20 minute read
IBA's Annual Conference 2022
IBA’s Annual Conference June 6-9, 2022
STRENGTHENING OUR ROOTS
Our 2022 Annual Conference was a wonderful opportunity to see many friends in person. Held in Springfield, conference attendees took advantage of all that the event had to offer including the reception at the beautiful Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, fantastic keynote and breakout sessions, and the great entertainment (Illinois bankers and vendors are incredibly talented!). In 2023, we are excited to be Bridging Industry Forces with our neighboring state banking association, the Ohio Bankers League! This exciting opportunity will expand your professional connections and build new friendships. The blended conference will be packed with a lot of new programming and faces and will continue to be the premiere event that you have come to expect.
Save the date: June 21-24, 2023 Fairmont Chicago at Millennium Park
IBA Chair Betsy Johnson’s Inaugural Speech Excerpts
Good morning, Illinois Bankers, members, associates, the IBA staff, and fans of the IBA. As you have heard from Randy Hultgren and Michelle Gross earlier this week, I will be presenting a summary of the strategic plan which has been a great work in progress by many who are dedicated to the success of the IBA and its members.
Thank you to Michelle for her leadership, support, and friendship, as she led this process along with Randy who filled a challenging role. He not only had a career change but also brought the IBA through a pandemic. I thank and congratulate both of you.
Before we get to the strategic plan, I will share a bit of my background and journey to become a fanatic of the IBA.
My story is not one of a kind or very unusual but an example of showing one never knows which path your life takes, which one you will choose, but more importantly, what you will make of it. I grew up in rural southeastern Wisconsin, part of a hard-working farm family. My father farmed during the day and worked a 2nd shift job. I had a good life growing up and was involved in FFA, Jr Dairyman, and sports. I had a sweet deal buying, raising, and selling dairy calves to my brother, who started his own dairy operation even before he graduated high school. Not knowing what I wanted to do post-high school and not wanting to part with my money for tuition at UW Madison, I secured a job in 1981, before graduation, at a hometown bank working for the vice president of commercial lending. Four years later, I shifted to working at a family-owned telephone company. I fell in love with a guy from Whitewater, Wisconsin, married (37 years to date), and moved to Freeport, Illinois. I worked with a manufacturing company in Freeport for the next ten years. We were blessed with a daughter and son during that time. Before the manufacturing company would close, I walked into a bank to find a job. I had no expectations other than I was willing to work and fit into the company wherever I could be useful.
They had recently hired a new president and said he would most likely be looking for an assistant. He not only hired me but was my mentor for years. It’s one thing to understand an individual’s potential and abilities, but that is worth nothing without it being developed, coached, recognized, and rewarded for accomplishments. The person who made the decision to hire me was Jeff Snyder, current Chairman (past President) of Solutions Bank. Jeff also is a past recipient of the IBA Banker of the Year — he has been our banker of the year for many years. Last November marked 25 years since I walked into Forreston State Bank, now Solutions Bank.
Jeff also has played a part in how I am standing before you today. He encouraged me to attend my first IBA Annual Conference in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. As I attended other IBA events, I realized quickly that I wanted to be a part of this organization. I also met the infamous and impressive Linda Koch, at the time the IBA President and CEO. The staff obviously were passionate about their jobs, and their contributions to the association and its members, and they had fun doing it. Words like intelligent, integrity, and professional are how I’ve described the IBA staff.
Jeff also encouraged me to go to DC with the IBA. I traveled alone but quickly realized that at every event, I met welcoming bankers. I witnessed powerful regulator meetings, led by amazing bankers such as Micah Barlett and Daryl Jackson. I quickly bonded with other banker attendees like Charie Zanck and always felt unbelievably welcomed. Thank you all for those experiences. I could go on and on.
My initial trip to DC was an eye-opening and educational experience and increased my appreciation for a big part of what the IBA provides for their member banks. Both Randy and Michelle presented the ask of all of you to continue to be involved. Please consider participating in our advocacy events so you can be engaged, influence change, and network.
We recently talked about advocacy engagement with other State Association members during meetings for the Graduate School of Banking. We all strongly agreed, shared experiences, and have committed to encouraging and enabling others in our organizations to participate. Please encourage your staff, too!
As part of my career advancement, I attended the best Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. GSB is another organization that I am extremely passionate about and, also has an amazing group of leaders and educators with a shared mission of advancing bankers.
Since that time, I have enjoyed a rewarding banking career and am fortunate to have an amazing group of coworkers dedicated to their roles and each other. They are a group with a great sense of humanity and humor, and I am proud and honored to work with them.
As Michelle explained yesterday, the IBA staff and members provided input toward crafting a new strategic plan to provide what direction should be taken in the coming years to make the IBA the premier association. Many times during this process, we found ourselves asking questions about certain topics, and our thoughts often went to Dan Daly and his valued guidance. His leadership and friendship are missed, and it was very appropriate to honor him with Banker of the Year. Bankers like Dan inspire us, and I encourage you to continue to honor him by supporting the industry and organization that was important to him.
Two quotes we reflected upon during the strategic planning process which feel relevant, and I would like to share are:
By most measures, the IBA performed well during the pandemic, and it enters this strategic plan cycle with a satisfied member base and a sound financial position. Randy commented on some impressive services statistics provided during the pandemic. The IBA leadership and staff should be commended as they have shown great adaptability. In the coming months, the IBA staff along with members and the Executive Committee will set key performance indicators and goals, with a plan of execution and accountability. The plan is not revolutionary, in fact, it is rather elementary. While the IBA clearly does a lot of things well, the focus will be on the pillars of the plan to provide member value across all asset sizes as the IBA is inclusive to all Illinois bankers. The Plan’s strategy statement is:
Many thanks to those who have put their time and talent into this plan for the continued success and future of the Illinois Bankers Association and Illinois bankers.
The future appears to be a period of potentially sustained economic challenges, and the long-term banking industry trends, which include consolidation and increased multi-state operations, are challenges for all associations.
So, how does the IBA retain and improve long-term member satisfaction and turn members into fanatics? We start with the premise of the strategic plan which is a combination of the mission, vision, core values, and strategy statements.
As I shared my story earlier to explain how and why I became a fanatic of the IBA, I dedicate to you that in this coming year as your IBA Chair, I will do my best to continue bringing a high level of energy and enthusiasm to reach the strategic goals. I’d like to remind each of you that your engagement matters! During this conference, many of you welcomed me and offered support. One consistent question has been, “Are you ready?” Well, I am ready, and I also am counting on all of you. So, what do you say, “Let’s go IBA!”
I look forward to this coming year and meeting with our current members, and future members, and helping them evolve from fans to fanatics.
IBA Outgoing Chair Michelle Gross's Speech Excerpts
Wow! Just WOW! It is so good to see all of you – in person – at the 2022 IBA Annual Conference. I am so blessed to be here as your 2021-2022 Chair.
What a great year I have had. 25 years ago, my dad had served in the same capacity for the IBA. What a thrill it was to have him install me last year – even in a virtual world. It was quite humbling and emotional.
I am beyond blessed with a wonderful family who supported me unconditionally this past year. I am forever grateful to my husband Rich and kids, Connor and Lauren who are here with me today, for all of their support and encouragement. I also am fortunate to have my parents, Karen and Art, here today, too. For those of you who know me, you know how important my family is to me. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for each of them. I am truly blessed.
Another huge thank you to my coworkers and directors at the State Bank of Bement who also supported me this past year. Thanks, Ken, for being here today! It really means a lot. I am fortunate to be part of an awesome group of people who made sure things were rolling whether I was in the office or not.
Last year I talked about the mission of the Illinois Bankers Association – Connecting Bankers. Advancing Banking. Randy and I did a lot of that this past year. I loved meeting new bankers and talking with old friends. Listening to how passionate my fellow bankers are about our industry and what they are doing in their communities and for their customers has been awesome. Even with the uncertainty of the economy, we are helping businesses with their needs; looking at new products and services for our customers; donating to our communities; and building and remodeling to better serve customers and their communities. Leadership in our industry throughout our state is strong and vibrant and the over 50 bank visits we did (Yes, Dan Watts, you still have the record!) solidified that.
During many of our visits, we talked about how critical our advocacy is at all levels – at the City of Chicago, State, and the Federal levels. I always enjoyed Randy giving his thoughts on this topic. As a former legislator, he has insight into these workings. He affirms the strength of our GR team. They are on top of bad legislation and working across the aisles as well as with our other trade associations to ensure the best interests of our industry are at the forefront of our legislators’ minds.
I continue to believe that our grass roots efforts with bankers whose “boots are on the ground” mean so much. Also, I ask you to support of the Illinois Bankers PAC to help our GR team effectively lobby our legislators.
While I have been on the IBA Board and Executive Committee, I continue to be impressed with all that we have to offer and all that the IBA staff does.
We have any education you may need, a variety of conferences, and forums to connect you with your peers. We have almost 200 vendors to bring solutions to your banks and a career center, BankTalentHQ, that is now partnered with over 33 states and our national trade association.
The Illinois Bankers Association is guided by a staff second to none – many of whom are here today. They understand our industry and work hard for each of us. We are so fortunate to have them. But they need us. Get involved. Attend events. Serve on a committee. It not only helps you but helps your workplace as well.
As we all know, banking has changed over the past couple of years, as have many other things in our lives. As the theme of this year’s conference “Strengthening Our Roots” depicts, we have been working this past year to do just that. Our association needed to ensure that it was remaining relevant and will for years to come. Your Board and Executive Committee, as well as Past Chairs, embarked on a new strategic plan this past year. Many of you spent hours being interviewed, answered surveys, joined in an intensive day of strategic thought, and thought about how the IBA can be better for all. We reviewed recent history, evaluated the evolving market with a focus on the Illinois banking industry, utilized the output of the strategic planning process, and identified initiatives to put the IBA on a course to achieve these goals and objectives. One of our directors said it best – What do we need to fix?
We found that nothing really needed to be fixed but that we can do better. We found that the needs of our membership are wide. The IBA does so much, but is it all relevant? We found that we need additional data to build stronger relationships with our members. We need to ensure we are communicating to the appropriate people within those institutions so that the value of the IBA can penetrate throughout our member financial institutions. We found that internal communication also can be improved so that staff are working together across the organization.
I am proud to have been given the opportunity to lead the Illinois Bankers Association this past year. I thank each of you for giving me this opportunity and a huge thanks to all those I leaned on this past year.
Thanks to Randy, the IBA staff, the IBA Board and Executive Committee, all the Chairs, especially our Past Chair Dan Daly.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute and have come up with a list of a few things I learned while I was Chair.
1. Bankers are resilient. 2. The state of Illinois is big! 3. Future chairs need to hire a driver. 4. Randy knows a lot about history. 5. You can listen to audio books in a “fast forward” mode. 6. Bankers across the state are all dealing with the same issues. 7. IBA staff truly care about our members. 8. There are some super cute boutiques around the state. 9. I enjoyed meeting my peers from other states. 10. On a bank visit in Robinson, Illinois, I learned they’re making a chocolate covered Payday bar.
We bankers are a lucky group of people. We have an opportunity to positively affect change, educate young people on financial literacy, encourage and mentor young bankers, and make dreams become a reality.
Being Chair of the IBA was one of my dreams. Thanks to all of you for allowing my dream to become a reality.
Banking is alive and well in the state of IL and the IBA is here to serve all of you for many years to come. Enjoy the conference! Thank you!!!
THANK YOU TO OUTGOING BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• Gary Collins - Old Second National Bank
• Jeff Fauver - Catlin Bank
• Bill Gleason - The Leaders Bank
• Joan Heggen-McMahon - U.S. Bank N.A.
• James Huiskamp - Blackhawk Bank and Trust
• Richard Knebel - The Bradford National Bank
• Pam Sharar-Stoppel - Wintrust Financial Corporation
Congratulations to all of the exceptional banks and bankers honored during the IBA Annual Conference!
Banker of the Year
• Daniel P. Daly, in memoriam, SENB Bank, Moline
Illinois Bankers PAC Bank of the Year
• Grundy Bank, Morris
Honorary Lifetime Membership
• C. Brant Ahrens
Illinois Community Service
• Busey Bank, Champaign
• CIBC Bank USA, Chicago
• OSB Community Bank, Ottawa
Linda J. Koch Scholarship
• Madison Bartsch, McHenry
• Thiago de Castro, Wheaton
• Emma Grace Yates, Eldorado
Illinois Bankers Scholarship
• Doruntina Hamza, Niles
• Melanie Quadros, Glenview
• Gavin Glynn Ward, Chicago
Graduate School of Banking Scholarship
• JoAnna Engels, Cherry
• Ben Johnson, Petersburg
• Trent Cox, Galesburg
• Michelle Matthys, Roscoe
Amy Randolph, Busey Bank
JoAnna Engels, State Bank of CherryBen Johnson, Alliance Community Bank
Rudy Gonzalez, CIBC Bank USA
Dan Daly Named 2022 Banker of the Year
Normally, the IBA honors a banker secretly, building up to the moment that the banker figures out that they are the winner. This year, we honored a great man we lost late last year. Dan Daly, 2018 IBA Chair and former President & CEO of SENB Bank, passed away suddenly. He was taken much too soon and before any of us were ready for him to leave but he left a monumental path of leadership in his wake. Many of us aspire to lead the way he did.
Some of his many accomplishments include his active involvement in community efforts, and his service on the boards of Empower Illinois, Renew Moline, Gilmore Foundation, and Regional Opportunities Council. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for SAL Family and Community Services and the American Red Cross. Dan was a member of the CEO Council, Focus Forward CI, and honored as 40 leaders under 40 in 1996 and alumnus of the year in 2014.
Dan was the Country Club of Peoria Treasurer for several years. Previously, he served in leadership roles on the boards of the Heart of Illinois United Way (and chaired its 1999 annual campaign), the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Catholic Charities, the Finance Council of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Peoria, the EPIC Foundation, the Tri-County Urban League, the Community Foundation of Central Illinois, Human Service Center and Human Service Center Foundation, FC Peoria Soccer Club, and the Peoria Park District Foundation and Fayette Companies. He also chaired the Peoria County unit of the American Cancer Society and chaired that organization's statewide fundraising efforts. He served as Chair and Treasurer of the Peoria Civic Center Authority and Co-Chaired the $60 million redevelopment in 2005. He also served as Chairman of the Peoria Riverfront Museum and co-chaired the construction of their $35 million museum development in 2012.
Dan was tireless in advocating for the industry through his lobbying efforts in Springfield and DC. As previously mentioned, Dan was President and CEO of SENB Bank, serving the Quad Cities Illinois- Iowa metropolitan area. He was the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of First Capital Bank, which opened its doors for business in 1996, becoming the first new bank chartered in Peoria, Illinois in over 27 years. First Capital Bank's assets grew from $5.3 million at inception to over $254 million in six years. First Capital Bank was acquired by First Busey Corp. in 2004 and Daly served as a Regional President for Busey Bank following this transaction.
Dan was an active member of the St. Philomena Catholic Church in Peoria. He served as Lector and Eucharistic Minister and was a Finance Committee member. Dan’s most important passion was his family. He deeply loved them and talked about them often with most of us.
We thank Mick O’Rourke, President & CEO of Signature Bank, for nominating Dan. We are honored to name Dan Daly as the 2022 Banker of the Year.
We thank Sherry, Dan’s wife, for accepting the award along with their children Maggie Halstead, Bridget Daly, Maureen Smith, and Patrick Daly. Our sincere condolences and deep gratitude for Dan’s contributions to our industry. In place of the crystal award, which we usually present to the recipient, we honored Dan’s memory by planting a tree in his name to remind us of his work and how he planted the seed for so many deeply impactful programs and efforts. Dan truly exhibited all that we aspire to be – a person of great faith, love, and ethics.
