About us
The Community Bankers Association of Oklahoma is a member-driven trade association. It is funded by the membership dues of community banks owned or chartered in the State of Oklahoma. Voting membership is not open to large, out-of-state mega-banks, even if they operate branches in Oklahoma.
CBAO is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, conferences and conventions, and high-quality products and services.
- CBAO members enjoy Legal and Regulatory Support from outstanding banking attorneys, General Counsel Paul Foster and attorney Carrie Foster, available at no cost to answer general state and federal legal/regulatory banking questions.
- CBAO Governmental Relations team consists of CBAO President & CEO Craig Buford, former State Representative Greg Piatt, Sydney Hill, and volunteer banker leadership. A team that advocates for community banking and has a strong presence at the Oklahoma legislature.
- Strong Presence in Washington, DC - CBAO is a member of and works alongside the Independent Community Bankers Association of America (ICBA) on key banking issues at the national level, along with its state community bank association counterparts.
- CBAO provides Quality Education, so you can remain experts in community banking and stay ahead of these changing times within our industry. Well-trained banking staff provides your customers better service, protects bank assets, and meets regulatory requirements.
- CBAO Industry Supporters offer CBAO member banks an excellent resource for bank products and services. This saves your bank valuable staff time on due diligence.
- CBAO’s leadership group the Horizon Bankers – keeping its members on the cutting edge of community banking through leadership training, network opportunities, and quality education.
- CBAO’s Annual Convention has truly become “the banking event” for community bankers in Oklahoma. Bankers, spouses, guests, and industry supporters from all over Oklahoma are in attendance.
CBAO allows bankers to collectively accomplish many goals that would normally be unattainable with only the efforts of an individual banker or individual bank. CBAO fights proactively for legislation that would level the playing field for community banking, while at the same time maintaining a strong defense against costly and burdensome regulations. Since CBAO only allows community banks into membership, 100% of priority issues are on behalf of the community banking industry.
The community banking industry will see more and more tremendous challenges in the years ahead. It is vital that Oklahoma community banks have an association whose only priority is what is best for the community banking industry. If you feel it is important to maintain the value of your banking franchise, to maximize the return on investment to your stockholders, and utilize every competitive advantage available, then become a member of CBAO!