Bridget McCrea

Credit union acquisitions of community banks are leaving lasting scars on local economies—reducing small business lending, limiting mortgage access and weakening community reinvestment. But community banks are fighting back, armed with data and grassroots advocacy to protect Main Street and their local communities.

Our 2025 Best Community Banks to Work For winners pride themselves on competitive benefits, fun and fulfilling cultures, and a belief in work-life balance. Hear from leaders and staff about how they do it—and check out Data Dive to see how all our respondents performed.

Gulf Coast Bank in Abbeville, Louisiana, and Legends Bank in Clarksville, Tennessee, run thoughtful and strategic programs that support their neighbors. That’s why they’ve been named the winners of the 2025 National Community Bank Service Awards. We talk to them and the runners-up about why and how they do the good work they do.

In February 2025, ICBA welcomed Peter Nelson as senior EVP of member engagement. As a long-time community banker, Nelson brings with him a history of robust involvement with ICBA. Here’s a look at what he brings to the table in his new position and a peek at his goals for 2025 and beyond.

First National Bank’s eStore aims for customer convenience, delivering personalized banking through a high-tech customer experience.

Getting buy-in from the C-suite is essential in all facets of the bank, including marketing. Here are tips for how to get executives and the marketing team working toward the same goals.

Bank branch design is more than just aesthetics. It’s what sets the tone for every customer who visits that location. These community banks have thought outside the teller line to build spaces that make room for both technology and the human touch.

While ICBA continues to challenge the 1071 rule’s legality, community banks must prepare for its potential passage.

Community banks can expand access to capital by looking at other factors for loan approval. Here’s what to consider.

Whether it’s navigating tumultuous markets or providing employees with remote work options, flexibility is a key component in the success of this year’s ICBA top lenders. These community banks have stepped up to thoughtfully support customers’ goals from application to completion.

Community banks can prevent costly and disruptive talent gaps by kicking their succession plans into gear sooner rather than later. How can bank leadership combat issues surrounding succession planning and create a pipeline of future leaders through education and other efforts?

These community banks hit their stride in 2024, and they intend to keep the momentum going with hard work, flexibility and the expertise they've built over their years of service.

Even though taking on managerial duties often comes part and parcel with a promotion, not everyone is suited to it. Here are some steps community bankers can take to successfully identify, support and train future management staff.

The annual income required of potential homebuyers recently experienced its largest increase on record. To help more Americans get on the property ladder, SouthState Bank developed a new program to support low- to moderate-income individuals.

Moultrie Bank & Trust opened in 2022 outside of a large metropolitan area and already has more than 400 investors and $21 million in capital. Here’s how they did it.

Gig workers and self-employed individuals make up a growing sector of the workforce in the U.S. This group of workers has specific needs when it comes to banking. Here’s how community banks are embracing, working with and creating new services for this group.

Native American Bank secured financing for the construction of a $10 million opioid treatment clinic in North Dakota as just one effort in a series of community projects.

Community banks across the nation are breaking into markets outside their typical areas of operation. Here’s how four banks are successfully finding new locations, acquiring new customers and bringing convenience to existing ones.

From blending differing values to choosing a new chairman, there are many challenges that can arise after a merger or acquisition. We spoke with legal and financial experts about what questions community bank leaders should ask themselves pre-merger, what issues they may face and how they can build an even stronger financial institution.

Application programming interfaces enable community banks to improve and upgrade elements of their core architectures without extensive and costly system overhauls. Banks and core processing providers are now leveraging and integrating APIs to modernize services.

How can community banks foster future leaders and make sure they’re prepared to take on a managerial role? It takes a healthy dose of attention, understanding and room for trial and error.