Program | Washington Summit

7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

General Session

Opening remarks

• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

A conversation on shared priorities

Conference of State Bank Supervisors President and CEO Brandon Milhorn sits down with ABA’s Rob Nichols to discuss shared regulatory and legislative priorities and how ABA and CSBS are working together to foster a safe and sound banking system and support economic growth in all 50 states.

• Brandon Milhorn, President and CEO, Conference of State Bank Supervisors
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Luncheon

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Capitol Hill Visits

7:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

General Session

Update from the Fed

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman will share the latest on her efforts to update and right-size the bank regulatory rulebook. After prepared remarks, she will sit down for a conversation to discuss current issues in the banking sector.

• Michelle Bowman, Vice Chair for Supervision, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association
  

The view from the FDIC

In his first Washington Summit appearance since his confirmation, FDIC Chairman Travis Hill provides details on the FDIC’s latest efforts to right size bank regulation and discusses his policy priorities moving forward.

• Travis Hill, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• Hugh Carney, Executive Vice President, Financial Institution Policy & Regulatory Affairs, American Bankers Association

A Conversation with the Comptroller

Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould sits down with ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols to discuss the OCC's current policy priorities and dynamics influencing the federal banking system.

• Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Registration Open

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM

The Forums Breakfast

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM

Opening Remarks

Mutual Council Chair David Barksdale and ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols will open the forum with a discussion about the landscape in Washington and what’s ahead for the banking industry.

• David Barksdale, ABA Mutual Institutions Council Chair; CEO, Piedmont Federal
• Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

10:20 AM – 10:30 AM

Update on capital certificate advocacy

ABA Mutual Capital Working Group Co-chair Tom Fraser will provide an update on ABA’s advocacy to advance the acceptance and uniform treatment of mutual capital certificates.

• Thomas Fraser, President and CEO, First Mutual Holding Company

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Mutuals and building society connections — A historical perspective

Sarah Harrison, CEO of the British Building Societies Association, will join virtually to discuss shared opportunities and challenges facing mutual banks and building societies and how these institutions’ shared histories can chart a path forward for all.

• Sarah Harrison, CEO, British Building Societies Association

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Marketing mutuality

Representatives from the Mutual Banks Matter Campaign will discuss ongoing and new initiatives to help mutual banks gain an edge against the competition by highlighting community engagement, shared values with customers and why mutuals make a difference.

• J.R. Buckner, CEO, Cosperity Bancorp
• Valerie Kovacs, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, First Mutual Holding Co
• Ken Weinstein, President and CEO, Newtown Savings Bank

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Interest rate volatility and asset liability management for mutual banks

Mutuals face unique challenges in balance sheet management, particularly balancing regulatory expectations with the realities of maintaining portfolios needed to serve the mutual business model. A panel of regulatory experts, mutual bank consultants and bankers will discuss how to strike the right balance in turbulent times.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking Luncheon

Join bankers from the Emerging Leaders, Mutual Community Bank, and Women and Advocates Forums for a buffet lunch and candid conversation.

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Regulatory Panel

Representatives from both federal and state regulators will offer a presentation and discussion about top-of-mind regulatory issues and current and expected direction of regulatory expectations. They’ll also take questions from mutual leaders.

• Michael R. Brickman, Acting Senior Deputy Comptroller for Community Banks, Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC)
• Emelia A.S. Galdieri, Commissioner, New Hampshire Banking Department
• Bethany Manning, Assistant Regional Director, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Michael Ravid, Assistant Vice President - Supervision, Regulation & Credit, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

2:15 PM – 2:45 PM

Deploying capital for growth: Making it easier for mutuals (and other banks) to compete with — and acquire — credit unions

Mutual banks face increased competition from tax-advantaged and less-regulated credit unions. This panel will discuss how mutuals might deploy new capital tools to more effectively compete with — and potentially acquire — credit unions.

• Jeffrey M. Cardone, Partner, Luse Gorman
• Robert Flock, Senior Vice President, Office of Strategic Engagement, American Bankers Association
• Richard B. Trauger, Jr., Managing Director, Wolf and Co.
• Moderator: David Daraio, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Maspeth Federal

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Deploying capital for growth: Fostering de novo bank creation

Policymakers are looking at ways to foster de novo bank creation to encourage competition and better serve underserved markets. This panel will discuss how new capital tools may afford new opportunities and how the mutual model may be well suited for de novo creation.

• Robert Dietel, Shareholder-Director, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell
• Steve Hubbard, Vice President, Policy, American Bankers Association
• Moderator: Charles Field, EVP, Chief Financial Officer, Penn Community Bank

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Innovation and sustainability

Should mutual banks become certified Beneficial Corporations? Political and social expectations around sustainability are creating tensions for mutual banks’ business and community engagement models. B Corp status is one potential avenue for mutuals to consider. This panel will look at the benefits and limitations of the B Corp model, as well as explore how mutuals might approach other sustainable finance opportunities and challenges.

• Lex Meagher, President and CEO, Kennebunk Savings Bank
• Benjamin Wheeler, President and CEO, Piscataqua Savings Bank
• Fiona Wilson, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of New Hampshire (UNH)

4:00 PM – 4:05 PM

Closing remarks and next steps

• David Barksdale, ABA Mutual Institutions Council Chair; CEO, Piedmont Federal

7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Registration Open

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

The Forums Breakfast

10:00 AM – 10:05 AM

Welcome Remarks

ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair Ryan Coaxum and Chair-Elect Chris Estrade will kick off the 13th annual ABA Emerging Leaders Forum.

• Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair; Senior Vice President, Community Development and External Affairs Officer, Moody Bank
• Chris Estrade, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair-Elect; Vice President, Business Banker, Hancock Whitney Bank 

10:05 AM – 11:20 AM

In this interactive keynote, cognitive scientist and UC Berkeley MBA faculty Lucas Miller provides a clear framework and set of practical strategies for using AI to get more done in less time and with less stress. By highlighting our brains’ strengths and limitations, he will show how AI is not a replacement for humans, but rather a set of powerful tools that can help us overcome our limited capacity and free up bandwidth for what matters most.

• Lucas Miller, Neuroscientist & Founder, Becoming Superhuman Faculty, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business 

11:20 AM – 11:25 AM

ABA spotlight: 2026 ABA Emerging Leader Awards

Learn about the ABA Emerging Leader Awards program and how to apply or nominate a colleague!

• Margi Fleming, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, The Citizens Bank 

11:20 AM – 12:00 PM

American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols will moderate a fast-moving conversation with ABA Chair Kenneth Kelly and Ryan Coaxum, Chair of the ABA Emerging Leaders Council, on how leaders at different career stages and across generations are approaching the opportunities and challenges shaping today’s financial services marketplace. From mentorship and leadership development to navigating change and career growth, the discussion brings together distinct perspectives to surface what leaders are seeing, prioritizing and learning as the industry continues to evolve.

• Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair; Senior Vice President, Community Development and External Affairs Officer, Moody Bank
• Kenneth Kelly, ABA Chair; CEO, First Independence Bank
• Moderator: Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Networking Luncheon

Join bankers from the Emerging Leaders, Mutual Community Bank, and Women and Advocates Forums for a buffet lunch and candid conversation.

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Inside Washington: A political insider’s look at 2026

As the 2026 midterms begin to take shape, ABA Chief of Staff Laena Fallon sits down with Carl Hulse, Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times, for an insider’s look at the balance of power in Washington right now and the outlook for the midterms. The conversation will explore some of the key issues and people shaping the 2026 election cycle. Hulse, who joined the Times in 1986 and focuses on Congress, politics and the Supreme Court, is one of the most respected journalists in Washington.

• Carl Hulse, Chief Washington Correspondent, The New York Times
• Moderator: Laena Fallon, Chief of Staff, American Bankers Association 

1:30 PM – 1:35 PM

ABA spotlight: Grassroots advocacy

Learn about ABA’s grassroots roadmap for banking leaders and other tools available on the Secure American Opportunity platform to support your grassroots advocacy engagement.

1:35 PM – 2:10 PM

Shaping the agenda: Voice, strategy and influence

ABA’s Kirsten Sutton moderates a bipartisan conversation with senior House Financial Services Committee staff on how informed engagement from bankers can help shape the policy conversation. The discussion explores how ideas evolve into legislative priorities and why collaboration and negotiation advances issues in a complex environment.

• Allison Behuniak, Policy Director, House Financial Services Committee (R)
• Charla Ouertatani, Staff Director, House Financial Services Committee (D)
• Moderator: Kirsten Sutton, Executive Vice President, Congressional Relations and Legislative Affairs, American Bankers Association

2:10 PM – 2:15 PM

ABA spotlight: BankPAC

Hear how ABA’s BankPac supports the banking industry’s advocacy efforts. Discover its purpose, impact and the role it plays in strengthening our collective voice.

• Brian Robinson, Senior Vice President, Director of Human Resources, Maine Community Bank

2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Networking break
Refuel, mix and mingle with fellow attendees. 

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Strategic communications: Asking the right questions to facilitate problem-solving
Brought to you by ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking

Learn practical, real-world skills to navigate high-stakes conversations. Shift conversations from debate to problem-solving by balancing advocacy with listening, responding effectively to tough questions, asking better questions that move dialogue forward, and uncovering and understanding underlying concerns.

• Vernon Roberts, Executive Coach; Chief Engagement Officer and Founder, Extraordinary Communications 

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM

Gutsy leaders create gutsy teams that make gutsy moves. Drawing on powerful stories from her career as a U.S. Marine combat helicopter pilot, Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour delivers bold, practical lessons on leadership, teamwork, trust and resilience — challenging audiences to think differently, step up with confidence, and leave ready to lead, act and achieve at a higher level than they ever thought possible.

• Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour, America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot, Former Marine & Cop; Author, Zero to Breakthrough; and Consultant to Business 

3:50 PM – 4:00 PM

Closing Remarks

• Ryan Coaxum, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair; Senior Vice President, Community Development and External Affairs Officer, Moody Bank
• Chris Estrade, ABA Emerging Leaders Council Chair-Elect; Vice President, Business Banker, Hancock Whitney Bank