After a wonderful – and all too short – summer, school is back in session. As students head back to class, the IBA is also gearing back up for its busy fall schedule. There are dozens of opportunities to grow with your fellow bankers through professional development, networking and more over the next two months, including in-person seminars and virtual opportunities. Check out the educational calendar on page 8 to see what will best help you grow in your career path.

We started off August honoring both the leaders of today and tomorrow. Three bankers were inducted into the IBA’s distinguished circle of Leaders in Banking Excellence, who you can learn more about on page 10. We also welcomed nearly 100 of our industry’s future leaders at the FLD Leadership Conference on Aug. 1-2. Learn more about that on page 24 of this issue.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to see our Banking on Women conference grow into a new venue as we move to Embassy Suites Noblesville on Nov. 6-7. Last year’s conference sold out a month in advance, so be sure to get registered today! I also can’t wait for you to experience our reimagined Regional Meetings. This summer offering has moved to November, after the election, to make it easier for many of our members to attend who previously couldn’t because of summer travel. Dax Denton and Ross Teare from our GR team lay out everything you can expect on page 22.

It’s hard to believe the Association is getting ready to wrap up its current three-year strategic plan. We have seen incredible growth in all five of our target areas – Next-Level Government Relations, Next-Level Banking Talent, Next-Level Operational Effectiveness, New Ventures for Indiana Banks and Positioning IBA for Future Opportunities. You can see a copy of the plan at indiana.bank/strategic-plan. If you have any questions about our current plan or comments to offer as we prepare our next strategic initiative, feel free to reach out to me or any member of our Board.

As we head into Q4, be sure to reach out to the Association with anything we can do to help you finish out the year strong and set you up for success in 2025. As always, it is a pleasure to serve each of our members.