Pub. 8 2019 Issue 6

November/December 2019 11 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 Thursday morning brought the group together again for breakfast, followed by another timely session on improving communication with your customers and staff. Terri Thomas shared how perception influences our day- to-day interactions with others, and how we can identify and work with various social and generational styles in order to establish and maintain successful relationships. Jonathan Lanning, Director of Friends University’s Cybersecurity Program, reviewed prevalent threats to banks as they continue to become primary targets of cyberattacks. The takeaway is that humans are the easiest targets in any organization, emphasizing that breaches happen because of people. Thursday concluded with a riveting presentation by former CIA operative James Olson, who shared stories about the men and women, including himself and his wife, who protect American citizens from international terrorism and defend American values. Mr. Olson had folks on the edge of their seats as he described actual operations that he and his wife were both involved in, how their employment affected family life, raising their children and friendships. Next year’s conference will be held Oct. 1-2 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Panelists Elizabeth Fast and Chris Donnelly team up to provide valuable lessons on loan participations. An informative session on liquidity and funding was presented by Neil Stanley, founder of the CorePoint. A fascinating view of the CIA and its important role in the security of our country was shared by former CIA operative James Olson.