Annual Conference Highlights

IBA’s Virtual Annual Conference August 11-12 Resiliency 2.0

Who would have thought that we would have to pivot yet again and move our Annual Conference from an in-person event in Branson, Mo., to a virtual event in just three short weeks? But our sponsors, exhibitors, members, attendees, special guests and speakers all stepped up and worked together to help the IBA staff in any way they could, and we’re happy to say that it was a huge success. From our outgoing and incoming Board Chair speeches, to special award presentations, the always informative Regulators’ Panel, spot-on flash and concurrent sessions, and our closing speaker, this was one to remember. Of course, we’d rather see you all in person, so save the date for next year’s Annual Conference in Springfield on June 7-9.

The Regulators’ Panel, moderated by the IBA’s Carolyn Settanni, included representatives from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Comptroller of the Currency and Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Shaquille O’Neal’s “Head Coach for Happiness,” presented “The Winning Mindset.”

Annual Conference Chair Bill Gleason, The Leaders Bank, served as emcee for the event.

Thank You to Our Annual Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors! We couldn’t do it without you!

• .BANK Registry • Allied Solutions, LLC • Aunalytics • Backbase USA inc. • Bankers' Bank • Bankers Healthcare Group • BankTalentHQ • Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP • BKD, LLP • BOK Financial Institutions Group • CIBC • CLA • EPIC Retirement Plan Services • evolv • Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago • Graduate School of Banking • Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC • Investors Title Insurance Company • Liquid Capital • MetLife Group • Midwest Independent BankersBank • Northland Securities • NFP Executive Benefits • Plante Moran • PG Design + Build • Quad City Bank and Trust Company • RSM US LLP • SBS CyberSecurity • SEI • SPARK • The Consultants - Powered by Illinois Bankers Insurance Services • UFS, LLC • UMB Bank, n.a. • Welch Systems, Inc. • Wipfli LLP • Windsor Advantage, LLC.

Illinois Bankers Scholarship Committee Chair Dave Brandon, Hickory Point Bank and Trust, accepted a $10,000 scholarship fund donation from Petefish Skiles & Co., represented by Brock Thompson.

IBA President and CEO Randy Hultgren inducts Ottawa Savings Bank into the Centennial Club.

Meet Your New Illinois Bankers Association Chair

Michelle Lynn Gross, EVP/ COO/ISO, State Bank of Bement

Birthplace: Fort Benning, Georgia

Education: Bachelor of Science in Music Education with a double emphasis in vocal and instrumental, Western Illinois University

If I Weren’t in Banking: I would be a professor of music in a small college, directing a wind ensemble and singing commercials on the side.

What are you most looking forward to as Chair: I can’t wait to see everyone in person at meetings again and meet with bankers across the state. I look forward to working together to better our industry and increase awareness of how the IBA can assist all financial institutions through their lobbying efforts, compliance, education, product offerings and more.

I would like to be remembered one year from now for: I want to be a Chair that is a good representative of the Illinois Bankers Association and its Board of Directors. I also want to be effective in promoting our industry toward a promising future!

What’s your very first IBA memory? Going with my Dad when I was in college to one of his IBA Executive Committee meetings in Chicago and watching the comradery among the group. I loved it.

Best Decision: Leaving teaching and switching careers to banking.

Greatest Challenge in the Industry: Cybersecurity, Meeting the Customer Expectation, Regulation

Best Advice for Young Bankers: Lean into more experienced colleagues, whether they be in your office or outside of your office. Be open to new experiences and new ideas and don’t be afraid to express your thoughts.

Best Advice I Ever Received: Practice makes permanent, not perfect

Who I admire the most: My parents – they are great examples of how to love.

One thing people don’t know about me: I play the oboe and direct my church choir.

Favorite Vacation Spot: On a beach. I love to travel to different beaches.

Still on my bucket list: Zip lining!!

Sports faves? Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Cardinals, Fighting Illini

Most interesting thing in my office: Daily shoe calendar

What do you do to de-stress? Play the piano, read, walk

Family: Husband – Rich (27 years); Son – Connor (25); Daughter – Lauren (22)

IBA Chair Michelle Gross’ Inaugural Speech Excerpts

Well, this isn’t exactly the way I had hoped I would be giving this speech nor do I think it’s the way many of you hoped to hear it. That being said, life happens and I think we have all learned that we have had to become fairly agile this past year. A huge note of gratitude to the IBA staff for all of their hard work in turning a live conference to 100% virtual in a matter of weeks. Another thank you to Brant (Ahrens) for his leadership as chairman of the IBA in a certainly unconventional time this past year and to Randy (Hultren), who started his tenure with the IBA in a truly unique fashion but hit the ground running and made great strides in his first year with the IBA.

As I have pondered my message today for many months, my goal in these minutes is to leave you with an idea of my background, love of banking and hopes for the future of the IBA.

I am so very thankful my parents are here with me today, even in our virtual environment! I was fortunate enough to be there with my Dad in Kohler, Wis., when he became Chair of the IBA in 1996. Fun fact, my son, Connor, learned to walk in their suite!

As a child, Mom and Dad always supported us - my sister, Tami, and my endeavors. They were also very involved - Dad would play catch outside, coach our softball teams, Mom took me to oboe lessons at U of I and was a 4H leader. We were always told to give 110%, which was what I always saw him do in his job at the bank and with the IBA.

I had always enjoyed my part-time job at the bank during college breaks and summers but had decided to get my degree in music education. I taught for a few years, band and choir - even a couple in my hometown with my Mom.

While I enjoyed teaching, I missed the numbers and interaction with customers I had at the bank. A job opened up in the bank after 3 years of teaching and I took the leap. It was the best decision I ever made, and I can still say that after 25 years! My bank, State Bank of Bement, is a 107+ year-old community bank headquartered in a town of 1,700 people. Our footprint extends from Decatur to Champaign, and we are proud to serve the communities in that area with two branches.

I thoroughly enjoy what I do and have done in the bank! I have been able to help on the technology side with new products and services. And, yes, the IBA has been instrumental with connecting our bank with some exceptional tech partners. I then expanded into loans and helping customers realize their dreams. I am nerdy in that I really enjoy the number crunching and call report - which I continue to do every quarter. I am fortunate to have an awesome group of employees and realize that our bank is what it is because of each of them.

I feel like I’ve been involved with the IBA most of my life. I remember in college, going with Dad to downtown Chicago to a meeting. After being introduced to his colleagues, I met up with my sorority sisters and had fun while he would go to his meetings. I thought it was so neat to have meetings in Chicago. I also got to drive him to Springfield when he gave a speech on insurance powers and met with the late, longtime legislator Penny Severns. Linda Koch was our lobbyist back then and I thought she was amazing. I still do! All of this started my love for our association a little earlier than most and gave me a glimpse into what I might want to be involved with some day.

The IBA has such a rich history. I spent some time talking to past chairmen in the last few months, asking them questions about their time as Chair and I heard several resounding messages. Every single one of them said they enjoyed the networking with bankers across the state. I think that’s been the hardest part of COVID. I was fortunate to attend a conference in person a few weeks ago and I will never take for granted again, talking face to face with my peers. I had one former Chair who mentioned it was “so cool for him to see banks with the 2nd/3rd generations.” My Dad mentioned it was very gratifying meeting with bankers from all different asset sizes. Another former Chair stated something that really resonated with me, “As chair, all are on the same mission – to help bankers.”

I look forward to visiting many banks across our great state with Randy and others – and continue to build those relationships between bankers and the IBA. I am mindful that in order to have the IBA – we need banks and thrifts – our members and that is the overall vision – Connecting Bankers, Advancing Banking. I look forward to getting out and doing my part to visit with banks across our state to listen to their needs and what the IBA has done and more it can do for them. In turn, I ask you to be an advocate for your association and tell others what the IBA has done for you.

Advancing Banking – let’s talk about that for a minute. The IBA has done an outstanding job of advocating for our industry and was another topic that every former chair I talked to mentioned. I still remember my first Lobby Day in Springfield and how in awe I was listening to our lobbyists during our legislative meetings and then peers talking about matters that were important to our industry. Our GR team is the best around at stopping harmful bills from getting to the floor for a vote as well as fighting for us when they make it out of committee.

They worked tirelessly this past year, on our behalf, getting us information on the PPP program, lobbying for us as essential workers, getting the word out to our government officials that bankers were working hard in their communities to help businesses and consumers through these tough times. While some of those messages may have fallen on deaf ears in the legislature, they sure didn’t to me. We are fortunate to have people working behind the scenes on our behalf, and I don’t see that need slowing down any time soon. As a recent headline read, “A former Senate Banking Committee staffer who has supported strong regulation, was named as the administration's choice for assistant secretary of financial institutions.” CRA in Illinois, ECORA at the federal level, credit unions buying banks, and the long standing topic, Banking Cannabis, are just a few issues I know we will hear more about in the near future.

Support of our Illinois Bankers Pac is so critical to allow our voice to be heard. 100% of your contribution goes to worthy political candidates who support the views and future of our industry. Thank you to those of you who currently support the PAC and for those of you who don’t, please consider a donation in the near future. It really is important.

Let’s change course to the mission of the IBA: Advocacy. Education. Industry Resource...for all Illinois bankers. We have already touched on advocacy. Many of you already use the IBA for their massive catalog of educational opportunities and conferences which provide additional educational content and networking opportunities.

Our education really is second to working to none. I encourage my staff and my colleagues to attend, learn, grow and bring information back to the bank to industry and to help us better serve our customers, and I the customers hope you will, too.

Industry Resource – did you that we serve. remember that a group of bankers – the Illinois Bankers Business Services Board -- vet various products and services for us each year? They work with IBA staff to help us help our customers. If you haven’t recently, take another look at our vendors. Many are offering flash sessions during our conference and are joining us virtually in the marketplace and as sponsors. With the “blessing” of the IBA, part of your work has been done for you. You can’t beat that.

Another resource, the IBA legal staff – here to assist with compliance matters, banking law and more. Access to the IBA’s Compliance Connection has been invaluable for our bank as I am sure it is for others.

Talent is something we hear a lot about these days. Retaining Talent. Attracting Talent. BankTalentHQ is an IBA product that can help. Not only is it a robust job board but it has a blog with great topics, coaching information, and resume writing all in one space. It really is the one-stop shop for both job seekers as well as banks looking for quality talent.

Lastly, the mission is for ALL Illinois bankers. That’s important. No matter your gender, color of your skin, religion, bank size or veteran status - we are all working to better our industry and the customers that we serve.

I was fortunate in that my parents instilled in me that I could be anything I wanted to be. They might have chuckled a bit when at one point I wanted to be an Olympic Volleyball Player like Debbie Green but didn’t tell me no.

I watched Linda Koch be a rock star with my Dad and I had others I looked up to, male and female who I aspired to emulate. We should welcome all to be a part of our amazing industry. We get to help people realize their dreams, be an entrepreneur or small business owner, buy the new car, buy their dream house, work to get their credit back on track, teach them how to balance a checkbook, and so much more. Think back to why you went into banking and what you were passionate about. Share that with others. Like past chairman Micah Bartlett said, “Make banking great again” by inviting others along your path. Let’s provide those opportunities for young leaders, high schoolers, those just in banking and not sure which way they want to grow, for ALL. It starts at the top and those of you listening have the opportunity to affect change in this arena. I invite you to join me in this charge. The IBA even has a scholarship program that can offer assistance to those wanting to further their education in the finance field.

All of these resources and programs are led by staff from the IBA that is second to none. Some are here with us today but many are back in the office, continuing to work hard for all of us. The IBA is also very fortunate to have over 200 volunteers who serve on various committees within the association to guide the staff in the direction of our members’ needs. Thank you to those of you who serve on a committee or lead a committee. Our association is better because of each of you. For those of you not on a committee, it is a great opportunity to learn more about your association, meet other bankers and be a part of our industry’s future. Reach out if you are interested!!

I look forward to working closely with our executive committee, board of directors and Randy, and the IBA staff, this coming year on an updated strategic plan which will help direct the IBA’s future in assisting you, our members. We need to think long-term, focus on what we do best and ensure that the IBA is in the forefront for us all. This group that you elected, is not a bashful group. They ask great questions and challenge the staff and rest of the board to ensure we are doing what’s best for our association. While our backgrounds are all different, we have the same mission for the IBA and that is to focus on what they do best, which is Connecting Bankers and Advancing Banking.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visits I had with several of our past chairs and thank each of them for their time. Every one of them said they truly enjoyed their time as chair of this great association and encouraged me to take it all in and enjoy the year. I look forward to visiting with many of you in the coming months and thank you for allowing me to lead this association for the next year and consider it a privilege. A privilege that is being allowed not only by my bank, State Bank of Bement and its Board of Directors, Officers and Employees, but also by my amazing family who, without, I wouldn’t be who I am.

Thank you to my Mom and Dad — I’m so blessed to have you two for my parents — and to my hubby Rich, and my two awesome kids, Connor and Lauren, who mean more to me than they could ever know.

I am one lucky woman!

Marty L. Davis Named 2021 Banker of the Year Marty L. Davis, President and CEO of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company in Pinckneyville, is the Illinois Bankers Association’s 2021 Banker of the Year. This is the 19th year for the award, which is the highest honor the IBA can bestow on one of its members. It is given annually to an individual whose dedication to excellence has most profoundly enhanced the banking industry. The award was presented by last year’s Banker of the Year Thomas Broeckling, First National Bank of Steeleville, during the IBA’s virtual Annual Conference on August 12. Davis’ banking career spans more than 35 years. He has a long history of community involvement and achievement and have been extremely active with the IBA. He began his tenure on the IBA Board of Directors nearly two decades ago and served as IBA Chair in 2012. Additionally, he has served on a number of IBA committees, including Ag, Annual Conference, Government Relations, Strategic Planning, Nominating, Illinois Bankers Business Services Board, Illinois Bankers Education Services Board, and the Illinois Bankers PAC Board. Davis is heavily involved in lobbying Congress and the Illinois General Assembly on banking issues, making several visits each year to Washington, D.C., and Springfield to promote positive bank and financial industry legislation and further lobby against bills that would be detrimental to community banking. Davis and his bank are long-time PAC supporters, and Murphy-Wall has won the Illinois Bankers PAC Bank of the Year award multiple times, including the 2020 PAC award, which was given out at this year’s Annual Conference. 2021 Banker of the Year Marty Davis believes business has a responsibility to look beyond profit and make a positive impact on society. He is or has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Southern Illinois Real Estate Title Company, John A Logan College Foundation Board, and Elverado School District, and he is a charter member of the Perry County CEO program that assists students in attaining additional life skills. He works with numerous other local not-for-profits, charities, and food banks assisting them in their endeavors. He has served as President and CEO of Murphy-Wall since 2000, during which time the bank has grown from $63 million in assets to $150 million and has expanded from one facility to five facilities, growing it to a regional bank. Congratulations to 2021 Illinois Banker of the Year Marty Davis!