When it comes to advocating for the future of community banking, few voices carry more weight than Rebeca Romero Rainey. This week we had the privilege of sitting down with Rebeca, the President & CEO of the ICBA, for a candid and thoughtful conversation on where the industry is heading.

Top of mind for us all is how community banks can stay strong amid competition from fintechs and non-bank players. Rebeca's vision is that the path forward isn't about becoming someone else, but about owning what makes community banking unique. Yep, Dan & I loved hearing her sing our song about that!
She didn't hold back on the tough stuff either. We talked about regulatory clarity, the risks and rewards of adopting AI, and the challenge of attracting new talent to the industry. But through it all, Rebeca's optimism was clear: community banks are agile, trusted, and human, and that's their real superpower.

Some of the key takeaways that we can all use:
 Embracing AI doesn't mean losing your human touch. We must embrace it but
approach it responsibly.
 Speak to the real human differentiators that community banks have in an
increasingly digital world.
 Succession planning and leadership development must evolve and be
priorities.
 We need to make it easier (and less costly) to start new community banks.
 Some of the leadership principles that Rebeca relies on most are listening and
taking action.

Resources:
BankMarketingShow.com
When it comes to advocating for the future of community banking, few voices carry more
weight than Rebeca Romero Rainey. This week we had the privilege of sitting down with
Rebeca, the President & CEO of the ICBA, for a candid and thoughtful conversation on
where the industry is heading.
Top of mind for us all is how community banks can stay strong amid competition from
fintechs and non-bank players. Rebeca's vision is that the path forward isn't about
becoming someone else, but about owning what makes community banking unique. Yep,
Dan & I loved hearing her sing our song about that!
She didn't hold back on the tough stuff either. We talked about regulatory clarity, the risks
and rewards of adopting AI, and the challenge of attracting new talent to the industry. But
through it all, Rebeca's optimism was clear: community banks are agile, trusted, and
human, and that's their real superpower.
Some of the key takeaways that we can all use:
 Embracing AI doesn't mean losing your human touch. We must embrace it but
approach it responsibly.
 Speak to the real human differentiators that community banks have in an
increasingly digital world.
 Succession planning and leadership development must evolve and be
priorities.
 We need to make it easier (and less costly) to start new community banks.
 Some of the leadership principles that Rebeca relies on most are listening and
taking action.

Resources:

BankMarketingShow.com

ICBA: https://www.icba.org/

Rebeca: https://www.icba.org/w/rebeca-romero-rainey

LET (Leadership Effectiveness Training): https://www.gordontraining.com/leader-effectiveness-training-l-e-t/

Cybersecurity, AI, and IT modernization aren't just "IT problems" anymore — they directly impact how banks market, grow, and protect their brands.

In this episode of The Bank Marketing Show, Chris and Dan sit down with Scott Stevens, Chief Information Security Officer at Integrity Technology Solutions, to break down what community should actually be thinking about when it comes to cloud infrastructure, AI usage, and cybersecurity.

What We Cover

• Why "modernizing IT" doesn't always mean spending more — and often means simplifying
• How moving files to SharePoint and OneDrive unlocks safer AI use for marketing teams
• The importance of Microsoft Secure Score — and why 70%+ should be the baseline
• Why banning AI doesn't work (and what banks should do instead)
• How to create practical AI acceptable-use policies that employees will actually follow
• What Zero Trust architecture means for the next 5–10 years of banking technology

Links & Resources

• Connect with Scott: sstevens@integrityts.com
• Integrity Technology Solutions: https://www.integrityts.com
• Book: The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, by Robert Hunter
• Website: https://www.bankmarketingshow.com
• Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.bankmarketingminute.com
• Contact Chris and Dan: contact@bankmarketingshow.com

Community Banks produce a lot of "educational" content, but a lot of it is thinly disguised sales material, or sounds the same as 1,000 other "how to buy your first home" blogs.

In this episode, we sit down with Emily Schwartz, Director of Financial Education at MidFirst Bank, about how her team helps build real trust in her bank, by focusing on education first.

If you are tired of just checking the boxes with your content, and trying to avoid "AI slop" (as you should be!), this episode is a great way to reframe how you approach financial education – no matter the size of your bank.

What we cover in this episode:

· The difference between truly educating your customers and prospects, versus just creating blogs

· Where to find the best education topics (hint: it's not keyword tools)

· Why smaller banks don't need big teams to start doing this well

· How education can support brand, loyalty, and community impact, without feeling salesy

· The results that MidFirst has seen from their efforts

Links & Resources

· Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-schwartz-ph-d-372a7815/

· Book: Inspired by Matt Richtel

· Website: https://bankmarketingshow.com

· Sign up for our newsletter: https://bankmarketingminute.com

· Contact Chris and Dan: contact@bankmarketingshow.com