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Sunflower Bank is making change for schools
For two decades, Sunflower Bank has empowered customers to raise money for schools in their community. These efforts have generated more than $1.4 million for schools and started financial...
How your bank can attract and keep diverse talent
Community banks are close to the areas they serve, so it follows that having a diverse workforce that’s representative of their communities would be part of their mission. But it often requires a...
Why community banks are banking on artists
Boosting the arts is a natural extension of the commitment many community banks make to their communities. Here’s how several community banks are engaging art and artists in their own ways.
Lindsay LaNore: Time for a check-in
Employees thrive when they receive regular, constructive feedback. Some experts suggest that having additional midyear or quarterly check-ins can be more effective than traditional annual reviews...
Tenacity drives Stearns Bank
The community bank in St. Cloud, Minn., has cultivated a culture that combines creativity and hard work. The result is an award-winning workplace that fosters growth for both employees and the bank.
Robert Fisher: Lead with integrity
One of my early mentors told me, ‘It’s often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.’ That piece of advice has … allowed us to be a little more progressive as a bank.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Staying the course
We must work to remain optimistic in the face of adversity and keep in mind that no matter how difficult that feat may be, it’s worth the effort.
Charles Potts: A culture of innovation
Innovation is a high priority for many community bank leaders, so it’s critical that we have a foundational definition of innovation.
ICBA’s 2021/22 executive committee: Close the distance
The 2021/22 ICBA executive committee understands that community banks are at a turning point due to changing customer expectations and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. They tell us why...
40 Under 40: 2021’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders
Our third annual 40 Under 40: Emerging Community Bank Leaders competition highlights young community bankers who stepped up to help their banks navigate a chaotic year.
Lindsay LaNore: Making effective meetings
Meetings are a great opportunity to reinforce a team’s collective identity and establish a leader’s personal presence. They also offer participants a chance to find their voices. When organized and...
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Lead with purpose
Our approach to service is not about checking something off the list for today. It’s about making incremental positive change over time.
Robert Fisher: Creating strong culture
Culture is more than just how bank staff interact with one another; it’s about how we convey who we are to our customers.
Fighting fraud with education
COVID-19 has exacerbated vulnerabilities to fraud. To combat this trend, Tompkins VIST Bank has been delivering valuable education to its small business customers to keep them informed and protected.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Focusing on our communities
Unlike our credit union counterparts, we pay taxes, and those tax dollars are spent at home to ensure our communities grow.
Here are the benefits of bank-owned life insurance
Over the past two decades, banks have increasingly dabbled in BOLI, or bank-owned life insurance. While there are downsides to consider, experts say the benefits of these policies can generate...
How 4 community banks came through for customers
The past year has put community banks’ local missions to the test, and they came through with flying colors. In the spirit of Community Banking Month, here are stories from several community banks...
Out of Office: Dave Wise
The senior vice president for business banking at $406 million-asset TS Bank in Council Bluffs, Iowa, picked up gravel riding, or biking on rural gravel roads and trails, during the pandemic to...
Robert Fisher: The importance of engagement
In today’s climate, our voices are vital not only to the future of financial services, but to the millions of small businesses and consumers who depend upon us.
New ICBA chairman Robert Fisher is in the driver’s seat
Faced with the unexpected and unexplainable, it’s hard to stay on course. But Robert Fisher is an expert at just that. ICBA’s next chairman is ready to help community banks and the customers they...
The de novo bringing craft banking to Atlanta
Craft Bank, Atlanta’s first de novo bank in more than a decade, was about to open—and then the pandemic arrived. Now open, it promises to give potential customers the ability to craft their...
Passing banking to the next generation
For three decades, Cape Ann Savings Bank has operated a unique program where a branch operates within a local high school. It’s been a vehicle for multiple generations of students to learn banking...
Noah Wilcox: Committed to community
Despite everything, we remain a thriving network of community banks, united in our common passion for and commitment to our communities.
What to expect at ICBA Connect
ICBA Connect is your moment to relax, reflect and recharge. This virtual event will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. Community bankers all over the country will come together, be inspired and...
Community First Bank’s PPP partnership
With little time to spare, Community First Bank prepared itself for a wave of Paycheck Protection Program applications by quickly implementing technology through a new fintech partner. Now, it’s...
Lindsay LaNore: Boost your connections
Connection is about creating relationships and having respectful and authentic conversations that go beyond the surface. Creating meaningful connection starts with being friendly and genuine,...
Holding true in tough times
When New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank responded with a community-focused campaign that helped save local businesses and improve the lives of...
Uwharrie Bank and the power of connection
Realizing that many residents of the greater Charlotte, N.C., area face barriers to housing and financial prosperity, Uwharrie Bank is connecting with local organizations in a mission to uplift...
Noah Wilcox: It’s all about connection
I hope to see you virtually at ICBA Connect. For community bankers, it’s all about that connection.
Rebeca Romero Rainey: You make an impact
From your focus on people to the good that you do, you make a lasting impact, and that’s what makes you uniquely who you are.
Noah Wilcox: Stay positive
To succeed in this environment, we must focus on the things we can control and remain positive, and that’s become my daily mantra.
How Systematic Savings Bank turned around
When Derek Fraley joined Systematic Savings Bank as president and CEO in 2017, it was in trouble. To save it, he changed the community bank’s charter, launched an IPO and executed sweeping culture...
How community banks can use influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has become more than just a way to sell products on social media. It’s a well-established tool for building brand awareness, boosting sales and more. Here’s what community...
Out of Office: Dan Carey
Dan Carey, president and CEO of $239 million-asset VISIONBank in Fargo, N.D., has always had dogs in his life. He takes special care in training his two black Labradors, Piper and Scout, who play a...
Noah Wilcox: A year that defined community banks
It’s time to look toward the future, and I encourage you to hold onto this bigger-picture perspective to propel our communities out of this crisis.
How Fidelity Bank boosts nonprofits
Beyond standing by its community for more than a century, Fidelity Bank supports nearby nonprofits through financial support, volunteering and specialized banking products.
Member Benefits: ICBA updates BankLocally.org
ICBA’s relaunched Bank Locally landing page serves as a hub of resources, customer testimonials and other content for small business owners and entrepreneurs interested in making the switch to a...
Rebeca Romero Rainey: Developing innovation strategy
Community banks are independent institutions fueled by the needs of their individual communities, so what constitutes innovation will look and feel different for every bank.
3 banks investing in communities under the CRA
Many community banks invest in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods to make lasting impacts while also getting Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, credit. Here’s how three community banks are...
Compensation strategies to retain your bank’s top talent
Gone are the days of defining compensation as salary and bonus. Today’s star employees—whether existing or prospective—are demanding ever-more innovative employment packages.
How community banks are reaching the unbanked
Millions of Americans don’t have bank accounts. Their reasons are their own; some lack financial literacy, and others’ trust in the banking system has been eroded. But many community banks are...
2020’s National Community Bank Service Award winner? You
ICBA’s National Community Bank Service Awards celebrates the community banks that have stepped up for their communities. Instead of highlighting a few winners, this year we are honoring all...
Why succession planning is key to bank independence
Independence is at the heart of many community banks’ ethos, but how do community bankers embed this core value into their strategic planning? Here are three critical strategies that use succession...
40 Under 40: 2020’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders
Our second annual 40 Under 40: Emerging Community Bank Leaders competition uncovered some amazing talent. Meet our 2020 winners and hear their thoughts on the industry’s future.
ICBA’s best-performing community banks
Our annual list of the year’s top-performing community banks boasts institutions that focus on efficiency and the personal service that builds strong, lasting relationships. Their success last year...
Why these banks are supporting women entrepreneurs
In the past 50 years, women have gone from a small part of the business community to a significant—and fast-growing—segment. How can community banks form mutually beneficial...
The juicy story behind First Citrus Bank
Established 21 years ago, First Citrus Bank’s strategic planning is now bearing fruit. At the core of the Tampa, Fla., community bank is a set of fundamental values that define how its associates...
Meet the winners of ICBA’s 2019 National Community Bank Service Awards
Whether they’re helping their community recover from devastating forest fires, or investing in first responders, ICBA’s 2019 National Community Bank Service Award winners are rolling up their...
How to build the board your bank needs
Board succession planning is important for all banks, but getting the right board members is crucial—and complicated—for larger banks. Here’s how several community banks approached the...
40 Under 40: 2019’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders
Independent Banker asked community bankers to nominate emerging leaders under the age of 40 in 2019. Here are short profiles of 40 young innovators who are making waves in the industry but still...
Why banks are becoming B Corps
With a commitment to better business practices, B Corps, designated by the non-profit B Lab, are a growing force that count many financial institutions and household brands as members. Could being...
Community Bank CFO Outlook 2019: What are your peers forecasting?
Independent Banker’s Community Bank CFO Outlook survey asked community bank C how they plan to tackle financial challenges, from complying with high-profile accounting standards to utilizing...
Community Spirit: Dennis Frandsen
After a lengthy entrepreneurial career, Dennis Frandsen of Frandsen Bank & Trust is giving back by helping Minnesota students pay their tuition.
Community Bank CEO Outlook 2019: What’s on your peers’ to-do list?
Independent Banker’s inaugural Community Bank CEO Outlook survey asked community bank CEOs how they plan to meet their challenges this year. Read on for a glimpse of their to-do lists for 2019,...
Meet the winners of ICBA’s 2018 National Community Bank Service Awards
Whether they are overhauling local education, main streets or even their own reputation, ICBA’s 2018 National Community Service Award winners were unafraid to dig deep—figuratively and...
Inside the new style of leadership
Successful community bank leaders inspire from the top while putting the team first. Here’s how.
2017 ICBA National Community Bank Service Award Honorees
In extraordinary circumstances, this year’s National Community Bank Service Award honorees have gone the extra mile for their communities.
How to boost creativity at your bank
Large corporations that lack the agility of startups often turn to “intrapreneurship” to make time and space for creative development in the workplace. Should community banks be doing the same?
What happens when a bank hits $10 billion?
How—and when—should you prepare for the regulatory and cultural aftershocks? And can smaller but ambitious community banks learn from these best-practice preparations?
Powering Potential: Unlock Your Leadership Potential With ICBA Resources
ICBA offers a comprehensive suite of resources designed to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge to thrive in our industry.