Featured in Image Above: The 2021-2022 KBA Leadership Team (left to right): Doug Wareham, KBA President & CEO; Mark Schifferdecker, Vice Chairman (GNBank, Girard); Shan Hanes, Chairman-Elect (Heartland Tri-State Bank, Elkhart); Mike Ewy, Chairman (Community State Bank, Coffeyville); and Jonathon Johnson, Past Chairman (Home Savings Bank, Chanute).

After having the Forum/Annual Meeting virtually in 2020, a near-record number of bankers and their guests joined the KBA staff for our 37th year at the beautiful Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs for the 2021 KBA CEO Forum and Annual Meeting. This was KBA’s first in-person event in over a year due to the pandemic.

KBA President and CEO Doug Wareham welcomed the attendees on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 5, and shared some highlights of the conference ahead and introduced the staff. Chairman Jonathon Johnson from Home Savings Bank in Chanute also welcomed the group, took a few moments to share some insights from his year as chairman, and had KBA staff distribute Flint Factor Challenge Coins to each attendee. As Kansas bankers, we lead the herd and take charge.

Rob Nichols, President and CEO of the ABA, kicked off the conference speaking on various topics affecting the overall banking industry. Following Rob’s presentation, Doug Wareham and Jonathon Johnson joined him onstage for a Mountainside Chat, where they entertained questions from the audience on a variety of topics affecting bankers.
Kansas native Michelle Bowman, Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve Bank, was on hand to join KBA Past Chairman Kurt Knutson, Freedom Bank in Overland Park, and KBA President and CEO Doug Wareham for a discussion from the Federal Reserve perspective.

The opening day of the conference concluded with a riveting presentation by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, U.S. Air Force, entitled “A Patriots Calling: Leadership, Teamwork and Sacrifice.” Rooney, a University of Kansas alum, is the founder of the Folds of Honor. From humble beginnings above his garage, he started the nonprofit to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of wounded or killed military service members. Immediately following his presentation, the evening concluded with a reception on the Mountain View Terrace.

Friday morning dawned full of sunshine and beautiful Colorado weather for the golfers who played in the Jim Maag Golf Scramble. Meanwhile, those who chose not to golf were treated to our annual banker/spouse/guest breakfast and program, which featured Kat Perkins, a former contestant on The Voice. As part of her Fearless 2.0 Campaign, Kat shared an inspiring message about finding your passion, assuming leadership, developing and maintaining a positive attitude, working toward your dreams, and becoming FEARLESS.

The afternoon featured two breakout sessions for bankers to choose from: “Payment Trends and FinTech Disruptors,” led by Tony DeSanctis with Cornerstone Advisors, and “Becoming the Best Place to Work: Strategies to Attract, Develop and Retain Talent” by Joe Micallef from Grow UP Sales. After the breakouts, Buddy Hobart, Founder and President of Solutions 21, shared his topic of “Leadership: The Strategic Advantage – Driving Shareholder Value.”

Friday evening closed with the KBA leadership reception and dinner. Immediately following, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) briefly greeted the group with some words on current banking issues at the nation’s capital. Doug Wareham then honored Becky Tongish, Executive Vice President – Chief Strategy Officer, and Ed Griffith, Executive Vice President – Employee Benefits, for their retirements from the KBA. The evening’s entertainment was “Candice and the Business Casual,” a dynamic cover duo from Wichita, Kansas.

Saturday morning, it was back to business at hand as the golf awards were distributed during breakfast. Afterward, the annual business meeting was held, which included the election of officers. Your 2021-2022 KBA elected officers are Chairman Mike Ewy, Community State Bank, Coffeyville; Chairman-Elect Shan Hanes, Heartland Tri-State Bank, Elkhart; Vice Chairman Mark Schifferdecker, GNBank, Girard; and Past Chairman Johnathon Johnson, Home Savings Bank, Chanute.

The final presenter, economist Elliott Eisenberg, entertained the group with his session on the current conditions of the national and global economies. He also shared his perspective on our current and future fiscal conditions.

Thank you to all our bankers and associate members who attended this year and made this conference such a success. We’d like to remind you to mark your calendars for Aug. 4-6, 2022, for next year’s CEO Forum, and be sure to make your Broadmoor reservations now, as our room block will sell out early!