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“Baby Stepping” Got Coastal Community Bank to BaaS - A Conversation with Eric Sprink, CEO
Host Charles Potts, CIO of the Independent Community Bankers of America, sits down with Eric Sprink to discuss his storied career and passion for community banking. This episode is brought to you...
Community Banking and Cryptocurrency – A Conversation with Quontic Bank’s Steve Schnall and ICBA’s Brian Laverdure
Host Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer of the Independent Community Bankers of America, talks with Steve Schnall, CEO of Quontic Bank about how the bank launched a cryptocurrency rewards...
Taking Bold and Brave Action for Community Banks – with Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of ICBA
Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of ICBA, talks with host Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer, about how and why ICBA made the decision to stand alone in public opposition to the...
Look Back, Look Ahead: ICBA’s Innovation Journey
This year we’ve redoubled our commitment to innovation—with the opening of our Center for Innovation, the rollout of two ThinkTECH Accelerators, and a host of specialized forums and...
Yield enhancer, or gimmick? Callable securities present risk and reward.
Most representatives of the broker-dealer industry have been suggesting to their customers, especially community banks, that their collection of bonds could be situated to perform pretty well in 2025.
Countdown to ISO 20022: Key Steps for Community Banks to Ensure a Smooth Fedwire Transition
With the Federal Reserve scheduled to convert the Fedwire Funds Service to the ISO 20022 message format on March 10, community banks have a few remaining weeks to ensure they are ready.
ICBA’s Regulator Day: Fostering Community Bank Innovation Through Industry Collaboration
Innovation never stops, but regulatory considerations can impede progress if not properly managed. That’s why it’s crucial to create dedicated spaces where innovators, regulators, and policymakers...
Vigilante justice?
While it will possibly take months and even the rest of the year to see the full shakeout, April 2025 was a laboratory for market efficiency. Some might contend there was an element of ruthlessness...
Building Bridges: How Community Bankers Can Leverage Instagram for Growth
Instagram, primarily known for its visual appeal, can be a powerful tool for community bankers to engage with existing customers, attract new clients, and showcase the human side of banking.
Building Stronger Community Connections: Leveraging LinkedIn for Community Bankers
LinkedIn, with its professional focus, offers a unique opportunity for community bankers to engage with their community on a personal and professional level. Here are a few tips to help you take...
Empowering Community Banks: Leveraging Social Media Influencers for Growth
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, community banks face the challenge of staying relevant and connecting with their audience in meaningful ways. One effective strategy gaining momentum...
Finding and Keeping Talent – With Kim Kirk of Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company and Tommy Marshall of Georgia Fintech Academy
A timely conversation about recruiting and retaining top bank talent in today’s competitive job market.
Partners in Fraud Prevention – A Conversation with Pioneer Trust Bank’s Betsy Steinberg and ICBA Bancard’s Rebecca Kruse
Host Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer of the Independent Community Bankers of America, talks with Betsy Steinberg, Vice President of Pioneer Trust Bank NA about the bank’s card fraud...
The Digital Transformation Journey Begins with the “People Factor”—with Kathy Strasser, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of IncredibleBank
“The people factor is about your culture,” notes Kathy Strasser, IncredibleBank’s Executive Vice President and COO. “You can have people with a digital mindset, but when you have a digital culture,...
Demystifying and Prosper: How Community Banks Find Success in Fintech Partnerships—with Greg Ohlendorf of First Community Bank and Trust and Joe Ehrhardt of Teslar Software
We have to demystify that fintech is complicated, or fintech is difficult, or fintech is risky or scary. Fintech, to me, is opportunity,” says Greg Ohlendorf, President and CEO, First Community...
Why Cybersecurity is No Longer Just an IT Issue—with Jeff Newgard of Bank of Idaho and Kevin Piette of State Bank of Cross Plains
“Today, in literal terms, everybody has to operate as that state-of-the-art bank,” says Kevin Piette, chief operating officer and chief information officer for State Bank of Cross Plains, in the...
What’s Ahead for ThinkTECH? — With Jack Hartings and Wayne Miller
ICBA announced it was bringing the Accelerator and all innovation activities in house. Our guests reveal the reasons behind this move and give a glimpse of how the association will develop...
Fighting the Good Fight — with Anne Balcer
Anne Balcer talks to host Charles Potts, ICBA’s chief innovation officer, about the value of her background as a community banker, the advocacy wins community banks saw last year, and much, much more.
Inside a Cybersecurity Collaboration —Bob Fisher and David Shipley
High-value vendor relationships work more like partnerships. At least, that’s certainly what Bob Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga State Bank in Spencer, N.Y., found when his bank hired...
Winning the Talent War — with Renee Peterson and Steve Farbstein
We started focusing on our employees and what they need as much as what we need,” says Steve Farbstein, Blue Ridge Bank’s chief revenue and development officer.
Why Today’s Innovation Is Tomorrow’s Normal—With Tim Shangle, AVP, Innovation and Data Analytics, ChoiceOne Bank
In this episode, Tim (a 40 Under 40 winner) joins host Charles Potts to discuss his role as an innovator — leading implementation of an online platform that overhauled the bank’s customer...
The SVB Fallout: An Opportunity for Community Banks to Shine? — with Rebeca Romero Rainey and Derek Williams
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.
What it Takes to Be a Top Lender — with Chris Benjamin, Mike Rizzo and Dan Schopp
“You can go anywhere and get a loan,” says Dan Schopp, president and CEO of First Security Bank.“I always say we don't want to be an ATM— just dollar dispensers. The biggest challenge is...
Why Cybercrime is on the Rise — with James Anderson and Robert Johnston
With hundreds of millions of cyberattacks happening each year, it’s critical for community banks to fortify their cybersecurity operations.
Connect With Your Fellow Community Bankers — with Leah Brink
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.
Fintech Trends For 2024 — with Dharmesh Mistry
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...
How Fintechs Can Elevate Community Banks — with Saroop Bharwani and Allan Rayson
Former ICBA chairman Brad Bolton and Lindsay LaNore, ICBA’s senior executive vice president, chief learning and experience officer, join Charles Potts to talk about their experiences at ICBA LIVE...
A Look Inside a Top-Performing Bank — with Sushil Patel of State Bank
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’...
A Bank Culture That Works — with Ann Buckmiller, Carolyn Watson and Lindsay LaNore
Ann Buckmiller, director of compliance at Reliabank Dakota in South Dakota, and Carolyn Watson, marketing officer at Ambler Savings Bank in Pennsylvania, talk to ICBA’s Lindsay LaNore and host...
How to Budget for Innovation — with Alice Frazier and Kim Snyder
“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...
How to Use AI at Your Community Bank — with Jackie Verkuyl and Slaven Bilac
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...
Where Community is Built — with Lindsay LaNore and Brad Bolton
Former ICBA chairman Brad Bolton and Lindsay LaNore, ICBA’s senior executive vice president, chief learning and experience officer, join Charles Potts to talk about their experiences at ICBA LIVE...
Why Fraudsters Love the Holidays — with Kausar Kenning
As the holidays approach, it’s time to stay even more vigilant against fraud. That’s because fraudsters are more likely to seek out vulnerable, lonely or busy people at the end of the year.
Looking Back at 2024 Advocacy Efforts — and Toward 2025 — with Rebeca Romero Rainey
We’ve seen a lot of shifts and change this year—the continued uptick in check fraud, the election, credit union acquisitions, etc.—but we community bankers are as steadfast, scrappy and...
Why is Check Fraud Such a Problem Right Now? — with Scott Anchin and David Long
Check fraud isn’t new, but it has re-emerged as a way for fraudsters to target community banks and their customers. That’s why ICBA brought check fraud to the forefront of its conversation with its...
Get Schooled on Banking — with Alexander Price and Stephanie Gambill
If you’re looking to advance your career, you may be thinking, “Where do I start?” But options abound — you just have to know where to look.
OCCIP Statement on the Department of the Treasury's Status
OCCIP Statement on the Department of the Treasury's Status The Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP) is issuing the following statement regarding the Department of...
Ensuring a commitment to DEI and the benefits it provides
A commitment to diversity and inclusion means more than just financial contributions – it extends into company culture, the company mission, learning opportunities, and servicing new markets,...
Banking on people: TCM Bank’s people-first culture key in handling pandemic disruptions
For the banking and finance sector, the pandemic ushered in a wave of disruption that forced clients and businesses to rely on digital offerings and industry professionals more than ever.
OCCIP: Microsoft ProxyLogon Update
OCCIP: Microsoft ProxyLogon Update The Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure (OCCIP) is closely monitoring the ongoing Microsoft Exchange vulnerability exploitation (ProxyLogon)...
Summit speakers: COVID-19 changed banking, payments
The COVID-19 pandemic altered customers’ expectations and the way they operate within the banking and finance sector, two presenters said Aug. 16 at the inaugural VenCent Fintech Summit held in...
Ken Singh Named to ICBA Independent Banker’s 40 Under 40: Emerging Community Bank Leaders List
Independent Banker magazine, the award-winning monthly publication of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), unveiled its annual 40 Under 40: Emerging Community Bank Leaders list.
What will bank customers be looking for in 2022?
Despite evolutionary changes since 2020 in how people earn and spend, the key to a community bank’s success in 2022 will be a few things: personalization of products and services and ease of doing...
Tips to help prevent fraud from TCM’s EVP, Chief Administrative Officer & Chief Credit Officer
As the holiday season is upon us, be sure to secure your accounts and protect your personal information. Here are some ways to help combat fraud this holiday season.
March Was A Mad Month
March Was A Mad Month Tina Giorgio: I attended my very first ICBA Community Banking LIVE® convention in San Antonio. During my banking career, I’ve attended many large conferences, but I must say...
Spotlight On: Damon Moorer, President & CEO, TCM Bank, N.A.
TCM Bank President and CEO Damon Moorer spoke with Invest: about the bank’s role in the community lender segment, while also addressing the impact from low interest rates and the PPP loan program.
Three Steps to Support Customers in Today’s Digital Environment
Three Steps to Support Customers in Today’s Digital Environment We are in unprecedented times. “Shelter-in-place” acts help slow of the spread of coronavirus, but at the same time, they inject...
ICBA Applauds House Passage of Bill to Restrict Mortgage ‘Trigger Leads’ Following Unanimous Senate Passage
ICBA applauded Congress following today’s House passage of the bipartisan Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2808), which will help protect the financial privacy of mortgage applicants.
‘Trigger leads’ grassroots action needed with House voting today
ICBA is calling on community bankers to urge their members of Congress to vote yes on “trigger leads” legislation scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives today.
FATF: North Korea, crypto crime are major threats
The criminal use of cryptocurrency is a major concern and North Korea is the biggest threat, the Financial Action Task Force said.
Senate passes stablecoin bill without ICBA-opposed credit card amendments
The Senate passed legislation to establish a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins without ICBA-opposed amendments to impose new credit card restrictions.
Fed to Congress: Will carefully assess data before more rate cuts
In considering the extent and timing of adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Federal Reserve will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of...
Independent Banker features year-round marketing strategies
The latest Independent Banker magazine offers year-round marketing strategies to help community banks connect with their communities.
Senate-passed GENIUS Act lays out stablecoin regulatory framework
ICBA pledged to continue working with Congress on legislation to establish a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins following Tuesday’s 68-30 bipartisan Senate vote to pass the GENIUS Act (S....
2025 Summer Internship Diaries - Vol. 1
This month, four interns and I joined ICBA! This is the first year that ICBA interns are located in all three ICBA office locations (Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Sauk Centre, MN)!
ICBA Applauds Interagency Request for Information Targeting Check Fraud
ICBA applauded regulators for announcing a request for information on potential actions to help mitigate risk of payments fraud, including check fraud.
Troy Cullen Joins ICBA Payments and TCM Bank as EVP, Chief Revenue Officer
ICBA Payments®, the payments subsidiary of the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA), today announced the appointment of Troy Cullen as executive vice president, chief revenue officer...
Senate unanimously passes ICBA-advocated ‘trigger leads’ bill
ICBA-advocated legislation to curb the use of mortgage “trigger leads” last week passed the Senate by unanimous consent after the House Financial Services Committee advanced its version of the...
ICBA Statement on Senate Passage of the GENIUS Act
ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the GENIUS Act.
Agencies request information on targeting payments fraud
ICBA applauded the federal banking agencies for announcing a request for comment on potential actions to help consumers, businesses, and financial institutions mitigate risk of payments fraud, with...