Lending & Credit Conference
The Lending & Credit Conference provides the perfect balance of educational and networking opportunities through a combination of general sessions and peer group discussions. With a variety of sessions that address the most pressing issues facing lending and credit professionals, this educational event will help you navigate today’s economic and regulatory environment and prepare you for opportunities that lay ahead.
Agenda
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
6:00 p.m. Welcome Reception
*Dinner is on your own – Enjoy the evening!
Thursday, october 23, 2025
8:00 a.m. Registration | Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome | Announcements | Sponsor Introductions
8:45– 9:35 a.m. Commercial Real Estate Update
9:35-10:35 a.m. Commercial Lending Without Compromise – How Banks Can Lead the Market
10:35– 10:55 a.m. Networking Break
10:55 – 11:55 a.m. Small Business Owner Panel – Hearing Directly from Your Customers on What THEY Want in their Banking Relationship
11:55 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. Lunch
12:55 – 1:40 p.m. Exhibitor Speed Dating
1:40 – 2:40 p.m. Fintech & AI – How to Utilize to Expand Your Bank’s Footprint Georgina Merhom & K.Lee Gilliam | SOLO
2:40 – 3:00 p.m. Networking Break
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Industry Update Matt Bruning | Virginia Bankers Association
3:50 – 4:00 p.m. Stretch Break
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Roundtable Session
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
Dinner is on your own – Enjoy your evening!
Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 8:35 a.m. Announcements
8:35 – 9:25 a.m. Economic Update Ryan Price | Virginia REALTORS
9:25 – 10:25 a.m. Navigating Niche Lending – A Panel Discussion
Panelists:
- Matthew Senter | Agri-Access
- Steve Farbstein | PACE Equity
- Stacy Litke | Green Check
- More panelists will be announced soon!
10:25 – 10:40 a.m. Networking Break
10:40 – 10:50 a.m. Sponsor Drawing
10:50 – 11:50 a.m. Closing Keynote – Executive Presence Ace Callwood | Envoy
As uncertainty for the future continues to dominate the thinking of leaders and employees, this talk covers the techniques to deploy to reduce ambient stress and improve healthy decision-making in organizations. Pandemics, economic crises, intense political and social tensions. These past few years have put many of us on a survival setting but risk burnout unless we can channel energies appropriately. Curating the best in mental well-being, public health, and employee engagement strategies, we address the “six fatigues” – physical, mental, emotional, inactivity, social, and purpose fatigues – with techniques to create energy for optimal executive decision-making and creating organizational environments for sustainable team performance.
Meet the Speakers & Panelists
Matt Bruning joined the Virginia Bankers Association in December 2010 and currently serves as Executive Vice President for Government & Member Relations. In that role, he represents the Virginia banking industry at the Virginia state and federal levels, oversees the VBA BankPAC and coordinates grassroots advocacy. He also coordinates VBA’s member relations efforts, including bank outreach and engagement as well as the endorsed provider program.
Prior to joining the VBA, Matt served as Legislative Liaison in the Policy Office of Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell. He also worked as the Policy Director for Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell. He recently served eight years on the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Board of Directors, including as a member of the Executive Committee and Co-Chair of the Horticulture, Education and Engagement Committee.
Matt received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership Studies and Political Science from the University of Richmond in 2003. He is a graduate of the VBA’s Executive Leadership Institute and the VBA School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia. He lives in Glen Allen, Virginia with his wife Jennifer and daughters Charlotte and Caroline.
Steve Farbstein has more than 30 years of financial and professional services experience and is widely known throughout the region as a principled, measured, and thoughtful leader. Prior to joining PACE Equity, Steve was the Chief Revenue and Development Officer at Blue Ridge Bank and was previously Head of Mortgage Banking at Park Sterling Bank and StellarOne Bank.
Steve is the former Chair of the Mortgage Executives Committee at The Virginia Bankers Association and The Richmond Mortgage Bankers Association. He also served as the National Chair for The March of Dimes National Volunteer Leadership Council where he has volunteered for more than 30 years.
Georgina Merhom is the founder of SOLO, a collaborative credit bureau that transforms how first party data is collected, verified, and activated for banks and lenders. Prior to SOLO, Georgina began her career as a researcher and compliance director at the G7 & G20 Information Centre. She then trained as a data scientist and investigative analyst to develop algorithms that detect illicit activity on the dark web. In 2020, Georgina founded Zivmi, Egypt’s first cross-border payments app, in partnership with the National Bank of Egypt, providing invoice factoring to unbanked digital freelancers. She subsequently exited the venture in its entirety to the National Bank. Through her work with unbanked freelancers at Zivmi, Georgina recognized the limitations of traditional credit assessment which led to the creation of SOLO and her advocacy for modern solutions in credit and lending.
Ryan Price has honed his knowledge of Virginia’s economy and housing market in a variety of roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors for nearly two decades. Ryan is the Chief Economist for Virginia REALTORS®, Virginia’s largest trade association, leading a team of researchers that focus on housing market trends in Virginia, and the economic and demographic factors that move the market. Ryan received a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University.
Matthew Senter is Vice President of Lending Relations for Agri-Access, based in Middlebury, Vermont. He serves the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., supporting the agricultural and natural resource lending activities of banks. Matthew has over 30 years of experience in agricultural lending, including direct agricultural/forest products producer financing as well as managing commercial lending & capital markets teams. His specialty is providing creative solutions for the unique challenges of agricultural & natural resource lending. He is a graduate of St. Lawrence University, Thomas College and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Registration Information
| Registration Dates | Member | Non-Member |
|---|---|---|
| Through September 30, 2025 | $675 | $1,175 |
| October 1-22, 2025 | $695 | $1,195 |
VBA EVENT POLICIES
By registering for this event, you are agreeing to the VBA Event Policies.
VBA EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY
All cancellations will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received after October 14, 2024 will be charged a $75.00 administrative fee plus any additional fees associated with the training. Substitutions are allowed prior to the beginning of course.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Please share any specific needs that should be considered as we plan for the conference (i.e. hearing impaired, sight impaired, etc). Please contact Michele Dunn with any details.
Hotel Information
Williamsburg Lodge
310 S England St
Williamsburg, VA 23185
The state associations have reserved a block of hotel rooms at a negotiated rate of $239, plus applicable taxes and fees, at the Williamsburg Lodge. To take advantage of this rate, reservations must be made by September 24, 2025. Click here to make your reservation.
Parking
Attendees spending the night at the hotel will receive a parking pass upon check-in. Parking for overnight guests will be reduced to $15/night (normally $25). For attendees not staying at the Lodge, will pay using the hotel’s parking app. Directions for using the app and current rates are displayed in the parking area.
Sponsors & Sponsorship Opportunities
Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting? Click here for those opportunities. View our complete 2025 Sponsor Brochure here. Questions? Contact Amy Binns.