2026 VBA/ABA Washington Summit
In-Person Attendee Event Portal

Internal Links Matt Bruning Tristan Macdonald Monica McDearmon Chandler Owdom

Thank you for registering for the 2026 VBA/ABA Washington Summit! This page contains all of the information you will need to know for a successful visit to Washington.

Complete this questionnaire to notify us of your attendance plans at VBA-hosted events while at the Summit.

View the ABA Program Here!

Agenda & Session Locations

View the ABA Program Here!

Learn More About the Keynote Speakers Here!

Sunday, March 8

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Forum Welcome Reception, Honoring Emerging Leaders Forum Scholarship Recipients

Monday, March 9
All sessions will take place at the Marriott Marquis.
7:00 - 6:00 p.m. – Registration Open
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. – The Forums Breakfast 
8:00 – 9:45 a.m. – Women and Advocates Forum
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Emerging Leaders Forum 
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Networking Lunch 
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Emerging Leaders Forum
4:15 – 5:00 p.m. – Orientation for Capitol Hill Visits
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Opening Reception – Must have a badge to attend
8:30 p.m. – Emerging Leaders Meet-Up (RSVP here; see below for more information – food and drink are on your own)
Tuesday, March 10
All sessions will take place at the Marriott Marquis. Please look for the Maryland/Virginia signs in the ballroom.
7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Registration Open
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. – Breakfast
8:30 – 11:30 a.m. – General Session 
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch
Starting at 12:15 p.m. - Travel time to get to Capitol Hill visits
1:00 – 4:30 p.m. – Capitol Hill Visits – See below for more information.*
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – VBA/MBA/DCBA Joint Capital Reception: Sponsored by FHLBank Atlanta at Art & Soul (RSVP here; see below for more information)
Wednesday, March 11
All sessions will take place at the Marriott Marquis. Please look for the Maryland/Virginia signs in the ballroom.
7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Registration Open
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. – Breakfast
8:30 – 10:30 a.m. – General Session 
 
 
 

Legislative Issue Briefs

Virginia Banks' Economic Impact

View the ABA Blueprint for Growth in 2026 and Beyond here.

The VBA will provide handouts to the legislators on a variety of topics – more information will be available soon. Top priorities will include:

  • Marketplace Structure/Stablecoin
  • Fraud Mitigation
  • Regulatory Threshold Indexing
  • Deposit Insurance
  • Credit Union Oversight
  • Safe Banking

Tuesday Afternoon Legislative Visits Information

Meeting information will be available soon.

Meetings will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room G11. 

Directions from the entrance on the corner of 1st and C Street, NE:
After passing through Capitol Police screening, take a sharp right, followed by a left. Continue straight down the hall and SDG-11 will be on the right.

*Transportation to the meetings on the Hill and return transportation to the hotel after the meetings and reception is on your own. We recommend grouping up with other Virginia bankers to share a taxi or an Uber.

Legislator Bios

View the key legislator information for Capitol Hill meetings here!

Tips for Your Visits

Bankers make loans and members of Congress make laws. It is essential that both groups work together to develop a better understanding of the public policy challenges that face banking. Both the VBA and ABA will provide you with information on specific legislative items for discussion (see the Legislative Issue Briefs dropdown above).  Please take the time to consider the following do’s and don’ts to make the most out of your visit.

  • Do your homework. Read up so you know a bit about the member’s background and previous occupation. You can read about House members here and Senate members here. In Washington, we may be given as little as 15 minutes with the member of Congress and/or staff, due to their hectic schedules. Thus, it’s important for you to keep your comments brief and to tailor your comments to each legislator. Be sure to use local, personalized examples of how the issue affects your bank, customers and community.

  • Don’t be impatient or inflexible. Congressional schedules change often. If they do have to cancel, they will likely send a staffer who handles banking issues. This Legislative Assistant will often do much of the research and voting recommendations on banking issues, so he or she is a good person to know and talk to.

  • Dress and pack accordingly, as you will be required to pass through security on the Hill. Due to these security measures, leaving all non-essential personal items in your hotel room is advisable.

  • Don’t be afraid to participate in the conversation! The VBA will designate a banker to help guide the discussion with the members, but there will be time for your comments and questions as well. When commenting, introduce yourself, your bank and what you do. Let them know where in the district you live to remind the member you are a constituent. Leave the member with a clear impression of the action you want taken. Stay positive even if you do not receive the answer you want. Do not be afraid to say you don’t know if asked a question you cannot answer.

  • There’s no need to use technical terms or acronyms. Try to frame the issues in everyday language as the member may not be a banking industry expert.

  • Thank the member and their staff and follow up. Thank them for taking the time to meet with you. Take a picture with the member if there is time and be sure to share it with the VBA. Following up is always a nice touch. The VBA will send the member of Congress a thank-you note, but feel free to send one as well. In your note, review the issues you discussed and confirm the action that you want the member to take. Follow up with answers to any questions the member had (thank staffers by name, too, and your letter is likely to end up on the member’s desk!). 

  • Bring business cards and offer to be a resource after the visit. Don’t let the Summit be the last time you talk to your legislator. Offer to be a resource on banking issues in your District and consider inviting the member to an upcoming function (bank tour, community event, etc.) the next time he or she is home in the District.  Members and their staff need to be invited to visit banks, understand the basics of how a bank works, and meet their bank-employee constituents.  The VBA can always assist in coordinating scheduling requests with members.

Join Us Tuesday Night for a Joint Capital Reception with the Maryland Bankers Association and D.C. Bankers Association, Hosted by FHLBank Atlanta

Attendee Roster

Click here to view the VBA/ABA Washington Summit Roster!

Hotel Information

Marriott Marquis Washington, DC
901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

The hotel block has closed for the Summit. You can check availability at the Marriott for the dates of the Summit here. Learn more about travel and hotel information here.

Pre-Summit Briefing: March 3 at 1:00PM

Join the pre-event orientation, Get Ready Webinar: 2026 Washington Summit, on March 3 at 1:00 PM. You can prepare for your Capitol Hill visits and hear about the Forums and additional networking opportunities at this year’s Washington Summit.

ABA Speakers: 

  • Matt Brown, Senior Vice President, State Association Alliance
  • Peter Cook, Chief Communications Officer
  • Lauren Dwyer, Vice President, Executive Education & CEO Programs
  • Cathy Nestrick, Vice President, Workforce Excellence
  • Joe Pigg, Senior Vice President and Counsel, Sustainable Finance and Mortgage Policy
  • Holly Smith, Executive Vice President, Membership
  • Kirsten Sutton, Executive Vice President, Congressional Relations
  • Caitlin Taylor, Vice President, State Association Alliance

Register for the Orientation here.

VBA Onsite Staff Contact Information

Matt Bruning
EVP & COO
mbruning@vabankers.org
804.366.8688

Tristan Macdonald
VP, Government & Member Relations
tmacdonald@vabankers.org
540.525.8460

Monica McDearmon
VP, Communications & Financial Education
mmcdearmon@vabankers.org
804.363.9347

Laurie Milligan
President & COO, VBA Benefits Corp.
lmilligan@vabankers.org
804.347.8365

Chandler Owdom
SVP, Communications & Strategy
cowdom@vabankers.org
804.839.8420

Bruce Whitehurst
President & CEO, Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association & VBA
bruce@vabankers.org
804.241.3223