2022-2023 VBA Women’s Mentorship Program

Internal Links Laurie Milligan Kristen Reid

2022-2023 Women’s Mentorship Program Participants

By Friday, December 9, please complete this brief profile form.  

November 30 – Opening Session 

Session Materials

Setting the Stage 
Mentor | Mentee Training

Creating Goals That Are Worthy of You

About the Speakers:

Jodi Flynn | Women Taking the Lead

Jodi Flynn is an executive leadership coach, podcaster, author, and speaker where she focuses on helping organizations support their women leaders to develop the skills needed to grow into and thrive in senior leadership. She is the host of the critically acclaimed Women Taking the Lead podcast, and an Amazon bestselling author with her book, Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing. She is president of the board for The Maine Women’s Conference and has been featured in Entrepreneur and Forbes magazines. Jodi has spoken at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Women in Banking and Emerging Leaders Conferences, and Podcast Movement.

Susan Ralston | Old Point National Bank

Susan Ralston is the executive vice president and COO for Old Point National Bank.  Before serving at Old Point, she served as the COO and SVP for the Virginia Division of Dollar Bank, a $11 billion multi-state bank. Prior to her bank’s merger with Dollar Bank, Susan served as president and CEO for Bank @lantec for over 22 years. 

Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in business administration from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She is a graduate of the American Banker Association’s Stonier Graduate school held at Georgetown University.  Susan earned her professional coaching certification from Duquesne University’s Palumbo-Donahue School of Business.

Susan is a member of the International Coach Federation. She earned the Associate Certified Coach credential while founding and coaching at Ralston Coaching and Consulting. She was awarded the Cleveland Waltersdorf Award for Innovative Leadership in 2018 from Washington and Jefferson College. Inside Business Magazine selected Susan as one of the “Outstanding Women in Business” in Hampton Roads, Virginia in 2010.

Originally raised in Washington, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh area), Susan lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, Jim, and her 17- year-old son, Jacob.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Dr. Jean Graves

Use the workbook (exercises taken directly from the  book “Emotional Intelligence 2.0″ to help guide your discussions)

January/February Content Theme – Understanding Bank Management

Bank Financial Management Webinar: Part One

How to Tell the Story Your Bank’s Financials are Telling 

Slides - Part One

Required Materials:
Please Source These Before You Watch Part One:

  • Your Bank’s Annual Report or Quarterly Financials
  • Comparative Years of Data
  • Audit Opinion

Action Items:
Read the letter to shareholders from your CEO and determine the following:

  • What is your Bank’s total assets? (balance sheet)
  • How much money did your Bank make last year? (income statement)
  • Will your Bank surpass that amount this year?
  • What percent are your loans growing?
  • What percent are your deposits growing?
Bank Financial Management Webinar: Part Two

How To Read the Story of Fed Policy, Economic Climate, and Politics

Slides - Part Two

Action Items:

  • Look Up the FOMC Meeting Dates for the upcoming year.
  • Predict the FOMC decision for its next meeting.
  • Ask your CFO what your bank’s budget assumption is for interest rates for the year.
  • Ask if you can attend a portion of an ALCO meeting to hear about the interest rate impacts.
Bank Financial Management Webinar: Part Three

How To Learn The Story of Your Bank…With Readings Typically Not On Your Nightstand

Slides - Part Three

Action Items:

  • Ask your Mentor for list of industry resources & reading materials
  • Ask admired co-workers for industry reading suggestions
  • Find out resources such as subscriptions to VBA, ABA publications, and others sources such as online newspapers, etc. (See VBA Mentorship Program Page)
General Resources
Social Media Groups:

Industry: VBA Emerging Bank Leaders, ELEVATE 

March Content Theme – Confidence & Motivation 

March Videos from Elizabeth Bentley

Additional Resources

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Books: 

Podcast:

INCREASING MOTIVATION

Books:

Magazine:

Blog Post:

TED Talk:

April Content Theme - Resiliency & Change

April Video from Elizabeth Bentley

Additional Resources

Book: 

Videos:

Blog Posts/Articles:

May/June Content Theme – Building Your Personal Brand

May/June Video from Delphia Howze

Book: 

Videos:

Blog Posts/Articles:

July/August Content Theme – Dealing with Conflict

VBA & Industry Communications & Resources

ELEVATE

VBA Executive Brief

ABA Newsbytes

ABA Banking Journal Podcast

Virginia Banking Monthly