On this page
Summary
For the last 14 years, the Community Bankers Conference, created by SNL Financial, has been the premier forum at which influential executives, board members, investors, technology providers, and advisers put forward their visions, views of the strategic issues facing community banks, and actions for success.
Community banking in 2025 has been characterized by a complex mix of resilience, excitement, caution, and curiosity. With the improved regulatory tenor, the Fed’s pivot to lowering rates, and credit remaining relatively benign, banks are ready to reap the benefits of the momentum heading into 2026. Yet the sector faces long-term headwinds that could reshape confidence and strategy. Community banks must question whether the business model can endure in its current form and many within the industry are asking hard questions about sustainability in an environment that seems designed for larger players and new competitors.
This conference will explore the current opportunities for profitability and growth facing community banks in the near-term but also examine how traditional banking is being fundamentally reimagined through emerging technologies, changing customer expectations, and new competitive dynamics. Join industry leaders, innovators, and banking executives for an essential dialogue on the evolving landscape of financial services and how community bank executives can take action to ensure relevancy for the future.
Join S&P Global Market Intelligence for a unique opportunity to gain strategic insights, forge valuable partnerships, and position your organization for success in the next era of banking.
Advisory Board
James Beckwith
President & CEO, Five Star Bancorp, $3.8B, CA
James Beckwith is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Five Star Bank and its holding company, Five Star Bancorp (Nasdaq Listed: FSBC). With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Beckwith joined Five Star Bank in 2003 after serving as Chief Financial officer and Chief Operating Officer at National Bank of the Redwoods in Santa Rosa, California.
Mr. Beckwith is deeply connected to the Sacramento community and has chaired several community-based organizations to include the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Valley Vision and KVIE (the local PBS affiliate).
Mr. Beckwith is currently the Chair of the Western Bankers Association, a Private Sector Director with Greater Sacramento Economic Council, a board member of Crocker Art Museum and a member of the Sacramento State University College of Business Advisory Council.
He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. He is also a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington where he was class president.
Recently, Mr. Beckwith was recognized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce as the Businessman of the Year in 2020, and he was named among the Most Admired CEO's of 2020 by the Sacramento Business Journal.
Mary Jayne Crocker
EVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Bridgewater Bank, $4.7B, MN
Mary Jayne Crocker serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bridgewater Bank and is a member of the Bank's Strategic Leadership Team. In her current role, she is responsible for driving all strategic initiatives that ensure Bridgewater delivers on its promise to be the finest entrepreneurial bank in the Twin Cities in the eyes of clients, investors and team members. She oversees several bank functions, including human resources, facilities, marketing, project management and risk management.
As one of the Bank’s original team members, Mary Jayne has been with Bridgewater since its origin as a Twin Cities de novo in 2005 and has been instrumental in the Bank’s rapid growth to $3B in assets. Prior to her role as COO, she was the Bank's Senior Vice President of Communications, where she was responsible for building awareness of the Bridgewater Bank brand, establishing the branch network, introducing banking products, and helping develop a strong and positive culture. In her tenure, she has been actively involved in several successful capital raises, the acquisition of a local bank in 2016 and the IPO and Nasdaq debut of Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. in 2018. Before joining Bridgewater Bank in 2005, Mary Jayne held positions with Commerce Bank in Edina, MN, and began her financial career in brokerage at the Montreal Stock Exchange. She has over 30 years of experience in financial services.
The Twin Cities business community has recognized Mary Jayne for her leadership in several capacities. She was recognized as one of the ‘Top Women in Finance’ by Finance & Commerce in 2020 and 2013 and was also inducted into the publication's esteemed Circle of Excellence. In 2017, she was selected as a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 'Women in Business' honoree. Active in the community, Mary Jayne is a member of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Women's Leadership Council and serves on boards for Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota and the Bank Holding Company Association. Mary Jayne received her B.C. from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and is an alumna of The Institute of Certified Bankers.
C.K. Lee
President & CEO, Interbank, $4.5B, OK
C.K. Lee is President and Chief Operating Officer of InterBank. In this role, he oversees all of the bank’s operations, including lending and credit, loan and deposit operations, and the bank’s branch network. He reports to Pascal Hosch, the Bank’s CEO. Mr. Lee joined the bank in the summer of 2020 and works out of the Bank’s Fort Worth location.
Prior to joining InterBank, Mr. Lee was an investment banker, assisting bank and financial services clients in Texas and the surrounding region. During his investment banking career, Mr. Lee handled dozens of merger and acquisition transactions on behalf of clients throughout the country, representing nearly $2 billion in aggregate deal value. He has assisted clients with Section 363 bankruptcy resolutions, strategic planning services, regulatory advisory work and expert witness assignments.
Mr. Lee began his career as a professional staff member on Capitol Hill and was a federal regulator for ten years at the FDIC and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). During his time on Capitol Hill, he was a senior advisor to members of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. During his ten years as a regulator, he was a deputy to the Chairman of the FDIC, a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, oversaw the OTS’s international affairs, was a regulator of complex international holding companies, and was the Regional Director in Dallas, TX for two years during the 2008-2010 financial crisis.
Mr. Lee has guest lectured on mergers and acquisitions at the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU, at the Stephen F. Austin University’s school of business, and has handled speaking engagements before many regional and national banking trade associations and regulatory bodies. He currently serves on the Board of the American Bonanza Society, a type club for pilots and owners of Beechcraft aircraft, where he serves as the treasurer. He also serves on the Board of the Air Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing safety in private aviation.
Mr. Lee received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his Master’s degree from the London School of Economics. He is married to Joy and they have two daughters, Sofia and Olivia. They live in Colleyville, TX. Mr. Lee is an avid private pilot.
Jamie Lipe
SEVP and CFO, First State Community Bank, $4B, MO
Trey Maust
Executive Chairman, Lewis & Clark Bank, $371M, OR
Trey Maust, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Lewis & Clark Bank, brings over twenty-five years of experience in banking, capital markets and industry advocacy. From 2016 to 2020, he was a founding board member and later CEO of Sheltered Harbor, a critical data protection and recovery initiative that now covers over 70% of the nation’s deposit accounts and retail brokerage client assets. Prior to this role, he was Lewis & Clark Bank’s Co-President & CEO and prior to that, its Chief Financial Officer. Previous to co-founding Lewis & Clark Bank, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of another Portland-area community bank.
Trey began his career at Deloitte in Portland, focusing on financial audit; FDICIA and internal control attestation; U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting; and post-merger integration engagements. He later transferred to Deloitte’s Merger & Acquisition Services Group in New York, where he was a resource nationally for bank acquisitions, conducting financial and operational due diligence on transactions in a variety of industries for financial sponsors and strategic buyers. He was also involved in domestic and international acquisitions and divestitures for Honeywell International.
Trey is extensively involved in local and national policy and advocacy efforts on behalf of the banking industry, including serving on multiple advisory and fiduciary boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Chris Nichols
Director of Capital Markets, SouthState Bank, $4.0B, FL
Chris Nichols is a finance leader with 30 years of banking experience specializing in predictive analytics, marketing, pricing, technology and innovation, risk management and creating superior bank performance. Chris was the former Chief Strategy Officer for CenterState Bank and now Director of Capital Markets for SouthState Bank, a $38 billion, publicly traded community bank based in Florida. Chris sits on the Digital Steering and Enterprise Steering Committees of the Bank and helps manage the PPP effort, innovation and pricing. In addition to strategy, he is responsible for channel transformation and digital banking. He is an active bank investor, small business owner, school instructor, frequent speaker and author on a multitude of banking topics including his new book, “The Successful Lender’s Field Guide.”
Chris is the producer and host of the iTunes podcast, Bank to Bank. Mr. Nichols has held executive and operating positions at several banks, including Bank of America and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. Chris was a co-founder of FinancialOxygen, a banking technology company; and was a forensic accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. He holds a degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Chris is an active participant in the community as a sworn law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, flight rescue officer and is certified in both search and disaster incident management.
Siya Vansia
Executive Vice President and Chief Brand and Innovation Officer, ConnectOne Bank, $9.6B, NJ
Why Attend?
Join us in May to gain important insights as you take steps to move your business to the next level.
Bankers as Speakers
Panels include bank executives providing practical views and insights on performance metrics and growth opportunities.
Access to the Investment Community
Hear from prominent thought leaders and investors in the financial services industry and talk with them one-on-one at the conference.
Top Community Bank Attendees
Banks from Market Intelligence's Top Community Bank rankings are in attendance, giving you an opportunity to gather ideas from other successful executives.
S&P Global Research Analysts
Engage with S&P Global Research analysts to share ideas and perspectives.
Efficient Use of Time
Well-attended, but not too big. The entire event offers a great exchange of information, is well organized and executed, and focuses specifically on community banks.
Agenda
*Agenda is subject to change.
-
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
-
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
-
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Pricing
Registration Fees:
COMMUNITY BANKER RATE:
STANDARD RATE:
GUEST REGISTRATION:
Current clients include any firm that currently subscribes to products/services offered by S&P Global Market Intelligence, excluding other conferences and training classes. The standard rate applies to attendees who are not bank officers or bank directors of an FDIC-insured financial institution, such as board advisors/observers, investment bankers, correspondent and wholesale bankers (even if part of an FDIC-Insured Financial Institution), attorneys, accounting firms, and other vendors and service providers. S&P Global reserves the right to verify your company profile and adjust your registration rate, if necessary.
Guest registration includes access to the Community Bankers Conference cocktail receptions and dinner only. A guest is a spouse, significant other or friend who is not in a financial services occupation. A co-worker (even a family member co-worker) or an associate within the financial services industry is not considered a guest and should register as an attendee.
Venue
The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth, TX
3300 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76107
The group rate at the Crescent Hotel Fort Worth is $279 per night plus taxes. The hotel booking deadline is April 3, 2026.
Become a Sponsor
Demonstrate your strengths, raise your company profile, and maximize your ROI as we bring key industry players and decision-makers to you. At the S&P Community Bankers Conference, each sponsor has the opportunity to showcase their products and services and distinguish themselves from the competition. We offer a full range of opportunities and packages and can even tailor solutions to suit your needs.
Contact us to start a conversation about your goals and how you can lead the pack as an event sponsor: Catherine Smith catherine.smith@spglobal.com