11:30 a.m.
Registration for Spring Seminar opens

Noon -12:50
Buffet luncheon

12:50 - 1:00
Welcome and announcements

1:00 - 1:50
Economic Overview: The Landing
KC Mathews, economist, Commerce Bank

Has the economy landed? Are we experiencing a soft landing or is a hard landing (recession) on the horizon? Economic activity, inflation, interest rates, politics, and equity valuations are up in the air. This presentation navigates the potential economic landings, reviewing current conditions and offering insight into how different scenarios could develop.

1:50 - 2:45
Seizing the Future Now: Leveraging Gen AI for an Immediate Impact
Ben Udell, SVP Product Marketing & Innovation, Marquis

Understand the current risks and regulatory environment of using generative AI solutions like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. Learn the fundamentals of how to use gen AI to level up yourself, bank, and team for greater productivity and creativity. See a demonstration of banking specific everyday examples of AI in action. 

2:45-3:00
Break

3:00 - 4:00
Keys to successful fintech partnerships
Moderated by Sarah Fankhauser, President, DCI

Fankhauser shares insights into the bank-centered relationships involving core processors and neo-fintechs serving the community banking industry. She will share the stage with bankers who will offer thoughts in the context of their own case studies.

4:00 - 5:00
Non-traditional holding company business lines that add value to your community bank
Chad Hoffman, President/CEO Richwood Bancshares, Richwood, Ohio

Believing the current banking business model needs a facelift, Richwood Bancshares started a payroll service, a marketing firm and an education service to help attract business accounts and loans. The bank also has coffee shops in four of its eight branches increasing foot traffic and account openings. The bank has won Top Workplace Awards and has been recognized in Fortune Magazine. Learn how Richwood’s vision and strategy execution has helped drive new excitement around community banking in 2025.

5:00 - 6:30
Networking reception

6:30
Dinner on your own

7:30 - 8:30
Buffet breakfast

8:30 - 9:30 
Asset/Liability Management in Today’s Environment
Dale Sheller, Managing Director, The Baker Group

As we start 2025, the economy and the banking industry face renewed uncertainties, fueled by the recent election and additional anticipated rate cuts by the Fed. Senior management continues to navigate an environment marked by elevated interest rates and the looming threat of an economic downturn. This session will present strategies to better prepare your institution for the uncertainty ahead.   

9:30 - 10:30
What to watch for in the regulatory arena
Moderated by Bart Smith, Performance Trust.

Smith, a former FDIC supervisor, discusses the regulatory environment with three bank regulators: Lise Kruse, the Commission of Bank for the State of North Dakota, Kelly Lammers, Director, Nebraska Department of Banking & Finance, and Aaron Zabler, assistant vice president, supervision, regulation and credit at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

10:30 - 11:00
Break

11:00 - 11:35 
Round 1 of Breakout sessions

Session A:

Preserving Independence: Navigating investor relations and liquidity for community banks
Jon Antilok, co-founder and CEO, My Private Shares

Privately held banks face unique challenges in balancing control, investor relations, and liquidity while staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market. This session will explore how banks can maintain independence, enhance shareholder engagement, and offer liquidity solutions without compromising stability. We’ll discuss industry trends, regulatory considerations, and innovative strategies—highlighting how My Private Shares provides a seamless, transparent platform that simplifies investor relations and mitigates risk.

Session B:

How Minor Deposit Adjustments Bring Major Profitability Leaps
Neil Stanley, President, The CorePoint

With the dramatic growth in interest expense in recent years, bankers need to attract more profitable deposits from government entities, consumers and businesses. Depositors, however, are awake to the opportunity to earn more interest. It's also more common for municipalities and companies to have a professional finance function that compares your institution to competitors as they discern the best place for discretionary capital. This session walks you through a process used by bank finance teams daily, as well as by finance professionals and CD users: Modernizing penalty structures on CDs to pay bonuses when early withdrawal is advantageous for the bank.

11:40 to 12:15
Round 2 of Breakout sessions

Session A:

Missed opportunities? Be sure your cybersecurity plan is ready for 2025’s bad actors
Carole Crawford, Principal, Saturn Partners 

Crawford will discuss security and opportunities for efficiencies in cybersecurity, quantum computing and more. She will also examine incident response team building and testing. Since “you are only as strong as your weakest link,” several smaller and medium size banks (and some large ones as well) fall short of a complete planning, response and remediation plan inside their standard cybersecurity operations setup. With the cyber world getting more dangerous every day, stopping the bad actors from damaging your bank should be at the top of your list.

Session B:

Ag opportunities for banks, land owners and farm operators
By Matt Gunderson, SVP Business Growth, Farmers National Corporation

This session offers an overview of some of the market opportunities in agriculture, including land and rents, lease options (crop share or cash rent flex) and other considerations, including SOC-1, energy (oil and gas, wind, solar), appraisals, hunting, and cooperative stock.

12:25 - 1:10
Awards luncheon

1:15 - 2:15
The Survivor Way
Holly Hoffman, “Survivor Nicaragua.”

The last woman standing on the 21st season of the CBS reality show, Hoffman now takes her experience to seminars and speaking events around the world. Everyone possesses leadership skills that come out in our daily actions no matter what role we are performing at the time.  Whether it’s in the workplace, or as a parent, as a volunteer, as a supportive friend, or as a contestant on a televised show where you are trying to outwit, outlast and outplay your competition.  As leaders we are all challenged.  How we choose to overcome a challenge is what makes us stand apart.  Our strength in times of difficulty proves our character and self-worth.  As Holly shares her experience of being on a reality show, she will encourage you to think about your leadership skills and how to lead simply. 

Adjourn