VBA Event & Program Recaps

More than 310 bankers and industry partners attended the 128th Annual Convention at the Belmond Charleston Place in Charleston, SC from September 12-15, 2021. This year’s Convention combined a great lineup of speakers on timely topics and networking. We were excited to finally come together, enjoy each other’s company and educate ourselves on industry topics together. 

More than 160 bankers and industry partners joined us August 23-25, 2021 at the Omni Richmond Hotel for our combined CFO & Lending/Credit Conference. Attendees enjoyed three days of engaging and relevant sessions and also had the opportunity to meet with our sponsors in the exhibit hall.

VBA and the American Bankers Association partnered to host the second-annual virtual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit for bankers on May 20, 2021. Four hundred people attended nationwide from 42 states and Washington DC. This event was an important part of continuing a meaningful dialogue on fostering positive change in the industry. Sponsored by The Council of FHLBanks, the value-packed program helped bankers become agents of change by building their “DEI Playbook” through eight strategy sessions, giving bankers the tangible tools needed to make a difference. 

The 2021 Directors’ Symposium, co-sponsored by the Virginia Association of Community Banks (VACB), provided bank board members with current data, thought-provoking industry trends and networking opportunities with other directors and regulators. The annual Symposium is designed to benefit both new directors and seasoned veterans on the Board.

More than 14,100 Virginia students and their families read the same book on the same schedule during the month of March thanks to more than $61,000 of financial support from Virginia’s banking industry. The Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation (VBA), supported by Virginia banks, is one of several sponsors of this initiative, a program from Richmond-based Read to Them.

On January 14th, 470 bankers and members of the business community joined us for our first-ever virtual VBA/VA Chamber Financial Forecast. For the tenth year, the VBA and VA Chamber of Commerce partnered to bring together hundreds of members of the business community to learn what lies ahead for the state and national economy.

On January 13, 2021, 46 Virginia bankers graduated from the virtual VBA Management Development Program, a five-month, comprehensive training designed for newer employees who have developed a passion for banking, want to enhance their knowledge of the business of banking, and who are motivated to excel in their careers and reach their full potential.

As part of our overall diversity and inclusion efforts, the VBA created the Women’s Mentorship Program to assist our member banks with preparing the talented women within your banks for future senior leadership positions. Our research shows that women often don’t recognize their own talent and need someone to identify the potential for future success in leadership.

In this program, mentor/mentee pairs participated in a 10-month experience involving one-on-one interaction and discussion combined with training and regional networking opportunities.

VBA and the American Bankers Association partnered to launch their first-ever virtual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit for bankers in November 2020. More than 275 people attended nationwide. This event was an important part of continuing a meaningful dialogue on fostering positive change in the industry. Sponsored by ABA associate member Ncontracts®, the value-packed program helped bankers cultivate a network of peers to share DEI leading practices and explore new opportunities and initiatives for their own institutions. The goal of the event was to equip bankers from all over the country with tools to mitigate systemic biases and foster greater inclusion for those disadvantaged by age, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender or other identity factors.