Pub. 4 2015 Issue 8

l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s 8 YBOK FALL CONFERENCE— THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN AGGIEVILLE. T he KBAYoung Bank Officers of Kansas (YBOK) Division offers an ideal way for bankers to network with their peers and develop leadership skills. This year’s fall conference was held in the new Bluemont Hotel in Manhattan, Kansas. With a scenic view over the intersection of Manhattan Ave and Bluemont Ave that extends over the top of Aggieville, the conference atmosphere was fun. The conference was opened by YBOK President Kathy Schwerdtfager, Bank of Tescott in Lincoln, with a warm welcome to 28 new members. John Currie was the first speaker of the day with three things to say about leadership: 1. Integrity is key, especially in the face of pressure and adversity. 2. Say what you mean and mean what you say 3. In a leadership position you will have criticism. Buck-up and take it – it’s just the way it is. He continued with a presentation on the need for transparency to obtain the best results. He also addressed the elephant in the room by saying that he believes the mishap with the Starship Enterprise, in the halftime show of the football game against South Dakota, was a misinterpreted event but they must move on. KBA Staff Attorney Allison Kernin delivered a compliance update that covered deposit, operations, bank secrecy act, anti-money laundering, and lending. This information- packed session was delivered with knowledge for attendees to take back to their bank to share with others. Following the mountain of material on compliance the group settled in for a presentation on team building that showed participants how to lead toward their goals. In an interactive format, Chris Zervas described the building blocks of a successful organization and demonstrated the decision tree to help a leader discern when a difficult discussion is needed. He gave ideas to effectively improve an employee’s competence and commitment. The FBI was in the house with lessons on how to protect banks from current fraud tactics. Special Agent Scott Gentine and Joe Fanning, Israel Fuentes, Matt Bulk, Erin Debler and Bana Stelk, all from Bank of the Flint Hills in Wamego, enjoyed a break between speakers. Kyle Kruse, Bank of Atchison USB, Atchison and Bryan Blundell, Emprise Bank, Wichita, participate in a problem solving challenge during the talk by Chris Zervas. YBOKers were greeted with perfect weather for the golf scramble. Pictured left to right are; Ryan Biegert, Peoples Bank & Trust branch, Lindsborg; Brad Bengtson, Home State Bank, McPherson; Vance Keller, First National Bank branch, Johnson; and Ryan McLaughlin of Central States. Dr. Jason Brown, economist from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, discussed economic trends with Grant LacKamp, Country Club Bank.