The Directors’ Symposium provides bank board members with current data, thought-provoking industry trends and networking opportunities with other directors and regulators. The program is designed to benefit both new directors and seasoned veterans on the Board.

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Dates & Locations

April 22, 2025 – Blacksburg, VA

The Inn at Virginia Tech
901 Prices Fork Rd
Blacksburg, VA 24061

April 23, 2025 – Richmond, VA

Hilton Short Pump
12042 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23233

April 24, 2025 – Columbia, MD

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
5485 Twin Knolls Rd
Columbia, MD 21045

Agenda

8:30 a.m. Breakfast/Registration

9:00 – 9:05 a.m. Welcome

9:05 – 9:55 a.m. Economic Update

Blacksburg, VA	Richmond, VA &  Columbia, MD
Ramon Kumar, Ph.D. | Pamplin College of Business At Virginia Tech	Sonya Waddell | Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

9:55 – 10:45 a.m. Legal Panel 

Blacksburg, VA	Richmond, VA	Columbia, MD
Moderated by: DeMarion Johnston | Virginia Bankers Association; Panelists: Heather Eastep | Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP; Scott Richter | Williams Mullen; Seth Winter | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP	Moderated by: DeMarion Johnston | Virginia Bankers Association; Panelists: Andrew Bulgin | Gordon Feinblatt LLC; Heather Eastep | Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP; Scott Richter | Williams Mullen; Seth Winter | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP	Moderated by: DeMarion Johnston | Virginia Bankers Association; Panelists: Andrew Bulgin | Gordon Feinblatt LLC; Heather Eastep | Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP; Greg Parisi | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Networking Break

11:00 – 11:50 a.m. Owning Cyber Risk at the Board Level

Blacksburg, VA & Richmond, VA	Columbia, MD
John Harrison | Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency	Chris Ramos | Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency

For years, cyber risk was considered part of information technology (IT) risk and largely delegated to IT and security teams within the bank. More recently, however, bank boards have begun to see cyber risk for what it is: a strategic, enterprise risk, which they—not their Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)—own.  The time is now for CEOs and Boards to actively embrace corporate cyber responsibility as a matter of good governance, recognizing that every organization has an obligation to reasonably assure the safety of their employees, partners, and customers. In this session, the speaker will share what this means to today’s bank board members by sharing his thoughts on how bank boards can fully embrace this new way of looking at the cyber function at their banks.

11:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. Lunch

12:50 – 1:40 p.m. The Extra Transactional Adam Thompson | StrategyCorps 

Welcome to a journey beyond the ordinary, where the boundaries of traditional banking dissolve, and the future of financial interactions becomes seamless, intuitive and profoundly personal. In this session we explore the evolving landscape of fintech and its transformative impact on banking behavior, customer experience and financial advice. Witness the cutting-edge technologies that are reimagining the way consumers engage with their finances.

1:40 – 1:50 p.m. Networking Break

1:50 – 2:40 p.m. Optimizing Loan Portfolio Management in Today’s Evolving Economic Landscape

Blacksburg, VA	Richmond, VA	Columbia, MD
AJ Eschle | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Susan Sabo | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP	Pam Hemstreet | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Susan Sabo | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP	Brittany Stern | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Susan Sabo | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

In this session, we will analyze current economic trends affecting community bank loan portfolios, identify emerging industry concerns, discuss regulatory expectations, review key loan portfolio management strategies, and address best practices for loan management in a dynamic environment. We will specifically focus on effective risk management practices, including the adequacy of credit risk reviews and concentration risk management practices, identification of refinance risk, accuracy of risk ratings, and stress testing considerations for commercial and agricultural portfolios, including commercial real estate loans.

2:40 – 3:30 p.m. Retention Takes Bold Leadership Stephen Robichaux | Capital City Consultants

We have heard it before – staff turnover is costly, both in time and money.  During this session, Steve Robichaux, President of Capital City Consultants, will dive into how banks can engage staff so they are not even tempted to look for other employment and share what employees really need to work and how to deliver. 

Registration Rates

Registration Options	Fee
1-4 individual registrations	$395
5+ individual registrations	$350

EVENT POLICIES

By registering for this event, you are agreeing to the Event Policies.

CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellations will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than 72 business hours before the program will be charged a $75.00 administrative fee plus any additional fees associated with the training. Substitutions are allowed prior to the beginning of the conference.

SPECIAL NEEDS & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES NOTICE

If you have special needs that may affect your participation in this event, please contact Kristen Reid to discuss accommodations.

Hotel Information

Blacksburg, VA Program

The Inn at Virginia Tech
901 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24061

We have reserved a block of rooms at the The Inn at Virginia Tech at the rate of $159/night, plus applicable taxes and fees.  Reserve your room here by April 1st to take advantage of the negotiated room rate. 

Richmond, VA Program

Hilton Short Point
12042 W Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23233

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Short Pump at the rate of $179/night, plus applicable taxes and fees.  Reserve your room here by April 1st to take advantage of the negotiated room rate. 

Columbia, MD Program

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
5485 Twin Knolls Road
Columbia, MD 21045

We have reserved a block of rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Columbia at the rate of $169/night, plus applicable taxes and fees.  Reserve your room here by April 2nd to take advantage of the negotiated room rate. 

Sponsors

Interested in sponsoring at this event? Click here to learn about those opportunities. Click here for our complete 2025 Sponsorship Brochure. Questions? Contact Amy Binns.