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
Sponsored by College Ave

*Dinner is on your own – Enjoy the evening!

Thursday, october 23, 2025

8:00 a.m.   Registration | Continental Breakfast
Registration Sponsored by College Ave
Breakfast Sponsored by FHLBank Atlanta

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome | Announcements | Sponsor Introductions

8:45– 9:35 a.m.  Commercial Real Estate Update Mark Franceski | Zelman | A Walker & Dunlop Company

9:35-10:35 a.m.  Commercial Lending Without Compromise – How Banks Can Lead the Market Zain Tariq | S&P Global Market Intelligence

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

• Richard Gdovic | Verizon
• Vernon Geddy | Old City BBQ
• Kathy Gray | Creative Critters Learning Center                                     

11:55 a.m. – 12:55 p.m.   Lunch
Sponsored by Spotts Fain

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 

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
Sponsored by Tranzon Key

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.

Mark Franceski is a managing director of research and securities at Zelman & Associates, based in Bethesda, Maryland. In his role, he is responsible for leading multifamily industry and REIT research for the firm. He has nearly 20 years’ experience as a commercial real estate market research expert and data strategist specializing in the multifamily sector.

Prior to Zelman, Mr. Franceski served as executive director of multifamily analytics at global brokerage Avison Young and spent 10 years as head of research at Bozzuto, a national mixed-use investor, developer, builder, and operator, where he focused on market research, business intelligence, and data analytics.

Mr. Franceski earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University and his master’s degree in business administration from George Mason University. Outside of the company, he serves as adjunct faculty for Georgetown University’s master’s in real estate program, teaching real estate market research and analysis. Mr. Franceski lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and four children.

Richard Gdovic is a Software Engineer, Accountant, Serial Entrepreneur, investor, and race-team owner and driver. He leads ComServe Wireless (Verizon Authorized Retailer), WindStax Energy (microgrids with vertical-axis wind, solar, and storage), and Precision Performance Motorsports. Rick has engineered 300+ acquisitions, built national retail footprints, and now scales renewable-energy projects while running a multiple championship winning race car team and driver-development program across NASCAR and sports cars.

Vernon Geddy is an Entrepreneur, Real Estate Investor and Developer. His previous career was working for a local commercial real estate company, RJS and Associates for about 9 years, where he brokered deals in office, warehouse, hotel, retail/restaurant and land. He developed and rehabbed commercial retail and office projects for the principles within the company. Vernon currently owns and operates Old City Barbeque, Old City BBQ Food Truck and The Shuck Wagon. The restaurant has been operating since 2017 with 35 employees and $2.8mm in annual revenue. The Food Trucks started operating in the fall of 2020 with 10 employees and hold a contract in the Newport News Shipyard serving over 50,000 people annually with an annual revenue of $1.25mm. He currently has a new restaurant in development in the preconstruction phase that is slated to open in fall of 2026 in Newport News. When the restaurant opened in 2017 he won best new restaurant and was awarded a 15 under 50 for community impact in 2021.

Stacy Litke is the VP of Banking & Financial Services. She has oversight into all banking related activities at Green Check Verified. Her decades of experience in the financial services industry has been from the perspectives of Community Banker, FinTech Leader and Technology Consultant. In her role at Green Check, Stacy has shaped best practices for banking the cannabis industry through working with more than one hundred-thirty financial institutions as they work to evaluate and implement cannabis banking programs, conversations with regulators and examiners, and supporting Green Check’s direct to CRB financial services platform.

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.

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

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.

Attendee Roster

See who is attending here!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

 

Questions? Contact Amy Binns.