The Bolder Banking Podcast

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast.  My guest is Abby Tardiff, Community Bank President at ANB Bank.  This episode is Part 2 of a Two-Part series on GSBC Strategic Topic Projects that are focused on staff development and retention with a strong connection to the bank’s culture.  I know you will enjoy this episode like you did the first one.

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guest is Amy Wolfskill, Senior Vice President, Business & Retail Banking at NebraskaLand Bank. This episode is Part 1 of a 2-Part series on GSBC Strategic Topic Projects that are focused on staff development and retention with a strong connection to the bank’s culture. I know you will enjoy both episodes.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. Our guest on this episode is Colby Stephens, Manager, First National Bank of Omaha. Each new student who enrolls at GSBC is assigned to a peer group with nine fellow new students. With two virtual meetings before arriving on campus, the relationship building among students is accelerated, better preparing students to excel in the Annual School Session. One of GSBC’s intersession projects is completed by members of each peer group. This project is an opportunity for collaboration and peer learning. The topic chosen by Colby and his peer group was how various degrees of economic outlooks impact bank forecasting models. In this episode, Colby shares what he and his peers feel banks need to react to different financial conditions.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Chris Hodges, Senior Vice President at Arvest Bank. Each new student who enrolls at GSBC is assigned to a peer group with nine fellow new students. With two virtual meetings before arriving on campus, the relationship building among students is accelerated, better preparing students to excel in the Annual School Session. One of GSBC’s intersession projects is completed by members of each peer group. This project is an opportunity for collaboration and peer learning. The topic chosen by Chris and his peer group was Succession Planning. In this episode, Chris shares what he and his peers feel are the various facets critical to future-proofing the banking industry, including technological integration, regulatory challenges, and internal succession.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Josh Thompson, VP of Business Banking with Clear Lake Bank and Trust in Clear Lake, IA. With a unique start in the banking industry, Josh shares his journey from high school junior board member to his current leadership role.  He also discusses the bank's innovative task forces, the impact of attending the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado, and the importance of continuous improvement in community banking.   Bolder Banking Scholarships are offered to co-sponsoring state bankers associations’ member banks exhibiting innovative approaches to serving their customers, communities and local economies. Banks can then designate the scholarship to an employee of the organization to attend GSBC’s Annual School Session.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Todd Taylor, Founder and President Of Taylor Advisors and a faculty member of The Community Bank Investments School sponsored by GSBC. In this episode, Todd talks about the value of The Community Bank Investments School and offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that banks face in managing their investment portfolios, emphasizing the significance of ongoing education and training. From discussing the evolving roles of investment portfolios in different rate cycles to addressing concerns and strategies for navigating industry challenges, Todd provides a comprehensive overview. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of community bank investments and how industry professionals can stay ahead in this dynamic landscape.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. Our guest is Natalie Bartholomew, Community President for First Community Bank in Northwest Arkansas. In this episode, Natalie shares her inspiring journey in banking, from being a fifth-generation Arkansas resident to her current role as a Community President at First Community Bank. She discusses the importance of community banks and their expansion strategies, touching on the crucial role of marketing and the impact of AI in the industry. Natalie delves into her experience as a faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking, shedding light on her teachings and the future of the banking industry. She also shares her passion for advocating for women in banking and the evolution of The Girl Banker platform into a supportive community for female Bankers across the country. Tune in as Natalie provides an insightful perspective on the future of banking and the empowerment of women in the industry. https://thegirlbanker.com

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Russell Cropanzano, professor of organizational behavior at the Leeds School Of Business at The University of Colorado. GSBC and CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business have joined forces to equip GSBC alumni with strategies and best practices to grow as community bank leaders. The Certificate in Executive Leadership is achieved by attending GSBC’s alumni-focused Community Bankers Summit, hosted concurrent to its Annual School Session in July. In this episode, we talk about this program and we discuss the importance of leadership in today’s challenging times.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Peter Cressy, Executive Director of the George Washington Leadership Institute. The GSBC Board of Trustees and Alumni Advisory Board recently met for their fall meeting in Mt. Vernon, VA and Peter led them through a day of leadership discussions centered around great historical leaders like Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Churchill. In my discussion with Peter we talked extensively regarding the importance of leadership, examples of how great leaders dealt with tough times and how Bank Leaders can lead during challenging times. https://www.gwleadershipinstitute.org pcressy@mountvernon.org

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Allyson Twiggs Dyer, Founder of The Twiggs Group, an agency with in-depth experience creating marketing strategies for the banking industry. In this episode we focus on all things marketing to include branding, websites, apps, e-mail marketing and social media.  Allyson gives some great advice on what banks should be doing now and in the future.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Collin Eisenhart, SVP/Business Development Team Manager at FMS Bank in Greeley CO. In this episode we focus on the challenges of moving from a national bank to a community bank, the advantages a community bank has over a regional or national bank and we dive into the findings from his Strategic Topic at GSBC which focused on launching a small business growth initiative.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Tim Ohlde, President of Elk State Bank and CEO of Country Banker Systems. He is also a GSBC faculty member. Tim is the first guest that we have brought back for a second episode and during our conversation he showed why we did. We covered all things ag and Tim provided some valuable insights on where ag and ag lending is today and where they are going in the future.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Brad Spears, SVP/Director, Member Relationships at Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.  Brad leads a team of ten relationship managers who serve nearly 1,300 members in 13 states. In this episode we focus on what the Federal Home Loan Bank System does for the Banking industry, how it responded to the SVB failure, how banks should be addressing their liquidity and what banks should be prepare for in their next bank exam.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Josie Bunch, Vice President of Strategy & Experience with The Graduate School Of Banking At Colorado. This was a great conversation in which we discussed the 2023 Annual Session, the concept of Bolder Banking and a new program offered by GSBC, Committed To Lead.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Kyle Thomas of the Appian Corporation. In this episode we focus on how technology is affecting all segments of the banking industry.  Kyle has unique perspective, having been a Bank Examiner, a Vice President with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and now a leader at a technology company.

Our guest on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast is Matt Rathjen, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at Generations Bank. Once students complete their 2nd year at The Graduate School at Colorado, they complete a Strategic Project on a topic of their choosing. After completing his 2nd year at GSBC in 2022, Matt decided to do his strategic project on evaluating the future of banks less than 100 million in assets. Matt did a great job of researching this topic and I know you will enjoy the insights he shares.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Lance Nobert, Vice President at Elk State Bank and Gus Staahl, Special Asset Manager at The Bank Of North Dakota. Once students complete their 2nd year at The Graduate School Of Colorado, they complete a Strategic Project on a topic of their choosing. After completing their 2nd year at GSBC in 2022, both Lance and Gus chose the topic of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). I know you will enjoy this conversation where they share their thoughts about ESG and how it effects their bank and their community.

This is Chris Carlson and Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast. My guests are Renate Deininger, President and CEO at Iowa Trust and Savings Bank and Mike Armstrong, Vice President Of Lending at Iowa Trust and Savings Bank.   In 2022,The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado (GSBC) established a new scholarship to recognize community banks across the nation for their innovative approaches to serving their customers and communities and helping build thriving local economies. Iowa Trust and Savings Bank was a 2023 Bolder Banking Scholarship recipient. In this episode Renate and Mike discuss the details of Scholarship application, to include the actions their Bank took in the early days of the Covid Pandemic.

Welcome to The Bolder Banking Podcast and our series entitled, “Your Future Self,” where we ask Community Banking Leaders what advice they would give to younger versions of themselves. Our guest on this episode is Kevin Erickson, SVP and Market President for Independent Bank.  Kevin shares the work he has done as a Board Member and now Chair of GSBC, plus the work he has done with the Colorado Bankers Association. Kevin also gives some great advice to his younger self.

Our guests on this episode of The Bolder Banking Podcast are Audrey Davis, Experience Product Specialist at Blue Sky Bank and Patrick Tarrants, Senior Examiner at the FDIC. Audrey and Patrick are part of a Peer Group of 10 Students at GSBC.  Members of all Peer Groups get an opportunity to know each other before arriving on campus for their first year.  Peer Groups participate in a group project and Audrey and Patrick’s group project centered on how Community Banks can use AI to their competitive advantage. We have all been bombarded with news about AI and how it will affect all industries.  In the episode, Audrey and Patrick share some of the finding from their Peer Group on how AI will affect the banking industry.