Speakers | Women Lead Symposium

Caroline Carpenter, President and CEO, National Bank of Middlebury

Caroline Carpenter has been President and CEO of National Bank of Middlebury since 2015. She is the first female president of the bank since incorporation in 1831. Prior to becoming president, she served as Executive Vice President of the bank and Technology Manager. She serves on the board of directors of NBM, is the Executive Vice President of Middlebury National Corporation, and the chair of the Community Financial Services Group board.

Caroline Horty Dickerson, CEO and Treasurer, Commonwealth Trust Company

Caroline Horty Dickerson is the Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer of Commonwealth Trust Company as well as a member of its Board of Directors. Caroline has more than twenty years of experience in the area of trust administration and taxation. Caroline’s expertise has been instrumental in guiding the company’s growth, focusing on building strong client relationships and providing personalized trust services.

Wendy Cai-Lee, President and CEO, Piermont Bank

Ms. Cai-Lee started her banking career at JP Morgan Chase over 29 years ago. She is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Piermont Bank, the first full-service FDIC-insured, tech-forward, digital commercial bank in the U.S. Piermont is the country’s first FDIC designated Multi-racial Minority Depository Institution and a women-led, women-majority board and women-owned bank. Ms. Cai-Lee is the first Asian woman to launch a U.S. commercial bank and takes great pride in financing minority and women-owned businesses.

Megan M. Collins, Senior Vice President, Market Executive, Bank of America

Megan Collins is a Senior Vice President and Market Executive for the Midwest Middle Market Team at Bank of America. Based in Chicago, she leads a team of banking professionals covering General Industries companies across the State of Illinois. Her team is responsible for providing advisory solutions and servicing the needs of Illinois-based companies within our Middle Market space.

Paola Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Community Development, Centreville Bank

Paola has over 20 years’ experience in the nonprofit and financial industry. She joined Centreville Bank in 2019 as the Vice President, Community Development Officer to support the expansion of the bank’s community efforts and development of the bank’s long-term philanthropic strategy in Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut. With a lens focused on underserved communities, she has successfully built and leveraged relationships to support community-based initiatives and directs multimillion dollar investments from the bank’s charitable foundation.

McKayla Hollis, Assistant Vice President, Deposit Operations Manager, Essex Savings Bank

McKayla Hollis is the manager of Deposit Operations and BSA Officer at Essex Savings Bank in Essex, Conn., after starting in 2013 as a part-time teller. She loves her role as BSA Officer, as she enjoys investigating and learning customer stories.

Jennifer Huffman, Senior Vice President, Workplace Solutions Relationship Manager, Atlantic Union Bank

Jennifer Huffman is an accomplished American businesswoman and the Senior Vice President of Solutions Banking at Atlantic Union Bank, the largest regional bank in Virginia. With a strong focus on delivering financial wellness solutions, she is committed to empowering employees to build financial confidence through workplace financial benefits. Recognized as a "POWER BROKER," Jennifer's influence extends beyond banking; she is a highly sought-after speaker and a thought leader in her field.

Carrie Lackey, President and CEO, Taylorsville Savings Bank

Carrie Lackey is a seasoned executive with over two decades of leadership experience in the financial services industry. As President and CEO of Taylorsville Savings Bank, she has guided her organization through strategic growth, operational excellence, and a steadfast commitment to regulatory compliance. Under her leadership, the bank has strengthened its market position, expanded its service offerings, and cultivated a culture of innovation and integrity.

Julie G. Laperouse, President, Screaming Peacock

Expert trainer and facilitator Julie Laperouse challenges and energizes clients through leadership courses, public speaking, executive coaching and people strategy from her company Screaming Peacock. She’s worked with organizations and banks of all sizes, including Gulf Coast Bank.

Cathy Nestrick, Vice President, Workforce Excellence, American Bankers Association

Cathy is the Vice President of Workforce Excellence at the American Bankers Association where she provides guidance, thought leadership, and resources for the banking and financial services industry. Cathy came to ABA after she transitioned from a legal career, first as a law partner in a Midwest firm where she represented banks and other businesses, and later as the Vice President and General Counsel of a Fortune 500 business where she also founded the first Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Rob Nichols is the president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, which represents banks of all sizes and charters and is the voice for the nation’s $23.7 trillion banking industry. Rob joined ABA in August 2015 following ten years at the helm of the Financial Services Forum, a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization. Before joining the Forum, Rob served in the George W. Bush administration as the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. In this role, he acted as chief spokesperson and head of the office of public liaison, serving as Treasury’s lead representative with the media, business, professional trade organizations, consumer groups and the public.

Catherine Owen, Chair, President and CEO, State Holding Company, Vice Chair, American Bankers Association

Cathy Owen is currently Chair, President & CEO of State Holding Company, which is the holding company for Eagle Bank & Trust Company, Little Rock, AR. She is also Executive Chair of the bank, which is 105 years old, $490 million state bank, with 13 branches in central Arkansas, and Mortgage Loan Offices in Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

David Pease, Senior Vice President and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Bangor Savings Bank

David Pease is Senior Vice President - Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion at Bangor Savings Bank. His HR career spans 40 years in business, healthcare, academia and corporate America. David is the former State Director of Maine SHRM and has received the Maine HR Leader of the Year, Kenneth Curtis Leadership Award from Maine Development Foundation for his state-wide leadership contributions and selected the Unsung Hero of the Year by PROPEL for creating a safe and inclusive work culture.

Chantal Upton, Vice President, Market Manager, Partners Bank of New England

Chantal started her banking career 25 years ago with Fleet Bank/Bank of America. She worked at TD Bank as a Branch Manager before becoming a Regional Operations Officer. She was the Vice President of Sales and Training at First Seacoast Bank and presents annually at the New England School of Banking. Chantal continues to facilitate training in leadership, management, sales, customer service, and career development to various organizations. She is highly energetic and believes in having fun at work!