggestions about how to invest in the currently-available yields. We will also comment on best practices for liquidity management, which is another hot topic for portfolio managers and regulators.
2:00 to 2:15pm – break
2:15 to 3:15pm – The U.S. Economy and Banking Conditions
Esther L. George, former President and CEO, The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Today’s economic and financial landscape have important implications for community banks. From monetary policy to regulatory and technological dynamics, the role of bank directors has never been more essential to the future of community banking. Understanding the influence of economic policy and regulatory demands can position bank leaders to continue to serve the critical needs of communities across the country.
TUESDAY, October 31, 2023
6:45 to 7:45am – Breakfast
8:00 to 11:30am – General Session
8:00 to 9:00am – Cyber Security and Open Banking: What are the Risks?
Robert Siciliano, Cyber Security Speaker, ProtectNowLLC
Risk? What could possibly go wrong? Open Banking refers to the practice of opening up access to a financial institution’s data and services through application programming interfaces (APIs) to third-party developers and companies, enabling them to create innovative financial products and services for customers. Experts say Open Banking increases the risk of cyber threats and fraud as more parties are involved in financial transactions and data sharing. In this program you will understand what it means to mitigate these risks or at least understand what your IT people should be engaged in to prevent a breach. We will discuss the importance of establishing strong partnerships with trustworthy third-party providers to ensure that the bank’s reputation is not adversely affected by any data breaches or cyber attacks.
9:00 to 9:15am – break
9:15 to 10:15am – A Confusion of CBDCs: What is Really Going On?
Dr. Franklin Noll, Payments Specialist Expert/Lead, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
There is a lot of confusion surrounding central bank digital currencies. For many, there is an uncertainty of what exactly a CBDC is and what it can do. And, even those in the CBDC field can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of projects going on around the world. Join a CBDC expert as he cuts through the fog and presents what is really going on in the world of CBDCs and highlights the real issues involved in CBDC development.
10:15 to 10:30am– break
10:30 to 11:30am – Business as Unusual: How to Future-Proof Your Community Bank in Transformational Times
Jack Uldrich, Futurist & Author
The world has catapulted into a future of deep change. In this engaging, entertaining, and enlightening keynote session acclaimed global futurist and best-selling author Jack Uldrich will show how the world of tomorrow is exponentially changing and explain why many of the trends will continue to accelerate. History reminds us that great challenges produce great change – as well as great opportunities. To take advantage of these extraordinary opportunities, businesses (and community banks) must position themselves to operate in a world where “business as unusual” is the new “usual.” This session will help leaders at every level of an organization navigate this change by leveraging ten “unconventional” techniques to succeed in today’s–and tomorrow’s–transformational times.
Agenda Subject to Change