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For community banks, marketing often points to finding ways to educate, support and grow community, as well as customer knowledge and awareness.

True relationships withstand the test of time, and such is the case with the community bank/customer connection. It’s not unusual to hear about a community bank having served a family or a business for generations, and that’s a testament to the strength of the relationship.

As we consider marketing in this month’s issue, I took time to reflect on exactly what differentiates the community banker and how marketing can help in growing and retaining business. I kept coming back to the fact that for community banks, marketing often points to finding ways to educate, support and grow community, as well as customer knowledge and awareness. By extension, these promotional efforts assume a natural role in a community bank’s journey, just enhancing what are already mission-critical initiatives.

For example, consider ICBA chairman Brad Bolton’s Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala., and its work to share tips for financial resolutions in the local paper. Offering that information to the community helps individuals strengthen their financial savvy and supports a broader story of community bank leadership.

Or look to ICBA past chairman Bob Fisher’s bank, Tioga State Bank in Spencer, N.Y., and how it teams up with local television stations to support cause-related activities, like the No Shave November Cure the Blue 5K. Not only does this event help raise funds for an important program, it also demonstrates the bank’s commitment to its community.

These examples offer only a snapshot of what community banks all over the country do to support their communities from a mission-based approach. In many cases, the added promotion these efforts deliver is a side benefit to serving the community.

That’s precisely why these efforts are successful: They garner attention because they are the right things to do. These stories create a value proposition around why banking with a community bank is so vital, and the differentiation from megabanks and credit unions happens by leading with the community bank relationship model front and center.

So, as you think about your bank’s planned storytelling this year, know that ICBA is standing by to help. In fact, stay tuned for a very exciting announcement that we’ll be making during ICBA LIVE, which will shine a light on what differentiates community banking. And our work won’t stop there. We invite to you join us as we continue to tell the community banking story.

Because beyond marketing, what you do matters to the customers and communities you serve. You are and will remain a partner through your customers’ lives and financial journeys. From a marketing perspective, that’s an ideal place to be.

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Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey

Photo by Ismail Rajo/iStock

The time has come for the long-awaited FedNow launch. As community banks navigate this process, there are plenty of resources available to answer questions and provide guidance.

By Colleen Morrison

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Between May and July of this year, non-pilot instant payment transactions will be live on FedNow, the first new Federal Reserve payment rail in more than 40 years. After much strategy, planning and discussion, the implementation phase has arrived.

“As we near launch, I’m reminded of where we started,” says Nick Stanescu, senior vice president and business executive of the FedNow Service. “The decision to build the FedNow Service was the result of a multiyear initiative of collaborating with the industry to explore ways to modernize the U.S. payment system.”

He notes that the launch of FedNow will represent a major landmark in modernizing and improving the U.S. payment system. “Importantly, this will level the playing field by allowing financial institutions of every size to benefit from safe and efficient instant payments,” he adds.

Three sources of information on FedNow

As community banks look to take advantage of this new opportunity, they seek resources to help them navigate the journey. With that in mind, industry experts agree there are three key sources of information to support banks in honing their instant payments plans.

1. FedNow Explorer

The Federal Reserve launched the FedNow Explorer to help financial institutions establish their individual evaluation and implementation needs. Offering a guided journey, a self-explore option and a quick link to resources, this site incorporates the latest news and information from the Fed about FedNow. In particular, the Service Readiness Guide and the Service Provider Showcase provide insights into preparation requirements and available solutions.

“You have to educate yourself; you have to educate your employees and your management team. So, starting off with the FedNow Explorer has a lot of great resources,” says Sherri Reagin, chief financial officer at FedNow pilot participant North Salem State Bank, a $590 million-asset community bank in North Salem, Ind. “We even showed one of the videos at our annual training to all of our employees. They’ve heard me talking about FedNow for a couple of years now, but they didn’t fully understand it until there was a visual. There are so many great resources on that website where people can really get started.”

2. Your Federal Reserve account executive

The Federal Reserve account executive stands as a valuable resource for asking bank-specific questions about the FedNow Service and can benefit community banks that want to be early adopters. For example, Stanescu points out that there are four core capabilities of instant payments readiness that a community bank’s Federal Reserve account representative can help evaluate:

• Connectivity to FedNow
• Real-time posting and immediate funds availability
• Settlement through either a Fed master account or a correspondent’s
• Send and receive functionality

Each area creates important decisions for the bank, and the Fed account executive can help financial institutions navigate the pros and cons.

“Your Fed account executives are great places to start, as well as your technology solution providers, based on the product lines you think are going to use FedNow,” says Kari Mitchum, vice president of payments policy at ICBA.

3. Core and third-party providers

To that point, solution providers will play a crucial role in implementation from the core system to downstream customer-facing applications. Community banks will need to decide their required functionality in receive-only or a send-and-receive scenarios and work with their providers accordingly. For most, that process starts with talking to their cores.

“My advice: Build a plan, understand what partners must be involved and do a lot of exploring with vendors,” says Debra Matthews, chief of deposit operations at $2.1 billion-asset Texas First Bank in Texas City, Texas, a FedNow pilot participant. “Explore what your core has available and plans to do in the future and determine if any additional third parties are needed for implementation.”

Reagin agrees, emphasizing the enhanced role that core providers will play to accommodate FedNow. “Everything we do, all the fintechs that we use—if you’re going to settle a payment, it has to go through your core provider to get through your system,” she says. “So, they’re going to have to be involved, regardless of who you use to interface between the Federal Reserve and your financial institution.”

Instant payments will soon be table stakes

While the FedNow Service will launch in just a few months, the wide-scale rollout will take some time, and customer adoption will follow suit. However, if market history bears any indication, instant payments will be a critical part of payment processes in the future.

“Keep in mind Apple Pay has been out for almost 14 years, and QR codes were created in 1994. FedNow coming out is not going to be some overnight change,” Mitchum says. “There’s that story from [FedEx founder] Fred Smith that he had the idea for FedEx in the 1960s, and the paper got a ‘C’ on it. They said, ‘Nobody wants stuff next day; there’s no need for this.’

“Now we’re in the time of Amazon same-day delivery, two-hour delivery. But that doesn’t mean that we got rid of USPS. It doesn’t mean we got rid of two-day shipping. There are multiple choices for moving goods; there’s going to be multiple choices for moving money.”

But with the rate of change in today’s digital space and this immediate gratification environment, it won’t take long for demand for instant payments to accelerate.

“I think FedNow is going to transform the way that we do business, and the way that businesses operate in the future.”
—Sherri Reagin, North Salem State Bank

Use cases like early wage access, P2P payments and insurance disbursement have already emerged, and others will continue to develop. Community banks that don’t begin exploring instant payments may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage more quickly than they might think.

“Financial institutions need to really learn the benefits of FedNow to be able to accelerate the services that we can offer to our customers. I think FedNow is going to transform the way that we do business, and the way that businesses operate in the future,” Reagin says. “The sooner we can get our customers and our employees acclimated to it, it’s just going to skyrocket.”

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Colleen Morrison is a writer in Maryland.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as chairman. I will continue to advocate for community banking, and for the rest of my career, stand side by side with you to fight our future battles.

Serving as ICBA chairman has been one of the highest honors of my life. It’s hard to put into words how special this experience is. The work you’re doing every day puts real faces and names to the communities we’re fighting for, and it has been a privilege to be your representative at the national level.

Yet, it takes the voices of many to make a true impact. That’s why I’ve asked community bankers to sacrifice a few minutes every day to advocate for our industry. We are what stands between our customers and an overreaching federal government and regulatory system. We hold the line for Main Street America, which needs us.

In today’s environment, that vigilance is critical to staying ahead of emerging threats. Each day brings forward new concerns, and we have to stay focused on who we are and who we represent. So, keep pressing forward in defending this great industry we get the opportunity to serve.

For example, every community banker has a primary focus on how they can better serve their customers. It isn’t about making more money, but how we respond to community needs. We should also remind policymakers that community bankers are small business owners, too. And even though we have fiduciary and regulatory responsibilities to remain profitable and provide a return to our shareholders, our focus always comes back to how we can serve our customers better. In maintaining that focus on our relationship-centric mission, we will continue to thrive.

That’s why it’s vital for community banks to remain independent, and a big theme for me has been encouraging bank executives to identify their next generation of leaders. There are those within your institution who share your vision and passion. Support their development and groom them to take the reins. Without your bank, your communities are at risk. So, make a succession plan to ensure your bank remains the lifeblood of the community.

With that in mind, I implore you to keep fighting for Main Street. Keep raising your voices to advocate for your customers. Keep engaging with innovative companies to grow, evolve and better serve. Keep identifying future leaders to ensure the longevity of your institution, because your communities need you in their corner.

I want to close by saying I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as chairman. I will continue to advocate for community banking, and for the rest of my career, stand side by side with you to fight our future battles. With that passion leading, I’m confident we’ll witness the continued growth and success of our beloved industry.

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Brad Bolton, Chairman, ICBA
Brad Bolton is president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala.
Connect with Brad @BradMBolton

BankOnBuffalo president Michael Noah says the bank’s mobile branch will provide service to those who don’t have easy access to banks. Photos by Luke Copping Photography

BankOnBuffalo has hit the road with its new mobile bank, BankOnWheels, to meet the needs of underserved communities.

By William Atkinson

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This past November, BankOnBuffalo, a division of $5.5 billion-asset CNB Bank headquartered in Clearfield, Penn., added a new branch to its preexisting lineup of 12 branches and offices in or around Buffalo, N.Y.

Where is this newest office located? Well, it depends on the day of the week. The $1.1 billion-asset community bank division based out of Buffalo built and outfitted a “rolling branch,” called BankOnWheels, an innovative banking experience that makes full-service banking accessible to more consumers and small businesses, particularly those in underserved communities, according to BankOnBuffalo president Michael Noah.

“We are providing banking options in areas that have been known as ‘bank deserts,’ which is very important to us as a community bank.”
—Michael Noah, BankOnBuffalo

The first of its kind among financial institutions in western New York, BankOnWheels is a full-service bank branch within a 34-foot recreational vehicle. It enables the community bank to deliver essential banking services to communities that previously had little to no access to them. “We are providing banking options in areas that have been known as ‘bank deserts,’ which is very important to us as a community bank,” Noah says.

All the bells and whistles

The mobile branch has all the essentials to fill that void. BankOnWheels includes a walk-up ATM and two exterior teller windows where transactions can be performed and a platform desk is located for customers to speak with a bank associate.

“Anything you can do in one of our branch locations, you can do in the BankOnWheels.”
—Michael Noah, BankOnBuffalo

Inside, it has most of the features of a traditional bank: a lobby, teller window and an office for private conversations with a BankOnBuffalo associate.

“We saw the need, and we were eager to get the BankOnWheels rolling across our community,” says Noah. “Even with the rapid rise of technology allowing so much banking to be done remotely, research told us that consumers and business owners still greatly value branches where they can have face-to-face conversations with bankers, get answers to their questions and receive the assistance they need with transactions, loan applications and account openings.”

BankOnWheels has all the technology and services that the community bank’s brick-and-mortar locations do, including wire transfers, an ATM, a teller cash recycler and an instant-issue debit card machine. “Anything you can do in one of our branch locations, you can do in the BankOnWheels,” Noah says.

BankOnWheels evolved over several years as bank executives spoke with and listened to community leaders.

“People didn’t ask for another bank location that the community couldn’t get to,” Noah says. “They wanted a way to bring the bank to the people and make it more accessible for the community. That really was the evolution of BankOnWheels: listening to and responding to the community.”

Building a branch

The planning process took more than two years. “We were involved in a ground-up planning process, similar to opening a new branch,” says Noah. “The project evolved over time, because we had to make sure that BankOnWheels had all the necessary capabilities of one of our branches.”

BankOnBuffalo worked with local vendors to build and outfit the inside of the RV. A firm called Mobile Facilities LLC built the mobile banking unit, and multiple vendors were engaged in wrapping and servicing BankOnWheels. “This was an extensive process undertaken to bring the final product to the community,” says Noah.

The community bank uses its existing branch staff to operate BankOnWheels, with four to five employees working on rotation, two at a time. “This creates a consistent client experience from a very well-trained and versatile team,” Noah says.

As for security, BankOnBuffalo vetted and selected a third-party security firm, based on the firm’s ability to manage the complete security process and protect the community bank’s employees.

“They work closely with local law enforcement and our corporate security team,” Noah explains. In addition, a professional security team from the security firm drives the RV and provides comprehensive security for BankOnWheels and its staff when they’re on the road.

Expanding its footprint

When the branch first became operational, it began serving three communities through its deployment in Niagara Falls and Buffalo.

Within weeks of opening, BankOnBuffalo gained new customers in these areas and began opening new accounts. Based on the results and additional input from the communities, the bank plans to add other sites to the list in the future and keep this show on the road.

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William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.

By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA

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The theme for ICBA LIVE 2023 is “Light the Fire. Light the Way.” As leaders, that’s a huge part of what we do: spark enthusiasm, encourage creativity and guide our teams on the paths to success. But inspiration doesn’t always happen spontaneously, or even daily, so it’s incumbent upon us to develop strategies and create environments that inspire and motivate our teams, all while making sure we stay inspired ourselves.

Here are some great tools for cultivating inspiration.

1. Remove limitations. Sometimes a project or task seems, on its face, to have restrictions. But we can often remove those perceived limitations, be experimental and think outside the box. Yes, this could result in a few errors, but it might also generate successful new ideas or strategies. Let your team know that it’s OK to fail.
2. Don’t forget to dream. This idea is inspired by the book The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly, and it’s a powerful message to share with your team. Encourage everyone to start a dream book, to write down their dreams (both professional and personal), and to dream without limits. The book can serve as a resource to remind us of the dreams (big or small) that we have, and that reminder can jump-start the enthusiasm needed to begin or continue a task.
3. Focus on strengths. Lean into your employees’ strengths and talents, and they’ll feel naturally more authentic and empowered. Cultivating a strengths-based environment increases creativity and productivity.
4. Focus on team bonding. On average, a full-time employee spends 40 hours a week working with the same people. Don’t underestimate the value of team-building exercises to bring them together. If they’re in the thick of a project, invite them to take a break, pose a fun question to the group or play a quick game. Fostering camaraderie cultivates a stronger team. Colleagues who are invested in each other will look forward to working together.
5. Make motivation a topic. Adopt “Motivation Monday” and ask the team to talk about what motivates them. Ask them how they find inspiration personally. This can give leaders and fellow colleagues a beneficial understanding of what each employee values.
6. Let people do their jobs. No one wants to be micromanaged. Allow for autonomy where possible and be clear in your words so that employees know they are empowered to do their job. It shows a level of trust and respect, which generally leads to higher job satisfaction and greater productivity.
7. Show appreciation. We’ve said this before, but leaders must show appreciation for the work their team is doing. It goes a long way.

But above all, remember that employees are individuals. What inspires or motivates one may not be as powerful for another. So, tailor your tactics to suit both your team and the individuals within it.

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Lindsay LaNore (lindsay.lanore@icba.org) is ICBA’s group executive vice president and chief learning and experience officer

Valley Bank offers financial literacy education to women through Hoving Home.

Valley Bank is working side by side with Walter Hoving Home, a place of refuge for women struggling with addiction and other personal challenges, to offer residents financial empowerment.

By Roshan McArthur

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For Valley Bank in Wayne, N.J., success brings with it an obligation to help others succeed, too. The near century-old, $57 billion-asset community bank believes deeply in financial empowerment, not just for its customers but for the most vulnerable community members, too.

For more than five years, Valley Bank has worked with Walter Hoving Home, a community nonprofit organization in Oxford, N.J. Hoving Home is a faith-based facility that helps mostly low-income women recover from issues like drug addiction, alcoholism, abuse, prostitution and human trafficking. In the 56 years since it was founded, the nonprofit has grown from one home in Garrison, N.Y., to six branches throughout the U.S., helping more than a quarter of a million women find their feet again.

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“Hoving Home has provided them a safe place to recover from these situations, to reestablish themselves so they can reenter society, gain custody of their children and be productive,” says Karen Austin, Valley Bank’s VP and market manager. Austin initiated the relationship in 2018 after a chance encounter with one of Hoving Home’s team members during a conference at a local university.

“Valley was able to enter into this relationship by providing financial empowerment to the women who are residents of Hoving Home,” she explains. Over the years, that empowerment has taken the form of grants, donations of equipment and volunteer hours. In June 2022, for example, the community bank’s team members took part in a beautification day with shovels, rakes and “a lot of sweat equity,” preparing for the nonprofit’s annual graduation ceremony at its Oxford site. Valley Bank also provided laptops and printers for a new computer lab, and its property management group donated desks and cubicles from branches and departments that were being renovated to a new learning center.

“Our opportunity is to reach those who need it the most and provide a service so that, when they are able to regain their lives, they’re going to be able to make informed decisions and know there’s advocacy available to them.”
—Karen Austin, Valley Bank

“Having a local impact is something that’s very important for us,” says Bernadette Mueller, Valley Bank’s EVP for corporate social responsibility. “We want to be viewed as partners in our local communities, serving not only the people who live there but the people who work there, our whole constituency in that area, whether that be community groups or households.”

Creating a path forward

In addition to donations and volunteer hours, Valley Bank also provides financial literacy education as part of Hoving Home’s Career Readiness Program. Using a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau curriculum called “Your Money, Your Goals,” Austin teaches nine one-hour sessions to the women, covering saving, spending, budgeting, credit, debt management, managing financial setbacks and more. She also makes a point of keeping her students informed about current events that illustrate why financial literacy is so important.

These days, she is reaching more women than ever. “I used to do the sessions in person in Oxford, N.J.,” she recalls, “so I would drive on a weekly basis from an office in the Wayne area, an hour and a half up to Oxford, and then back another hour and a half home to my house. When COVID hit, that changed everything. And I became a little bit more effective at using Zoom. So, I conducted Zoom classes for the individuals in Oxford.”

At the beginning of 2022, the director of Hoving Home asked her if she could conduct classes for its other facilities as well: two in Garrison, N.Y., one in Pasadena, Calif., and another in Las Vegas. By teaching virtually, Austin has expanded Valley Bank’s reach nationwide.

“I feel that we as Valley have to support our local community, wherever and whoever that might be,” says Austin. “And our opportunity is to reach those who need it the most and provide a service so that, when they are able to regain their lives, they’re going to be able to make informed decisions and know there’s advocacy available to them. I feel Valley has played an extraordinary part in that, and I’m grateful to be part of that work.”

That gratitude runs deep, says Mueller. “Our people, across the board—from the facilities and the property management people loading desks, to the tech people setting up laptops—have been feeling the same way, just feeling so good about what they’re doing,” she says. “We’re getting much more than we’re giving.”

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Roshan McArthur is a writer in California.

From left: Coastal Heritage Bank staff Pat Driscoll, Sondra Krieg, Lisa Levy, Janet Joyce, Diane Calabro and Scott Ambroceo. Photo by Mike Ritter

Spurred by social distancing and shutdowns during the pandemic, many community banks turned to virtual financial advisory services, and these new practices are expected to stick around.

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert

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The pandemic shutdowns expedited community banks’ digital transformation journeys—including the adoption of virtual financial advisory services. More and more community banks offering wealth management now provide these services, not as a substitute for in-person meetings, but rather as a supplement.

They are following a trend across the wealth management sector. While most financial advisors still prefer in-person meetings with clients, a 2021 survey by SmartAsset Advisors LLC found that the pandemic spurred most to offer video calls, and more than a third said they expected to continue the practice post-pandemic, in addition to sending emails and texts to clients.

By offering virtual advisory services, community banks have the potential to significantly reduce the amount of time required from, and friction for, customers, says Ashish Garg, cofounder and CEO of Eltropy Inc. in Milpitas, Calif., a fintech that provides a digital communications platform for community financial institutions.

“Traditionally, customers preferred going to a branch for financial advisory services, because they were discussing large sums of money,” Garg says. “With the rise of virtual and video banking technologies, however, customers still have the reassurance of talking to someone face to face, but they can do so from the comfort of their home, their car or wherever they may be.”

Like telehealth and healthcare, virtual options make financial advisory services more accessible for many people—especially if the level of service online is on par with what they would experience in person, he says.

Going digital

Coastal Heritage Bank in Weymouth, Mass., recently adopted Eltropy’s digital communications platform and plans to roll out virtual capabilities across the institution, including for its wealth management arm, says Scott Ambroceo, senior vice president at the $910 million-asset community bank.

“While the bank is starting slow in its deployment to develop internal subject matter experts on the platform,” he says, “it can see opportunities in the near term to expand on what it’s doing today, in order to assist in attracting and retaining relationships through a secure and convenient digital banking platform.”

The virtual capabilities are built on the success of Coastal Heritage Bank’s earlier digital transformation moves, in part due to customer preferences during the pandemic, he says.

“As we were seeing high adoption rates of our digital platform by our customers, we were also seeing significant success in managing our business, many times remotely, through internal web-based collaboration software, due to the ongoing pandemic,” Ambroceo says. “Naturally, we began focusing on our options to expand our digital banking platform to include a face-to-face experience from the comfort of the customer’s home, business or wherever life placed them at the moment they needed their bank.”

Via an interactive widget on Coastal Heritage Bank’s website, customers will be able to initiate video calls to staff, aided by technology to authenticate the customer’s identity, he says. Joint-account owners can join the calls from two different areas of the world, if needed.

Moreover, staff will be able to help customers complete forms through video calls using eSign, Ambroceo says. eSign documents can be presented for signature and retained as part of the bank’s permanent records, eliminating the need for single or joint account owners from having to provide wet signatures either in-branch or through the mail.

In addition, customers can use the digital platform for 24/7 chatbox conversations with automated responses to more than 100 common questions received by the bank, as well as text-only conversations for quick questions and audio-only conversations depending on customers’ preferences, he says.

To be more user-friendly, digital communication platforms need to offer all these capabilities in addition to video calls, Garg says.

“The fact that consumers have become used to so many different channels of communication—and prefer different kinds of communication for different situations—creates a challenge for community banks,” he says. “They need to offer the full suite of communications options that their consumers may want.”

Other needs for virtual advisory services

Integrations are another important consideration for community banks, because they navigate so many IT systems—a lending system, a CRM, and an e-signature system like DocuSign, among others, Garg says. Institutions need a solution that can automate the flow of information from one system to another.

Data security is also critical—digital communication platforms need to encrypt both stored data and data that is captured during a voice call, he says.

Offering virtual advisory services not only supplements in-person meetings; it can also help ensure that staffing levels are maintained—something particularly important in this era of the Great Resignation, Garg says.

“With ongoing labor shortages, this is a big challenge for community financial institutions, especially as they expand into new markets,” he says. “This kind of technology ensures that banks can address the concerns of customers no matter where they live.”

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Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a writer in California.

Derek Williams, president and CEO of Century Bank & Trust in Milledgeville, Ga., wanted to be a financier before finding his way to community banking. Photo by Harold Daniels

Derek Williams, president and CEO of Century Bank & Trust in Georgia, is bringing his passion for community banking to his term as ICBA chairman for 2023/24.

By Roshan McArthur

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Derek Williams is, he says, excited, honored and humbled to make his debut as ICBA chairman at ICBA LIVE. A banking stalwart described by outgoing chairman Brad Bolton as “a passionate community leader and a staunch leader of our industry,” Williams has built a career by immersing himself in the community banking world. He has also served on ICBA’s executive committee for many years, including a term as treasurer from 2016 to 2018.

He has served as president and CEO of $365 million-asset Century Bank & Trust in Milledgeville, Ga., for eight years. But, unlike many in the industry, this profession wasn’t in his blood. Asked if there is a history of banking in his family, he laughs—something he does often.

“That’s an interesting story,” he says. “It’s kind of an anti-banking history!”

Williams grew up in Barnesville, Ga., at the time a small town of about 5,000 residents. It was something of a humble start, he says. He was raised by a mother who stayed home with her four kids and a father who built houses.

“He was a craftsman by nature,” Williams says of his father. “So the most experience I had with banking growing up was him as a bank customer. I knew the bankers in town because my dad knew them, and I learned a lot just from being around them and watching how dad dealt with them. He had a great relationship with banks and bankers, and that attracted me, just from the standpoint of what they did to help my dad.”

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That said, Williams left the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, in 1984 with a BBA in finance, determined to get out of Barnesville and become “the next great corporate financier.” But the world had other plans. He graduated into a recession, one of two that would have a profound influence on his career. During that time, at an interview for a job as a stockbroker, he asked one of the brokers how well his office performed. The response he received reshaped his career. “I don’t have any idea what the office does,” the broker told him. “I only worry about what I do.”

The implication was simple: The broker didn’t care about anybody he worked with, which was anathema to Williams. “So many of the jobs that I looked at in the corporate finance world, and certainly the stockbroker world, were very much like that,” he recalls. “I was used to family, I was used to teamwork, and I need that. I needed camaraderie.”

So, he joined a training program at what was then Citizens & Southern National Bank, once the largest bank in the southeastern U.S., now part of Bank of America, before moving to Griffin, Ga., in 1987. “I went to work for a community bank, kind of by accident, and found the job love of my life,” he says. “I got a job with First National Bank of Griffin, and I’ve been a community banker ever since.”

That love of community has defined his career. “One thing about community banking that I love is we get paid to be active in the community; that’s part of what we do,” he explains. “We’re committed to the community, not just from the standpoint of its financial health, but community banks, especially in small towns, are really their financial centers. They’re where everybody gathers, where people come in the morning.

“I like that, and I like the idea of being able to be active in the chamber and active on the local boards. This was a job that not only allowed me to do that but encouraged me to do it.”

Williams has a passion for relationship building, whether it’s sitting on the boards of local museums or fundraising for Relay for Life, and he admits he’s always the first person to stand up and take on those roles as a way of getting to know the neighborhood he’s working in.

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A rapid ascent

Williams set himself a goal of becoming CEO of a bank by the age of 40. He achieved it at 34 years old at First Peoples Bank in Pine Mountain, Ga., where he stayed for 15 years, from 1998 to 2013. During that time, he took the community bank through the Great Recession of 2008–09.

“That’s when the bottom fell out, and Georgia was markedly hit,” he reflects on the tumultuous period. “We lost 90-plus banks to failure in between 2008 and 2013. So, it was a very, very difficult time.”

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What drives Williams—and what got him through that time—is “an absolute belief in and a love for the model of community banking.” As chairman of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia during that recession, he would remind others of the importance of their roles.

“I told them, ‘Guys, what we do matters, what we do works and the model works,’” he recalls. “‘And yes, we’re having some exceptionally tough economic times right now, but there’s always going to be a place for local banks to take deposits from people they know, live with and work with, people they understand, and loan that money to people that they know and understand—local community.’”

It’s a belief he still holds. “There’s always going to be place for it, no matter how big the big banks get, no matter how automated they get, no matter how much things change. There’s always going to be a place for that model.”

We use the word ‘family’ a lot. We’re serious about it at Century. We believe in it. We believe in each other.”
—Derek Williams

Williams believes there is great potential for a resurgence in community banking, thanks to shifting demographics. He describes acquaintances in their twenties and thirties choosing local coffee shops over big names like Starbucks, local hardware stores over Lowe’s or Home Depot—so why not, he suggests, choose a community bank over a national bank?

He recalls serving on FDIC’s Community Bank Advisory Committee years ago and being introduced to a group of millennials who worked there. All but one of them had the same checking account they had opened in high school. When asked what they wanted from a bank, they told him, “If you’ll give us the technology, if you’ll give us the ability to bank on our phones … but assure us that Ms. Sally who we used to talk to at the bank is still there if we need to talk to somebody, then you’ve got us for life.”

This approach is key to Century Bank & Trust’s success. “If we can get them in the door, we can keep them,” he says, “because we can blow them away with the service that we provide.”

And that means putting ethics front and center. “We use the word ‘family’ a lot. We’re serious about it at Century. We believe in it. We believe in each other,” he says. “I had an HR attorney tell me one time, ‘Derek, I want you to remember something. Just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it’s right or ethical.’ So, I always think about that. When we have situations, I know [my team is] going to respond with what’s best for the people who work at the bank and what’s best for our customers.”

Community banks have a great reputation with legislators and regulators because of our track record of safe and sound performance and our support of consumers and small businesses.”
—Derek Williams

It’s his confidence in Century’s culture and in his team that has allowed him the freedom to work closely with ICBA. As CEO, he says, his job is “to create a culture and to encourage and to motivate and to live at the 30,000-foot level, trying to make sure that everybody else has an opportunity to do their job as effectively as possible.”

Keeping the flame burning

Williams foresees a challenging year ahead, with issues from inflation and interest rates to the ripple effects of the pandemic, but he plans to spend his year as chairman lending support to ICBA president Rebeca Romero Rainey and her team, as well as reminding bankers that the community banking model works and to take pride in what they do every day.

He believes ICBA’s advocacy work in Washington D.C., is critical to shaping the industry and affects all community bankers in profound ways. “Community banks,” says Williams, “have a great reputation with legislators and regulators because of our track record of safe and sound performance and our support of consumers and small businesses. We just want that track record to be acknowledged and considered so that regulations can be tiered to fit the risk profile of the institutions.”

He believes passionately in the ThinkTECH Accelerator, saying it’s at the forefront of bringing technology to community banks and is making it possible for those millennials he met, plus the Gen Zers coming up behind them, to bank locally.

“There are some brilliant, brilliant people who are doing some really cool things with not only advocacy on the hill but from an education standpoint and also from an innovation standpoint,” Williams says. “ICBA is cutting edge on that. They’re working with technology firms to come in and not try to take our business away from us but help us do it better and more efficiently. Community banks can now provide technology that’s just as slick, mobile apps and all the technology that the big banks have, but we back it up with personal service.”

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March will be a busy month. Century Bank is celebrating 125 years in business, and he kicks off his term as chairman with a speech in front of a large crowd of bankers at ICBA LIVE in Honolulu.

But that’s not fazing him in the slightest. He recalls a conversation with Aleis Stokes, ICBA’s senior vice president of communications, at last year’s convention, when she warned him that she would need the first draft of his speech by November.

He laughs, “I said, ‘Aleis, that speech has been written for 10 years! This is something I’ve always wanted to do.’”

So, while community banking may not be in Derek Williams’ blood, it’s clearly a job he was born to do.

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Roshan McArthur is a writer in California.

Photo by Courtney K/iStock

 
By Charles Potts, ICBA

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If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: In today’s landscape, data reigns supreme. Working hand in hand with digital transformation, data provides a powerful tool for community banks. Its accessibility, readability and applicability in today’s digital-first environment has enhanced community banks’ ability to serve their customers, creating a heightened experience.

But beyond its analysis to help you in your product journey, data can help transform your marketing efforts, offering insights into customer interests and behaviors to better align your offerings with their expectations. In fact, 73% of consumers believe companies should understand their unique needs and expectations, and 56% think offers should always be personalized.

Fortunately, your community bank does have the information necessary to do just that. Data analysis and performance marketing do not have to be in-house skillsets. Working with trusted third-party providers to mine your data for opportunities will help you not only grow your business but better serve your customers in the process.

For example, ThinkTECH Accelerator alum FI Works, a data-driven sales and marketing software platform, partnered with a community bank to deepen customer engagement. Through statistical and machine learning techniques, the FI Works platform estimated the probability that a customer would want a specific product. The bank then used that data to create a personalized marketing piece, providing individualized offers based on customers’ predicted preferences. The results? Following the eight-week campaign, the bank captured $25 million in new deposits.

Or consider how another Accelerator participant, KlariVis, saved one bank up to 400 hours per month of ad hoc reporting by consolidating and aggregating data from the core and ancillary systems. With data dispersed in multiple places due to acquisitions, this consolidation yielded not only increased bank efficiency but also a way to deliver more targeted product offerings to existing clients.

Another ThinkTECH alumni company, Fintel Connect, worked with a bank to extend its brand marketing via third-party publishers. By brokering an affiliate partner program with 25 publishers whose digital footprints matched bank targets, Fintel Connect was able to help the bank achieve tangible results, including opened deposit accounts. This approach resulted in the bank’s highest-performing marketing initiative to date—with costs significantly less than its previous pay-per-click campaigns.

All three of these initiatives achieved impressive outcomes, yet the examples only scratch the surface of performance marketing’s potential. So, as you look to what’s next for your marketing plan, contemplate how partnering with a fintech can help you achieve business objectives. With the strong results we’ve seen, it bears repeating: In marketing, data reigns supreme.

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Charles Potts (charles.potts@icba.org) is ICBA executive vice president and chief innovation officer

Illustration by The Laundry Room/Stocksy

Customer data fuels efficient and effective marketing these days. Community banks own an enviable amount of data, but not all are leveraging it to its fullest extent.

By Mindy Charski

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People share important data about themselves with their community bank in myriad ways. It happens every time they open a checking account, apply for a mortgage, make a direct deposit, log into a bank’s website or chat with a banker, and more. From these actions, community banks receive data on their income, home address, email address, credit card debt, employer and financial products they want to learn more about.

It all forms what is referred to as first-party data, or information that organizations own and collect themselves, and it’s generally considered more valuable and accurate than information that outside providers collect, or third-party data.

“When we have first-party data, we can target much more precisely and can obviously reach those individuals one-to-one.”
—Andrew Catalano, Austin Williams

While most community banks aren’t yet using first-party data for marketing purposes to grow revenue and retain customers, experts say those willing to invest in the effort can reap big rewards.

“To be able to get access to first-party data and use it strategically is probably the next big opportunity for banks,” says Eric Cook, chief digital strategist at digital marketing agency WSI Digital in Prudenville, Mich.

First-party data for targeted marketing campaigns

Community banks can use their first-party data to upsell and cross-sell to existing customers with highly relevant messages. “When we have first-party data, we can target much more precisely and can obviously reach those individuals one-to-one,” says Andrew Catalano, chief innovation officer of digital marketing agency Austin Williams in Long Island, N.Y.

For example, instead of sending 20,000 mailers about a home equity line of credit to everyone within a certain radius of a branch, a bank could focus the campaign on only customers in its database who it deems may be in-market for one. “We can look at people who got a new mortgage within the last one to two years and make over X amount of dollars in income and meet whatever other qualifications,” Catalano says.

In addition to direct outreach efforts, first-party data can be used for advertising campaigns across a variety of media, including streaming services and social media. “We can take that data and we can reach that person online,” Catalano says. “If we have an export of phone numbers or email addresses from our client, we can take that to Facebook, and Facebook can match those phone numbers and emails to user accounts and serve ads to those people specifically.”

Banks can also employ first-party data to build predictive models that can inform their marketing efforts. These models could predict which products individual customers will need next, for example, and which customers are likely to leave the bank and should be put in retention programs, says Ryan Wilson, vice president of client relationships at Aunalytics. The South Bend, Ind.-based company can tap into bank databases, including the core processing system, to generate advanced analytics and insights.

Data about existing customers can even help community banks improve their efforts to find new customers. “The key is to understand the profiles of the best and [more challenging] customers, which can then impact who you target for solicitation,” says Stephenie Williams, vice president, financial institution marketing product and strategy at marketing solutions company Vericast in San Antonio.

Enhance the customer experience with first-party data

Community banks pride themselves on offering excellent customer service and anticipating the needs of clients. They can supercharge those efforts with first-party data.

Take online banking, for example. Community banks can welcome customers by name when they log in. In addition, banks can send a message to specific customers that congratulates them on being a candidate for a loan, Cook says. The message could include a link to a local lender’s calendar to set up a conversation. “Just make it easy for people to take the next step in that discovery process,” he says.

Likewise, customer service associates who have data at their fingertips can play their own marketing role. “When [customers] call in, if [associates] knew that their next best product could be a CD, they can have that conversation and more intimate relationship,” Wilson says. “We know that community banks want that white glove service in the community.”

How to activate first-party data

Though financial institutions own a treasure trove of data, some marketing teams might not be able to determine key information like which customers are small-business owners, who uses online banking and who is unprofitable for the bank. A big reason is because those valuable insights are often siloed away in a core system that marketers can’t access.

In addition, many marketers don’t have tools for capturing customer information themselves. They may not have customer relationship management (CRM) software, which can store customer data and handle tasks like segmenting customers and tracking leads. Or, they may lack a marketing automation system, which can help banks manage their emails and send automated messages based on how recipients engage with content.

There could be other factors at play beyond the technical. Cook, who was once a community banker himself, says many senior managers think, “‘We don’t want to be intrusive, we don’t want to freak our customers out, we don’t want to seem greedy, we don’t want to overstep our bounds.’”

Making the investment

On top of that, he says many balk at the cost of the technologies. “Marketing for a lot of folks still is a necessary evil,” Cook says. “It’s not seen as an asset, income-producing activity.”

Successfully leveraging first-party data does come with a high price tag because of the required additional tools and resources necessary to own, understand and capitalize on such data.

“These are projects in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, ultimately, if you do it all right,” says Crystal Steinbach, digital and marketing automation manager at Mills Marketing in Storm Lake, Iowa. “But that doesn’t mean you’re taking on all of that cost at one time.” These efforts often will roll out incrementally over time, according to Steinbach.

Extracting marketing value from first-party data can be a long, complicated and expensive endeavor. Yet, Catalano says doing so can be a strategic advantage for banks. He adds, “Even if they’re not using [first-party data] right away, but if they’re starting to collect it and starting to get proper opt-ins, those folks are at a major advantage.”

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Mindy Charski is a writer in Texas.

When we assemble at LIVE, it’s about coming together to ignite the passion for community banking on behalf of our communities in a way that moves the industry forward.

The Hawaiian word for family is ‘ohana, and as we prepare to head to Honolulu for ICBA LIVE next month, I’m struck by how much that word describes this community. We are a family of community bankers, supporting one another and our communities through our shared mission, vision and values.

In many cases, we’re not only a chosen family; we’re related by blood as well. Many of us are fourth- or fifth-generation community bankers, embodying a long family tradition of caring for community. We’re passing that ethos down, too. In fact, we have more children attending LIVE this year than we have in the past, and I can’t help but think of the rising community bank leaders that may be right in front of us and all they will bring to the industry.

So, it’s fitting that this year’s theme for ICBA LIVE is “Light the Fire. Light the Way.” Not only are we looking at the next generation of leaders among us; we’re also focusing on what we can do today to preserve and grow community banks’ impact. It’s never been more important to keep that flame of community banking spreading throughout the country.

Our communities need our continued support through these complicated economic times. They need us to remain advocates for their needs. They need us to continue to serve them as people, not as transactions. So, when we assemble at LIVE, it’s about coming together to ignite the passion for community banking on behalf of our communities in a way that moves the industry forward.

As we look at the continued pace of change, we are met with our fair share of challenges but also great opportunities. When we come together, the energy that arises helps us collectively identify the path forward. Then, we lift our heads up and address the technical and nuanced aspects of what we do with a focus on the long-term future of the industry. We create progress and momentum.

But possibly the most rewarding part of LIVE is the opportunity to meet fellow community bankers from around the country. Those hallway conversations where we share anecdotes and make new connections exemplify who we are as community bankers. That sense of ‘ohana shines through, because in community banking we’re more than just business leaders. We are a family, and I hope to see you at LIVE to help us build the relationships that will shape the future of the industry.

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Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey

As we enter a new chapter and start a new financial statement cycle, know that ICBA will be there to support you with tools, resources and advocacy efforts.

The beginning of a new year feels like a fresh start, a new chapter in our stories. We have a blank page on which we can write our narrative over the course of the year, with new milestones filling the pages ahead. And with 2023, we have no shortage of adventures awaiting us.

Consider industry evolution. I’m amazed at the pace of change occurring in all areas of financial services, from instant payments to more digital solutions and beyond. This will be a pivotal year for embracing new opportunities and exploring how we can set ourselves up to succeed, even with looming challenges.

And think about the uncertainty of the economic environment. It’s a challenge to be sure, but it’s one that community banks have previously faced with strength. Time and time again, you have demonstrated resiliency in the face of difficult financial conditions. In fact, this is when community banks shine, bringing stability to customers simply by being relationship bankers who see them and know them. Looking at it through a different lens, there’s opportunity in this economic climate: It’s a way to double down on your strengths and unique people-first approach to banking.

Yet, amid these external influences, you may be asking, “What actions can we take to ensure we’re identifying the right next step for our bank?” That’s where ICBA can provide support. Whether it’s the information that comes in NewsWatch Today or Independent Banker, convening with other community bankers to discuss strategies at ICBA LIVE or proactive engagement with lawmakers at the Capital Summit, we offer opportunities to not just react but respond to this dynamic environment with your mission and vision at the center.

We have increased our offerings to support you and to further differentiate our industry. For example, we have moved the ThinkTECH Accelerator in-house to ensure year-round innovation programming and find new fintech partners who are bringing to market solutions that respond directly to community bank needs. We’re expanding classes and programs provided by Community Banker University, and as the government relations team prepares to welcome new members of Congress to D.C., they are ready and excited to tell your story and ensure your voices are heard.

So, as we enter a new chapter and start a new financial statement cycle, know that ICBA will be there to support you with tools, resources and advocacy efforts. Together, we will write our 2023 story, one that will set community banks up for success.

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Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey

Inspired by the entrepreneurship of lemonade stands, Scottsdale Community Bank created a microloan program. Photo by Brandon Sullivan

De novo Scottsdale Community Bank set out to provide microloans to small and mid-size businesses, family organizations and nonprofits—a project that was inspired by the humble lemonade stand.

By William Atkinson

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Scottsdale Community Bank is the first new community bank in Arizona in 14 years, and it already has the capacity to make more than $100 million in loans.

Why? The $28 million-asset community bank in Scottsdale, Ariz., embraces a combination of the latest technology and traditional beliefs about finance and business growth. The technology it uses allows it to maximize efficiency while minimizing costs in its operations.

“[Small businesses] need a place that will listen to their financial needs and to their dreams of being independent, having financial security, contributing to the community and providing resources for their families.”
–George Weisz, Scottsdale Community Bank

But for all its embrace of technology, the community bank took its inspiration for an innovative lending program from an old-school tradition: kids’ lemonade stands.  Scottsdale Community Bank’s Lemonade Stand Loan Program offers microloans—up to $25,000 each—to small businesses and individuals who own businesses or operate nonprofit organizations.

With its microloans, Scottsdale Community Bank offers small businesses within the community an opportunity for new growth. “They need a place that will listen to their financial needs,” says George Weisz, chair of the board, “and to their dreams of being independent, having financial security, contributing to the community and providing resources for their families.”

The aim of the program is to help small businesses take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities where funds are needed quickly and sustain their existing organizations or reach the next level. The community bank provides the same amount of due diligence to these microloans as it does for all other loans but with ease in application and process. It also customizes the terms of the loan based on factors such as business goals and financial history.

A business bank with personal service

Scottsdale Community Bank, which opened in January 2022, was the result of a decade of work by Weisz and his colleagues on their vision for a cutting-edge business bank. The community bank specializes in providing top-line banking services to small and mid-size businesses, family businesses and nonprofits. The diverse board, staff and leadership team aim to implement a plan of “doing well for investors by doing good for the community.”

“We are a dynamic bank for a dynamic community, and we conduct business in one of the fastest-growing areas of the nation,” Weisz says. “We are changing the face of business banking in Arizona by combining cutting-edge fintech technology with true relationship banking.”

Besides using the latest technology, Scottsdale Community Bank relies on truly personal service. In fact, every client has the cellphone numbers of Weisz and bank president Neill LeCorgne.

As well as being the inspiration for Scottsdale Community Bank’s microloan program, the humble lemonade stand has special significance for Weisz, who has had a miniature model of one in his office for more than 40 years.

“It reminds me of my roots in many ways,” he says. “My first exposure to business, when I was probably six or seven years old, was hawking lemonade in front of our home, earning a small amount to give me a feeling of accomplishment and teaching me the value of earning money and saving money.” It also helped build confidence, people skills and trust, he says.

Never out of sight

The model, one of his most prized possessions, is a constant reminder for Weisz of the importance of interacting with people, gaining confidence and respect for others, starting an enterprise and the hard work involved in success. Since childhood, Weisz has always firmly believed and told anyone who will listen: “Never pass up a lemonade stand.” He explains his reasoning: “One never knows whose life one might change, encourage or help succeed by buying a cup or a generous pitcher of that sweet elixir and having a nice conversation.”

“We have a vision of public-private partnerships, which, if created appropriately, can be a win-win for both local governments and their communities.”
—George Weisz, Scottsdale Community Bank

Since the Lemonade Stand Loan Program is a recent introduction, it’s still too early to gauge its success. However, it has already generated interest among Scottsdale’s business community. In the meantime, the community bank is meeting with local business associations and government entities with the goal of creating a consortium of community banks to extend microloan opportunities to local businesses and organizations.

Scottsdale Community Bank leadership has also met with government entities to see how community banks can creatively partner with state and local agencies to provide microloans to small businesses throughout the community.

“We have a vision of public-private partnerships, which, if created appropriately, can be a win-win for both local governments and their communities,” Weisz says. “In fact, we have several revitalization areas in which simple microloans may provide the horsepower for small businesses to survive and then thrive.”

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William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.

[ICBA LIVE is] an opportunity to continue training up the next generation, so I would encourage community bank leaders to join us and bring your rising community continuators with you.

The passion I have for community banking was born at ICBA LIVE 2011, which was my first ICBA convention as an adult. I thought I already loved community banking, but I didn’t realize how much until then. Thousands of community bankers convening in one room; motivating videos playing; leaders of the association delivering speeches of who we are and why it matters; keynote speakers inspiring with stories of beating the odds and thriving. It gets your blood pumping, and once you go to one, you’ll never be the same.

Because when community bankers assemble, remarkable things happen. We realize that we’re all facing the same challenges and opportunities and recognize that we’re all part of something bigger. We share firsthand experiences, advice and support to help each other succeed.

For example, when my bank was looking to replace our core, we spoke with potential partners in the expo hall, but we also talked to bankers who had used those solutions. In fact, a casual conversation between our bank’s CFO and another banker led to us leaving LIVE with the name of a consultant we ended up using to assist us with the core search. We’ve also found social media monitoring and rewards checking products through recommendations from our peers at LIVE.

There also is no better educational event for community banks. It’s an opportunity to continue training up the next generation, so I would encourage community bank leaders to join us and bring your rising community continuators with you.

From a business perspective, the experiences you have at LIVE ensure your bank grows and evolves. The ideas we pick up from the program, lessons-learned conversations and new knowledge of today’s landscape all stem from LIVE’s educational sessions and networking events. There simply is nothing better than being together in person, and the convention is carefully crafted to set us up for success.

But above all, ICBA LIVE is like a homecoming. I think back on my own journey, walking into that first convention knowing no one except people from my home state, and now I have banker friends throughout the country. It’s like a big family reunion that grows each year. It helps me remember that we are all connected, standing for a mission bigger than ourselves, serving as protectors of Main Street. It makes me proud to be a community banker.

So, when you attend LIVE in Hawaii this year, make sure you look me up. I’ll be the guy exuding enthusiasm for this community, and I would love to meet you. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Brad Bolton, Chairman, ICBA
Brad Bolton is president and CEO of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala.
Connect with Brad @BradMBolton

Photo by Rido/Adobe

Maximizing each step in the innovation journey, including the fintech evaluation process, will set you on the right path to a fruitful fintech partnership.

By Charles Potts, ICBA

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When it comes to innovation, understanding how we do it may be even more important than why. With technology upgrades and customer experience consistently ranking as chief priorities for community banks, there’s no question that innovation serves as a strategic imperative. But the best tactical implementation approach remains uncertain.

In truth, the answer comes down to finding the right partner. And you’ll want to maximize each step in the innovation journey, including the fintech evaluation process. Ensuring you have the answers to the following three questions will set you on the right path to a fruitful fintech partnership:

1. Does the solution resonate with a need at your bank? Many fintechs have flashy offerings, but if what they provide doesn’t instantly solve a problem for your bank, it isn’t an immediate fit. Prioritize deeper engagement with those companies that offer solutions that fit your business needs, address the challenges you face and provide the opportunities you’re looking for as a bank.
2. Who within your bank needs to be engaged? Once you’ve been intrigued by a product demo, you need a deeper dive into the solution. Bringing in your internal subject-matter experts from day one will make it more efficient. Depending on the product, you may need technology leaders, marketing experts, risk and compliance teams, back-office operations, customer support representatives, and other team members engaged in the decision-making process, so loop them in early for the biggest benefit.
3. Who’s using the solution, and where are the referenceable use cases? Even when you’re engaging at the earliest stages of a new product, fintechs will have proof of concept and pilot examples. Lean on those references and reach out to peers who are using the solution. Those conversations will give you a better understanding both of cultural fit and where the pitfalls may lie.

These questions are a good starting point as you engage in vendor discussions, so the sooner you start, the more you can maximize your time. And, with ICBA LIVE around the corner, these questions have the added benefit of preparing you for the all-star ThinkTECH Accelerator showcase, where select alumni will demonstrate their solutions.

In addition, information from ICBA’s new digital transformation education series, which is a part of Community Banker University and will be unveiled at LIVE, will provide guidance to support the next steps in fintech engagements.

This is the year of innovation in action. At ICBA, we’re upping our innovation game, and we know you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and do the same. We’re entering the phase of implementation, where the question becomes not why innovate, but how. And in today’s landscape, that’s precisely where we need to be.

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Charles Potts (charles.potts@icba.org) is ICBA executive vice president and chief innovation officer

Photos: Tyler Anderson/ProSport Management

First Bank of Alabama partners with Talladega Superspeedway track to host a hands-on educational STEM program event for seventh graders.

By Christyna Yang

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Talladega, Ala., is home to $900 million-asset First Bank of Alabama, but it’s also home to the Talladega Superspeedway, a famous NASCAR racetrack. It’s fitting, then, that Chad Jones, president and CEO, and Mitch Key, executive vice president and COO—both of whom grew up in or near Talladega—have developed a relationship with the superspeedway folks.

The two businesses partnered to develop a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program event for local seventh graders that’s hosted at the racetrack. “[The superspeedway management team] approached us with the idea of sponsoring a day at the racetrack,” Key notes. “The events are typically on Friday of race weekend, where we bring in young people from across our footprint, which is six counties in east-central Alabama.”

“In Talladega, we can show them one of the biggest sports that has all types of jobs. You don’t have to be a racecar driver to be associated with NASCAR.”
—Mitch Key, First Bank of Alabama

Jones is a big advocate for sharing real-life opportunities within STEM fields. In his hometown, NASCAR presents a range of opportunities. With the program, he wanted to show the students that NASCAR isn’t just about the driver. It’s a collaboration of the entire team.

“These are just some of the opportunities we wanted to put forth that are right here in our backyard,” he says. “In Talladega, we can show them one of the biggest sports that has all types of jobs. You don’t have to be a racecar driver to be associated with NASCAR.”

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On these special Fridays, about 500 students get a glimpse of the different jobs available throughout NASCAR. First Bank of Alabama employees serve as their tour guides, taking them through stations where they get to see positions varying from crew chief to engineer, car hauler and more. They also learn how to build a race car and what it takes to run a racetrack.

Applying what they’ve learned in the classroom to each station at Superspeedway is integral to the STEM program. One of the most popular stations involves the spotter, located at the highest point of Superspeedway. Spotters communicate with the drivers to assist them during the race. Students can try on the headset and learn about radio communication and the importance of technology for racing.

As a final station, the students get the chance to talk to Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. At age five, he began go-karting and realized his passion for racing. Now a NASCAR driver of eight years, he spends 33 weekends out of the year racing in the Xfinity series. The students are thrilled to ask questions that keep Hemric on his toes.

The life lesson

At its core, the collaboration between First Bank of Alabama and the Talladega Superspeedway brings STEM to life in a fun way. The community bank understands how to make learning hands-on and enjoyable.

“This was just a perfect tie in between young people, the racetrack and First Bank of Alabama,” says Key. “We’re excited, our employees are excited about it, they’re all anxious to go do STEM, because we recognize the impact it’s having. So, it’s just been a win-win all the way around.”

“[Children] have leaders within their community, like First Bank of Alabama, the Talladega Superspeedway and other individuals involved, pulling for them.”
—Daniel Hemric, NASCAR

Aiming to pique the students’ curiosity and demonstrate that careers don’t have to be mundane, Key wants to leave them feeling inspired. “I hope the community will see that First Bank of Alabama is committed to our young people and growing our communities,” he says. “Our young people are our future. I think as much as we can pour into them, and as much as we can do to help them be successful … I just don’t know of a much greater calling than that.”

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The event has generated much positive feedback and attention from parents, teachers, administrators and students. Students are even asking Jones for autographs. “Their thank-yous, the letters that I’ve received where they’ve either drawn pictures or handwritten notes, are proof of appreciation,” Jones says. “It’s good to see that we still have good in the communities that we serve.”

Confident of the event’s impact on students, Hemric hopes that his perspective on leadership and community resonates with them.

“They have leaders within their community, like First Bank of Alabama, the Talladega Superspeedway and other individuals involved, pulling for them,” he says. “People are trying to do everything they can to make sure they have a successful journey through life, and people have their backs. I know that was important for me growing up, and it’s a huge part of what First Bank of Alabama is about.”

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Christyna Yang is an editorial assistant for Independent Banker.

Photo by Zutik by Andoni/Stocksy

Data analysis can illuminate patterns and trends in your customers’ transactions. Community bankers and industry experts share how to best put this data to use.

By Colleen Morrison

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Data is the new currency for Big Tech, business, banking and beyond.

“All data creates a competitive advantage. Google is not in the search engine business for the money; they are in it for the data,” says Tina Giorgio, president and CEO of ICBA Bancard. “Knowing what transactions are being performed and how your customers are performing them is invaluable information.”

But having the data and knowing how to draw accurate information from it are two different things. According to a recent Bank Director survey, nearly half of financial institutions report not effectively using their available data, which leaves potential strategies untapped.

“One of my favorite quotes says data is only as good as the insights it provides and the leaders willing to put the action behind it,” says Chad King, director of payments at $3.8 billion-asset First State Community Bank in Farmington, Mo. “Most places have more information than they know what to do with, and they’re not understanding the insights that it is actually providing, and they’re not putting the action behind it.”

That may be because data analysis is complicated. While it provides line of sight into customer actions and behaviors, how it’s interpreted and applied matters, and there are ways to approach its review to inform payments strategies and ensure an accurate picture of trends.

“You’ve got to zoom in and zoom out on the tapestry,” says Kari Mitchum, vice president, payments policy at ICBA. “Yes, there are going to be individual threads that are making up your whole picture, but you also need to make sure that you’re not stereotyping.”

To use data effectively, community bankers need to balance the information with what they know to be true about their customers. Applying it will take some finesse, but a few guideposts exist to help navigate this slippery slope and unearth a goldmine of potential. The dos and don’ts of data analysis can make the difference in a bank’s payments strategy (see sidebar below).

Applying data

Data can support community banks in helping their customers better manage their finances. Mitchum shares an example of a bank that monitored customer credit card activity, homed in on those customers who were making minimum payments each month, and then created a targeted campaign that showed the value of adding just $5 to the minimum payment to pay down the balance sooner.

The results? Customers made an average addition of $20 to the minimum payment, supporting a better payoff strategy.

Data analysis can also help community banks track where there are opportunities to cross-sell or reposition offerings.

For example, if a customer’s payment activity shows loan payments to outside firms or Venmo or PayPal payments, perhaps it’s time for their bank to discuss its loan and P2P payment options with them.

“We’ve got this massive amount of data, and we have to do something about it,” says Greg Ohlendorf, president and CEO of $207 million-asset First Community Bank and Trust in Beecher, Ill. “Once you determine what your transactions look like, then strategically, you can decide if you want to be in any of those businesses. Or if we’re in those businesses, we need to discover why our customers haven’t chosen to get that service with us, rather than competitors.”

Ohlendorf speaks to data as a route for solving deposit leakage, or the migration of deposit account funds to other providers. For example, as PayPal, Venmo and similar payments platforms encourage clients to leave balances in their holding accounts, funds that would have traditionally been in a bank account are in these outside environments, disintermediating the bank.

In addition, funds may be leaving the demand deposit account (DDA) to pay an outside loan service or investment fund, removing resources that may have stayed within the bank if the customer had used its services.

“I have to look at where your spend is going, and the question is, ‘What do I do about that?’,” Ohlendorf says. “That’s what that data is about.”

Avoiding data pitfalls

Data serves as a great resource, but as community bankers dive into it, they risk going down a rabbit hole of findings and subjecting themselves to analysis paralysis where the continued evaluation of data leads to inaction. King advises staying true to the original goals.

“Don’t allow the data to force you to make assumptions about your customers,” he says. “Prioritize what’s most important to you, what’s going to give you the biggest return, and build your payments strategies around them.”

Mitchum agrees. “You’re never going to have perfect data, and you want to be able to make decisions and move forward. Data is always going to be coming in, and you’re constantly making sure you’re on the right path. Don’t be afraid to change if you need,” she says.

Experts caution that when data is used to label behaviors, it introduces stereotyping. Referred to as confirmation bias, this approach runs the risk of surfacing false assumptions about customer needs. Tapping into the relationship banking model and aligning what the bank knows to be true about its customers with data points will support the right combination of data and personal connection.

“If all you do is study the data, you will develop confirmation bias,” King says. “You automatically assume that you know what customers need, as opposed to using that data to open up and have great conversations with them. We avoid that by using the data upfront to guide who we’re going to talk to and what we’re going to talk to them about, and then have a good conversation.”

Where to start

Today, only 14% of banks report having a data scientist on staff, which means most community banks need to be considering where they can find support. Resources exist to provide varying degrees of data review, starting with core providers and other third-party partners, including fintechs that specialize in data analytics and industry consultants who are familiar with both banking and data analysis.

“If a bank has access to its data through a data warehouse, ad hoc reporting is the fastest way to access the data.” Giorgio says. “If the bank does not operate in a data warehouse environment, there are providers who will ‘scrape’ the data from existing reports.”

And no matter what steps community banks take to get there, harnessing data for greater insights will help them in identifying next steps for deepening customer engagement and launching new products and services.

“The data tells the story,” King says. “The question is, ‘Are you going to do something with it?’”

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Colleen Morrison is a writer in Maryland.

Photo by Nina Lawrenson/peopleimages.com/Adobe

Here are 12 ways to light up your February and find your focus.

By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA

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The nights are still long and spring hasn’t yet sprung, so don’t blame yourself if you’re feeling sluggish. But how do you keep productivity up when your workload is showing no signs of hibernating? The theme for next month’s ICBA LIVE is “Light the Fire. Light the Way.” So, with that in mind, here are 12 ways to light up your February and find your focus.

1. Eliminate distractions. Studies suggest we’re constantly distracted by our devices, so make a point of hiding your phone in a desk drawer or turning off notifications. Switch off Microsoft Teams, make your inbox disappear and close your browser.
2. Make a to-do list. If it’s daunting, break it down into smaller chunks for the day—or even the hour—ahead. End the day by mapping out tomorrow’s list.
3. Prioritize. Not everything on your list is urgent. Tackle the most important work first.
4. Break it up. If a project is labor intensive, divide it into smaller sections. Outline a plan, establish deadlines and check each piece off as you progress.
5. Schedule focus time. Research has shown it can take an average of 23 minutes to refocus on a task after you’ve been interrupted, so carve out some dedicated work time. Consider using tools like Microsoft Viva Insights to help. And listen to the natural reactions of your mind and body, scheduling focus time when you perform best.
6. Manage the noise. Some of us like perfect silence. Others prefer classical music or even white noise. Wear noise-canceling headphones or crank up some Mozart—whatever works for you.
7. Keep a distraction notebook. When an idea pops into your head or you remember something you might forget again, write it down and don’t let it cloud your focus time.
8. Take breaks. Scheduling a full day of focus time isn’t healthy either. Listen to your body and beat the fatigue by giving yourself breaks to stand, stretch and eat.
9. Look up. Your mind can start to blur, so look away from the screen from time to time. Follow the 20‑20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to stare at something 20 feet away.
10. Change the scenery. Use a conference room instead of your desk or find a quiet spot in a neighboring department. Changing your environment can trigger productivity.
11. Take a productivity challenge. If you know a colleague has a deadline as well, set a friendly challenge to get past your respective roadblocks. You can even schedule lunch at the end of it to make it more appetizing.
12. Don’t forget to sleep. While it may be tempting, this isn’t an excuse to nap at work! Instead, invest in healthy slumber habits. A well-rested mind will help you dig in and get that work done.

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Lindsay LaNore (lindsay.lanore@icba.org) is ICBA’s group executive vice president and chief learning and experience officer

Digital media gives community bankers a platform for advocacy, and ICBA’s Virtual Advocacy Primer details how you can put it to work.

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How can a community banker best connect with a member of Congress? With the growing number of virtual options—whether it’s email, social media or video calling—community bankers can bridge the gap and advocate for the industry’s best interests, whether that’s cannabis-related business financing, small and rural business credit, or credit unions’ unfair advantage.

After COVID changed how we all do business, senators and representatives have expanded their presence across technology by livestreaming on social media, posting Q&As and running email or phone campaigns. According to a 2020 Congressional Management Foundation report, constituents reported their representative and/or senator used online platforms either “more” or “significantly more” since the pandemic began.

So, how can you take advantage of this reinforced media connection?

Lay out a plan

ICBA’s Virtual Advocacy Primer explains how community bankers can use digital options to take grassroots action for the benefit of the industry. With these social and digital platforms, you have new points of contact for your representative.

Before making contact with your representative, first ask yourself why. What’s your end goal? Are you trying to raise awareness about a certain policy or bill affecting community banks? Are you trying to prevent it from being passed?

Once you have that goal in mind, schedule a virtual meeting. Find the representative’s or senator’s scheduling process on their official website and follow every step.

Your meeting request should cover:

• Your plan (either a tour or a meeting)
• The subject of the meeting and the specific topic you’re discussing
• The participants (including zip codes)
• Background information regarding the subject (reports, one-pagers, etc.)

After making the request, call the member’s office to discuss and finalize the length of the meeting and any software preferences (such as what virtual platform you will use for the meeting). Wait a week for a response and then follow up if necessary by phone, Facebook message and/or Twitter direct message. Once you hear a response, thank them and notify any bank staff who will be involved.

Be thorough about preparation

Before the meeting, study up on your Congress member by looking through websites, newsletters, news alerts and social media. Make sure other meeting participants from your bank do the same. You can even rehearse among yourselves to ensure the meeting is concise, informative and personal.

It’s also important to test out the meeting’s technical components, including the software platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoTo Meeting, etc.), lighting and sound. You may want to invest in an external light and/or microphone. Having a high-quality setup will guarantee that your message gets across and could help you stand out from the crowd.

Before the meeting, take 15 minutes to work out any of these technical kinks and provide everyone with a backup plan if the software fails (such as using a phone line).

When you join the scheduled meeting, thank your member of Congress using their proper title. Give them the what, why and how:

• What do you want them to do? (Only cover one or two issues)
• Why is this important to you?
• How will this affect the local area, district and voters?
• Provide a clear, direct and achievable request

Monitor your meeting’s runtime. Keep it concise, but don’t forget to leave time for questions. Afterwards, draft your follow-up and thank-you emails (see the ICBA template on our website).

As an expert in the community banking industry, be sure you use a tone that represents that.

Two days after the meeting, give yourself 30 minutes to complete the follow-up. Only 8% of constituents follow up in a timely, helpful way, according to Hill staff. By following up, you reinforce the importance of the issue.

Stay up to date

Once you successfully meet and talk with your Congress member, use these methods to keep up with their current events and updates:

• Set up Google news alerts
• Visit your officials’ websites and sign up for their newsletters
• Follow them on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
• Attend virtual town halls

ICBA wants to hear about your advocacy efforts, too, and can help support you. Email John Coleman, ICBA’s director of advocacy, at john.coleman@ICBA.org regarding your meetings with Congress.

—Rachel Hatcher

Illustration by Jozefmicic/Adobe

The CFPB recently issued new guidance on overdraft fees that was unanticipated by community banks. Learn what this means for the industry and how community banks can stay in compliance.

By Mary Thorson Wright

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In October 2022, President Biden announced a crackdown on so-called junk fees, including new steps that effectively ban banks from imposing disclosed overdraft fees. Concurrently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued Circular 2022-06 guidance on “unanticipated overdraft fee assessment practices,” which complies with TILA, EFTA, Regulation Z, Regulation E and the prohibition against unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or practices (UDAAP) in Section 1036 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).

Banks offer a variety of products or services designed to allow overdrafts on deposit accounts, including:

• Lines of credit
• A sweep of funds from another deposit account of the customer
• A courtesy period during which the customer can clear the overdraft
• An ad hoc decision to pay or not pay the overdrawn amount, or some other combination of allowances

Regardless of the type, the bank may choose to also impose a previously disclosed fee upon the overdrawn transactions as a deterrent to future activity or to cover costs incidental to administering the program. Fee disclosures are typically provided at account opening, the commencement of an overdraft feature, a change in terms related to the overdraft or account program, and any other subsequent disclosure trigger. Sound compliance management requires consistent written disclosures, procedures and actual practices.

Overdraft programs benefit customers by helping ensure transactions are still processed and that a payee is not notified regarding the customer’s account balance. Bank regulators have issued guidance and expressed concerns about how banks administer overdraft programs and the fees that are charged to customers. In March 2022, the CFPB noted in its blog that “overdraft fees can price people out of banking.”

The overdraft fee circular’s effects

Of late, the CFPB has been taking regulatory actions using novel tools including interpretive rules, advisory opinions and circulars, rather than formal rule changes. The circular is an example of this less-formal approach.

“The Circular will definitely have a regulatory impact on community banks, even without the supervisory oversight of the CFPB.”
—Rhonda Thomas-Whitley, ICBA

“The substance of the circular and also the manner in which it was established are of concern,” says Mickey Marshall, ICBA AVP and regulatory counsel. “ICBA believes this change should have been done through the rulemaking process. The circular was unanticipated by the industry, and the public and the industry didn’t get the opportunity to provide feedback or to consider its impact prior to implementation. The process did not promote transparency or give banks the opportunity to comment or explain their position prior to implementation.”

How the circular will affect community banks is not entirely clear. “The CFPB exercises direct supervision and examinations for banks with total assets over $10 billion, whereas most community banks are directly supervised by the FDIC, Federal Reserve or OCC,” Marshall says. “While the CFPB circular may not be technically binding on the other federal bank regulators, community banks need to consider that the publication and promotion of the circular is not happening in a vacuum. It’s reasonable to believe that examiners from those agencies may begin to apply this model for unanticipated overdraft fees in their community bank examinations.”

Rhonda Thomas-Whitley, ICBA vice president and regulatory counsel, agrees: “The circular will definitely have a regulatory impact on community banks, even without the supervisory oversight of the CFPB.”

While community banks have offered overdraft protection to their customers for decades and have been subject to compliance monitoring, internal and external audits, and federal and state bank examinations, the CFPB’s overdraft fee circular and public statements by the Biden administration now subject their programs to a change in standards.

“Examiners have scrutinized account disclosures, fee schedules, bank procedures and records of overdraft fees for years,” Thomas-Whitley says. “Now it appears that those same disclosures, fee schedules and their associated implementation may not be sufficient. It is difficult to conceive that overdraft fees and practices are unanticipated when they have been so thoroughly disclosed to customers and vetted by examiners.”

At the time of writing, CFPB had issued the first report of enforcement under the circular.

“Community banks have been dedicated to comprehensive reviews of their disclosures and procedures for years,” Whitley says. “Banks have found themselves in a situation where they are following the rules but are being scrutinized by the same agencies that make the rules. How do we capture and evaluate what will fall with the next shoe?

“Bankers are put in the position of monitoring trends and available guidance but may be in a holding pattern to see how they play out from anecdotal feedback or issuances from CFPB or their primary federal bank regulators.”

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Mary Thorson Wright is a writer in Virginia.