The Bolder Banking Podcast

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guest is Abby Tardiff, Community Bank President at ANB Bank. This episode is Part 2 of a Two-Part series on GSBC Strategic Topic Projects that are focused on staff development and retention with a strong connection to the bank's culture. I know you will enjoy this episode like you did the first one.

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guest is Amy Wolfskill, Senior Vice President, Business & Retail Banking at NebraskaLand Bank. This episode is Part 1 of a 2-Part series on GSBC Strategic Topic Projects that are focused on staff development and retention with a strong connection to the bank's culture. I know you will enjoy both episodes.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. Our guest on this episode is Colby Stephens, Manager, First National Bank of Omaha. Each new student who enrolls at GSBC is assigned to a peer group with nine fellow new students. With two virtual meetings before arriving on campus, the relationship building among students is accelerated, better preparing students to excel in the Annual School Session. One of GSBC's intersession projects is completed by members of each peer group. This project is an opportunity for collaboration and peer learning. The topic chosen by Colby and his peer group was how various degrees of economic outlooks impact bank forecasting models. In this episode, Colby shares what he and his peers feel banks need to react to different financial conditions.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Chris Hodges, Senior Vice President at Arvest Bank. Each new student who enrolls at GSBC is assigned to a peer group with nine fellow new students. With two virtual meetings before arriving on campus, the relationship building among students is accelerated, better preparing students to excel in the Annual School Session. One of GSBC's intersession projects is completed by members of each peer group. This project is an opportunity for collaboration and peer learning. The topic chosen by Chris and his peer group was Succession Planning. In this episode, Chris shares what he and his peers feel are the various facets critical to future-proofing the banking industry, including technological integration, regulatory challenges, and internal succession.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Josh Thompson, VP of Business Banking with Clear Lake Bank and Trust in Clear Lake, IA. With a unique start in the banking industry, Josh shares his journey from high school junior board member to his current leadership role. He also discusses the bank's innovative task forces, the impact of attending the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, and the importance of continuous improvement in community banking. Bolder Banking Scholarships are offered to co-sponsoring state bankers associations' member banks exhibiting innovative approaches to serving their customers, communities and local economies. Banks can then designate the scholarship to an employee of the organization to attend GSBC's Annual School Session.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Todd Taylor, Founder and President Of Taylor Advisors and a faculty member of The Community Bank Investments School sponsored by GSBC. In this episode, Todd talks about the value of The Community Bank Investments School and offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that banks face in managing their investment portfolios, emphasizing the significance of ongoing education and training. From discussing the evolving roles of investment portfolios in different rate cycles to addressing concerns and strategies for navigating industry challenges, Todd provides a comprehensive overview. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of community bank investments and how industry professionals can stay ahead in this dynamic landscape.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. Our guest is Natalie Bartholomew, Community President for First Community Bank in Northwest Arkansas. In this episode, Natalie shares her inspiring journey in banking, from being a fifth-generation Arkansas resident to her current role as a Community President at First Community Bank. She discusses the importance of community banks and their expansion strategies, touching on the crucial role of marketing and the impact of AI in the industry. Natalie delves into her experience as a faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking, shedding light on her teachings and the future of the banking industry. She also shares her passion for advocating for women in banking and the evolution of The Girl Banker platform into a supportive community for female Bankers across the country. Tune in as Natalie provides an insightful perspective on the future of banking and the empowerment of women in the industry. https://thegirlbanker.com

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Russell Cropanzano, professor of organizational behavior at the Leeds School Of Business at The University of Colorado. GSBC and CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business have joined forces to equip GSBC alumni with strategies and best practices to grow as community bank leaders. The Certificate in Executive Leadership is achieved by attending GSBC's alumni-focused Community Bankers Summit, hosted concurrent to its Annual School Session in July. In this episode, we talk about this program and we discuss the importance of leadership in today's challenging times.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Peter Cressy, Executive Director of the George Washington Leadership Institute. The GSBC Board of Trustees and Alumni Advisory Board recently met for their fall meeting in Mt. Vernon, VA and Peter led them through a day of leadership discussions centered around great historical leaders like Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Churchill. In my discussion with Peter we talked extensively regarding the importance of leadership, examples of how great leaders dealt with tough times and how Bank Leaders can lead during challenging times. https://www.gwleadershipinstitute.org pcressy@mountvernon.org

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Allyson Twiggs Dyer, Founder of The Twiggs Group, an agency with in-depth experience creating marketing strategies for the banking industry. In this episode we focus on all things marketing to include branding, websites, apps, e-mail marketing and social media. Allyson gives some great advice on what banks should be doing now and in the future.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Collin Eisenhart, SVP/Business Development Team Manager at FMS Bank in Greeley CO. In this episode we focus on the challenges of moving from a national bank to a community bank, the advantages a community bank has over a regional or national bank and we dive into the findings from his Strategic Topic at GSBC which focused on launching a small business growth initiative.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Tim Ohlde, President of Elk State Bank and CEO of Country Banker Systems. He is also a GSBC faculty member. Tim is the first guest that we have brought back for a second episode and during our conversation he showed why we did. We covered all things ag and Tim provided some valuable insights on where ag and ag lending is today and where they are going in the future.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Brad Spears, SVP/Director, Member Relationships at Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. Brad leads a team of ten relationship managers who serve nearly 1,300 members in 13 states. In this episode we focus on what the Federal Home Loan Bank System does for the Banking industry, how it responded to the SVB failure, how banks should be addressing their liquidity and what banks should be prepare for in their next bank exam.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Josie Bunch, Vice President of Strategy & Experience with The Graduate School Of Banking At Colorado. This was a great conversation in which we discussed the 2023 Annual Session, the concept of Bolder Banking and a new program offered by GSBC, Committed To Lead.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Kyle Thomas of the Appian Corporation. In this episode we focus on how technology is affecting all segments of the banking industry. Kyle has unique perspective, having been a Bank Examiner, a Vice President with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and now a leader at a technology company.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Matt Rathjen, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at Generations Bank. Once students complete their 2nd year at The Graduate School at Colorado, they complete a Strategic Project on a topic of their choosing. After completing his 2nd year at GSBC in 2022, Matt decided to do his strategic project on evaluating the future of banks less than 100 million in assets. Matt did a great job of researching this topic and I know you will enjoy the insights he shares.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Lance Nobert, Vice President at Elk State Bank and Gus Staahl, Special Asset Manager at The Bank Of North Dakota. Once students complete their 2nd year at The Graduate School Of Colorado, they complete a Strategic Project on a topic of their choosing. After completing their 2nd year at GSBC in 2022, both Lance and Gus chose the topic of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). I know you will enjoy this conversation where they share their thoughts about ESG and how it effects their bank and their community.

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guests are Renate Deininger, President and CEO at Iowa Trust and Savings Bank and Mike Armstrong, Vice President Of Lending at Iowa Trust and Savings Bank. In 2022,The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado (GSBC) established a new scholarship to recognize community banks across the nation for their innovative approaches to serving their customers and communities and helping build thriving local economies. Iowa Trust and Savings Bank was a 2023 Bolder Banking Scholarship recipient. In this episode Renate and Mike discuss the details of Scholarship application, to include the actions their Bank took in the early days of the Covid Pandemic.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast and our series entitled, “Your Future Self,” where we ask Community Banking Leaders what advice they would give to younger versions of themselves. Our guest on this episode is Kevin Erickson, SVP and Market President for Independent Bank. Kevin shares the work he has done as a Board Member and now Chair of GSBC, plus the work he has done with the Colorado Bankers Association. Kevin also gives some great advice to his younger self.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Audrey Davis, Experience Product Specialist at Blue Sky Bank and Patrick Tarrants, Senior Examiner at the FDIC. Audrey and Patrick are part of a Peer Group of 10 Students at GSBC. Members of all Peer Groups get an opportunity to know each other before arriving on campus for their first year. Peer Groups participate in a group project and Audrey and Patrick's group project centered on how Community Banks can use AI to their competitive advantage. We have all been bombarded with news about AI and how it will affect all industries. In the episode, Audrey and Patrick share some of the finding from their Peer Group on how AI will affect the banking industry.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Bolder Banking Podcast. We are launching Season 2 with a series entitled, “Your Future Self,” where we ask Community Banking Leaders what advice they would give to younger versions of themselves. Our guest on this episode is Sheila Noll, Chief Operations Officer at Midwest Independent BankersBank. Sheila shares the work she has done on the Faster Payments initiative and gives some great advice to her younger self.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Karl Nelson, Founder and CEO of KPN Consulting. Karl was instrumental in the conversations that led to the creation of GSBC's Executive Development Institute for Community Bankers and currently serves on the EDI faculty. This was a very thoughtful conversation where we discussed the top developmental needs for community bank CEOs, the importance of Bank Executives having a deep understanding of liquidity and credit, succession planning for community banks and what Bank Leaders of the future will look like

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Carle Churgin, Co-Founder and Majority Partner in Chain Reaction Partners, a firm that works with technical, scientific and educational organizations to bring out the best in leaders and teams. We focused our conversation on Carle's work as a coach at The Executive Development Institute For Community Bankers, a dynamic program offered by GSBC. We talked specifically about Talent Management and Succession Planning and how critical these are to the long-term success of all banks.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Dave Nowling who is the Leadership Chair and Faculty Member in GSBC's Executive Development Institute for Community Bankers. This was a great conversation where we discussed the details of EDI, including its origin, the data that has been gathered over the 10 years since the launch of the program, how the program's coaches focus on key characteristics when working with the participants, success stories and the finally the future of EDI.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Mike Jacobson, President/CEO of NebraskaLand Bank. Mike currently serves in the Nebraska State Senate. We know you will not only love the story of Mike's journey, but also his thoughts of how Bankers are uniquely positioned to add value as an elected official.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Tanya Mims, Fayetteville Community President at First National Bank of Northwest Arkansas. Tanya serves as a Fair Housing Commissioner, an appointed position in the state of Arkansas. I know you will love this episode as we discuss both the benefits and challenges of public service.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is John Day, President and CEO of First Security Bank in Oklahoma City. We know you will love this episode as John tells the story of how the bank became a Minority Depository Institution, the importance of the bank in the OKC community and he also shares how the best job interview he ever had eventually led to his current role as President and CEO of First Security Bank.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. As you know, The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado is committed to sharing bolder ideas and bolder perspectives from industry leaders. During this year's Annual School Session, students had the opportunity to nominate fellow students who are demonstrating these bolder ideas and perspectives. In this episode, we are featuring one of those nominees, Robin Banell. Robin is Executive Vice President and COO at First Enterprise Bank in Oklahoma City. We know you will enjoy this episode in which Robin shares an initiative she led to design and bring to fruition Virtual Telecommunications Rooms that customers, local small business owners and members of the Oklahoma City community will be able to utilize for meetings that will allow for virtual attendees.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. As you know, The Graduate School Of Banking at Colorado is committed to sharing bolder ideas and bolder perspectives from industry leaders. During this year's Annual School Session, students had the opportunity to nominate fellow students who are demonstrating these bolder ideas and perspectives. In this episode, we are featuring one of those nominees, Melissa Payne. Melissa is Vice President, Service Center and Virtual Banking at MidWestOne Bank. We were joined on the podcast by Ana Maria Senica, First Vice President, Regional Retail Manager, also of MidWestOne Bank. We know you will enjoy this episode in which Melissa and Ana Maria share MidWestOne Bank's initiative called R.I.S.E., which stands for Retention, Innovation, Support, Empowerment. They also have an initiative called Women of R.I.S.E. The focus of these groups is to talk about diversity, share ideas and make certain the bank is opening doors for all employees to help them move forward in their careers.

As you know, GSBC is committed to sharing bolder ideas and bolder perspectives from industry leaders. During this year's Annual School Session, students had the opportunity to nominate fellow students who are demonstrating these bolder ideas and perspectives. In this episode, we are featuring one of those nominees, Joe Fanning. Joe just completed his 2nd year at GSBC and is Senior Vice President of Retail for Bank Of The Flint Hills. We know you will enjoy this episode in which Joe shares how he implemented the delegation of bank-wide projects and programs to different branches. The results the bank achieved were awesome and the boost in engagement and morale were off the charts.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Stephen Postier, from Henderson State Bank, Courtney Parsel, from State Bank of Southwest Missouri and Mike Stevens, President of GSBC. In the first part of this episode, Stephen and Courtney share their experiences as participants of a strategic planning project sponsored by The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. This select group of GSBC Alumni formed The Signals Group focused on technology. Their task was to study technology innovations, their current applications in banking, technological possibilities in community banking and what it all means for GSBC. Mike joined me for the second part of this episode to share the exciting news on how they are going to expand this idea to include students of GSBC.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Jennifer Docherty and Terrie Spiro, Co-Founders of Bank on Women. Bank On Women is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating the community banking industry on the importance of adding qualified women to the Board and C-suite, and to developing and promoting women leaders in community banking, with the goal of increasing the number of qualified women serving on boards of directors and in executive management. This was an amazing conversation and we know you will be impressed with the important work the Bank On Women team is doing. https://www.bankonwomen.org

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Chris Craver, SVP, Head of Digital Products at Valley Bank. The focus of our conversation was how technology is affecting the banking industry. Chris has a unique perspective on this topic since he has a banking background and then spent many years in the tech world. Pay special attention to Chris' thoughts on what the banking industry is doing currently in terms of technology, but also what he believes the future looks like.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Tim Ohlde, President of Elk State Bank and CEO of Country Banker Systems. He is also a GSBC faculty member. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation. We started with an explanation of how the Country Banker tool helps banks and bankers better serve their customers. We then turned our attention to the topics Tim covers when he presents at state banking associations and banking schools when discussing ag lending. Those topics included energy, effect of the Ukraine situation, climate change, inflation and the future of ag lending.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Kent Curtis and Sherry Waner of 1st Southwest Bank. Kent is President and CEO and Sherry is Chief Development Officer of the bank. This was a fascinating conversation about what 1st Southwest Bank is doing as a CDFI, a Community Development Financial Institution. They have combined their CDFI certification with a nonprofit and a technology tool to help not only their underserved communities, but to also help other banks make loans that they normally could or would not. As you listen to the podcast, think about how you can help your customers by partnering with 1st Southwest Bank.

Our guest of this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Jon Scott, Professor of Finance at Fox School Of Business at Temple University. This was a fascinating conversation focused on the findings Jon uncovered in the research for his white paper, The Community Bank View of a Changing Tech Landscape.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Richard Hamm, President Of Advantage Consulting & Training. Richard has been training bankers for 29 years with a focus on Real Estate Lending. He teaches all over the country and serves on the faculty of GSBC. This was a fascinating conversation about all things Real Estate. Richard gives some great advice about what bankers should be thinking and doing in these unique times. Richard can be reached at advantagecons@bellsouth.net.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Jason Mork, Director at Piper Sandler. Jason is a graduate of GSBC and currently serves on the faculty of GSBC. This was a fascinating conversation in which Jason took us behind the curtain of what banks are doing in terms of their investment strategies. We also talk about the current state of the economy and what Jason thinks banks should be doing.

This is Chris Carlson and welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guest on this episode is Cassie Solomon, President of The New Group, a company that helps leaders and teams accelerate successful strategic change. We focused our conversation on the future and Cassie's role as a Futurist. Her definition of a Futurist demonstrates why she is so successful in helping companies and organizations think strategically about how the future will impact them. https://thenewgroupconsulting.com

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Don Musso, President at FinPro. Don is a sought after speaker at conferences all across the globe and has been on the faculty of multiple Banking Schools, to include GSBC. This was a fascinating conversation in which Don pulled no punches as we discussed the economy, the Fed, bank regulation, ESG and cryptocurrency.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Scott Hein, Emeritus Professor of Finance at Texas Tech University. Scott is a sought after speaker and has been on the faculty of multiple banking schools, to include GSBC. I know you will enjoy the conversation with Scott in which we discussed the economy, his views on inflation and interest rates, how the Federal Reserve is doing and his thoughts on what banks should be doing in the mist of all of this.

In the inaugural episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast, our guest is Mike Stevens, President of The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. In this epsisode, we not only discussed the programs offered by GSBC, but Mike shared his unique perspective of both the opportunities and challenges facing Community Banking.