AGENDA: Times Subject to Change

Wednesday, February 11th

Travel Day – Arrive at Your Leisure

4:00pm – 6:00pm - Welcome Reception- Marketplace Terrace

Enjoy great company, delicious hors d’oeuvres and refreshments as we kickoff the 2026 Leadership Retreat at the beautiful Palm Springs Resort!

 

Thursday, February 12th

7:00am Registration and Breakfast

7:30am– Community Banks: Well-Positioned for 2026 – Jim Reber 

As we start the year, the Fed has reduced overnight rates but is hedging its bets for 2026. One reason is that the economy, and by extension the community banking industry, is doing quite well. However, a wild card is that the FOMC is scheduled to have a significant roster makeover. We will look at some important metrics of industry health and suggest some strategies that should have economic benefits for the industry.

8:15am - Refreshments

8:25am – Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Payments – Pat Dix

Artificial Intelligence exploded into conversations around technology in almost every industry including banking. Since we all started experimenting with tools like Chat GPT, the rate of change around AI continued to accelerate and now banks are grappling with how to approach AI. In this session we’ll tackle the latest advancements in AI and Payments, We’ll talk about the risks and opportunities they present.  We’ll show you how AI is already being used in the marketplace(and your bank!).  We will explain newer concepts like agentic AI and show you how AI is enhancing payments, authentication and the member experience. 

9:10am - Refreshments

9:20am-Crime Insurance: The Need for Crime Insurance- Stephen Niedwiecki & Brennan Duvall

9:40am- Refreshments

9:50am– Executive Presence: Is That Really a Thing and Why Should I Care?- Steve Ingalls

Whenever we get into a conversation with senior leaders about the behaviors they expect from other leaders, the word “presence” often shows up. Inevitably, that leads us down the road of “what exactly are you talking about?” In this facilitated discussion, we’ll unpack the notion of executive presence using a foundational construct proposed by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her book by that same title – What is it? Where are there some challenges with the concept? Is it worth investing time and energy to train (assuming it’s trainable)? Using yet one more framework from other researches on the subject, we’ll briefly explore broader, deeper thinking, including that collection of skills the might comprise an executive presence training program. Finally, we’ll look to generate some dialogue around individual next steps, including an invitation for you to consider the executive presence you’re bringing to the table in developing others. 

10:45am: Banker Networking:  Join your fellow bankers and delight in the town of Palm Springs.  Enjoy strolling around town for the day and appreciating the surroundings, shopping and dining options. 

5:30pm: Group Reception and Dinner- Main Lawn

 

Friday, February 13th

7:30am: Registration and Breakfast

8:00am: What Can the Executive Team Do to Proactively Manage Cybersecurity?  – Chris Bedel, CISM  

Cybersecurity is one of the top risks we face as community financial institutions.  As a leader at your organization, it can often be overwhelming to do your part to ensure that this area is being managed effectively and efficiently.  In this session, we’ll cover the top things that executive management can do to make information security a priority.   

8:45am: Refreshments

8:55am: Banking Regulator Panel 

Dynamic Interactive Question and Answer: Dudley Gilbert, Oklahoma State Banking Department; Troy Thornton, OCC; Doug Gray, Federal Reserve; J. Mark Love, FDIC - moderated by Paul Foster, CBAO General Counsel 

10:30am: Refreshments

10:40am- Headline: Hesiod, Pondering These Next Generations, Projects the End of Civilization - Steve Ingalls

As you contemplate your working environment, it’s likely your colleagues now span four generations: Boomers, GenXers, Millennials, and GenZs, with GenA on the way in just a couple of years. These other generations, whether older or younger, confound us from time to time. Is it just a stubbornness that comes with being “old-fashioned?” Is it the influence of a digital age and AI? The questions are many and the answers, well, the answers “depend.” We hope you’ll put on those thinking caps and join us for a survey of the generations surrounding us in our community banks – both in front of, as well as behind the counter. During the discussion, we’ll consider the why behind differing approaches to life and work, but intend to focus predominantly on the impact. Namely, “what’s the problem multiple generations are presenting we need to solve?” Solutions to those challenges seem a fair place to wrap up the discussion. Generations. Sometimes the conversation gets really, really loud. See you there and look forward to adding your voice to saving humanity.

11:30am: Adjourn.