More than 200 future banking leaders gathered at the Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel in Carmel on July 9-10 for a brand new take on the IBA Future Leadership Division’s annual two-day Leadership Conference. As in past years, the goal of the conference was to bring together emerging bank leaders from throughout the state for networking, leadership and professional development, and idea sharing through peer roundtables. A new twist this year brought in banking interns from throughout the state to take part in day one of the conference. Traditionally banking interns participated in their own intern day at the IBA office, but that event grew so much that it no longer fit at the office, so the idea to transform the IBA intern event into its own conference – merged with the FLD Leadership Conference – was born.

Packed with nearly 110 FLD members – the most ever for this event – shoulder-to-shoulder with nearly 120 banking interns, the hotel’s large meeting space was filled with energy and enthusiasm. Attendees ranged from full-time bankers with 30-plus years of experience to banking interns with three months of experience, and all levels in between. Regardless of experience, all attendees came with a hunger to take their careers to the next level and meet new peers in the industry.

IBA Vice President of Member Engagement Josh Myers kicked off the conference, welcoming the nearly 230 attendees to the event. After a brief summary of the Association and all its offerings, he invited attendees to continue engaging with the IBA after the conference as they journey throughout their banking career.

Amanda Morris-Feldman, 2025 FLD Advisory Board president from First Federal Savings Bank in Rochester, then spoke to attendees and provided her perspective on the FLD, how it has benefited her and why others should join. She also encouraged everyone to connect with others in the room and dive deep into the speed roundtable discussions and strong lineup of speakers.

The conference’s opening speaker, Joe Micallef, brought a fun approach to learning with an interactive session that inspired current and future bank leaders to be powerful coaches who can engage, enlighten and energize teams to embrace better approaches to achieving success. Next, attendees sat down for an enjoyable lunch to fuel up for the remainder of the day and connect with others at the conference. Dr. Minju Witte then explored the topic of business etiquette for every business situation, from email and phone to video calls and handwritten notes, so attendees could communicate with clarity, confidence and class, whether they are connecting with colleagues or clients.

The next session was a breakout opportunity where FLD Conference attendees and IBA Intern Conference attendees separated for more targeted learning opportunities. FLD attendees spent the next hour and a half breaking into smaller groups for peer roundtable discussions on a variety of topics submitted by their fellow attendees. Interns gathered to hear from Chris Dietz of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions as he discussed the state of Indiana banking so interns could get a grasp of the latest happenings in the industry. CJ McLanahan capped off the first day of education with a thought-provoking presentation that allowed participants to walk away with a renewed definition of success, tools to protect their mental and physical health, and practical strategies to lead a more focused, fulfilling life without compromising drive or ambition.

After the session, the IBA Intern Conference concluded, but the FLD Leadership Conference continued with a casual networking reception and dinner, followed by another fun-filled FLD Trivia Night Competition that featured Hambone’s Trivia. Teams battled it out to determine this year’s champions, and a remarkable group of bankers walked away with a coveted trivia champion trophy and goodie bags after a fierce competition.

Day two of the FLD Leadership Conference began with a session from Michael Foland, a current FLD member and banker with Security Federal Savings Bank in Logansport. He inspired attendees to remember that, with a servant mindset, bankers can be a powerful source of financial education and hope that can make an impact in their communities, no matter the role they are in.

As with many FLD events, the need to engage in grassroots advocacy was stressed as an opportunity to learn and grow in the industry while also making an impact on the bank. IBA Vice President of Government Relations Ross Teare was joined by Lake City Bank President Kristin Pruitt and NWSB President Syd Whitlock for an open and honest conversation about why today’s bank leaders should be willing to engage with grassroots advocacy efforts and make their voice heard to elected officials. They also discussed the ways to get engaged and how it can impact the bank, the community and bankers as individuals. Attendees were also fortunate to hear a video message from Congressman Marlin Stutzman, who represents Indiana’s 3rd district and serves on the House Committee on Financial Services. He explained his work on the committee and the important voice that bankers have on legislation.

Conference attendees then broke out into smaller groups for more speed roundtable discussions for additional idea sharing, which is always a popular part of the event. The final speaker for the event was Alex Perry, who shared practical strategies, powerful phrases and a simple four-part framework to help bankers prepare for and navigate challenging conversations and conflict.

The 2025 FLD Leadership Conference, combined with the IBA Intern Conference, was a highly successful event that benefited all attendees, as well as the banks they came from. Thank you to all the banks that committed to engaging their employees in this year’s event.

Thank you as well to the sponsors of the FLD Leadership Conference that made the event a success, including Amundsen Davis LLC, CLA, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, infotex, and our presenting sponsor, Krieg DeVault LLP. Also, special thanks to Independent Community Bankers of America for sponsoring the IBA Intern Conference.