We are at a tipping point for payments innovation, and it’s never been more critical that community banks have access to the strategies, technologies, and solutions that allow them to compete with the nation’s largest financial institutions and technology giants. Community banks have always had the advantage when it comes to relationships, across both consumer and business. But as expectations continue to rise, having the right tools in place is essential to staying competitive.
But to introduce the right strategic mix, community bankers need a leadership team who not only understands their unique needs but has been in their shoes, navigating the competitive payments landscape from a community banker’s position. That’s where the ICBA Payments Board of Directors comes into play, drawing on that intrinsic understanding to navigate today’s payments challenges.
Leading by example
Consider one of our newest additions to the Board: Trent Sorbe. As the chief payments officer at North Dakota-based First International Bank & Trust (Watford City, North Dakota), Sorbe leads the organization’s payments initiatives, including its Kotapay division, a top 40 ACH originator that settled over $124 billion in ACH originations in 2025.
Kotapay serves as a trusted leader in secure electronic payment processing, specializing in payroll processing and origination for over 107,000 employers with over 1.5 million employees nationwide. Since his arrival at FIBT in 2023, Sorbe has leveraged the platform’s scale and technologies to expand into multiple payment verticals, digital wallet initiatives, and more.
However, taking that leap toward business growth requires certainty of vision. Fortunately, Sorbe’s experience lends itself to confidence in following an innovative path: Prior to his tenure at First International Bank & Trust, Sorbe served as founder and CEO of a payments and technology company, where he architected their open API fintech marketplace and cloud-based banking as a service (BaaS) platform. Originally created as a division of another community bank, Sorbe led the organization from inception in 2014 and spearheaded its sale in 2022.
That entrepreneurial history and distinct perspective on community banking have driven Sorbe even further on a unique business path at First International Bank & Trust. For instance, under his leadership, Kotapay launched Kavinu, an embedded payments technology platform that redefines the BaaS model by removing unnecessary middleware and providing fintechs with direct access to Kotapay’s payments capabilities and the stability of a 116+ year old, fourth-generation bank partner.
Benefitting from experience
While not every community bank wants to become a BaaS provider or scale a payments division, the level of experience that Sorbe brings to the table enables a broader perspective on what’s possible with community bank payments. In short, ICBA Payments benefits from Sorbe’s input on the Board as we identify opportunities for supporting community banks into the future.
Because as we continue in this new chapter, ICBA Payments will use its Board of Directors, drawing on their distinct perspectives. We will rely on their diverse knowledge, deep experience, and varied expertise to ensure we have the right input to help you in shaping the future of your payments programs. As we move forward, we will leverage their input to evolve our offerings to ensure you not only can compete but thrive in today’s complex payments landscape.
For more information on how we can support your payment offerings, reach out to the ICBA Payments team.