Preliminary Schedule of Events
September 10 - 14, 2025
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
CBA Board Meeting |
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Convention Registration Desk Open |
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Exhibitor Set-Up |
5:30 pm - 6:15 pm |
Sponsorship Reception (invitation only)
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6:30 pm - 8:00 pm |
CBA Board Leadership Dinner (invitation only)
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7:30 am - 8:00 am |
Breakfast (Hot) |
8:00 am - 8:15 am |
Welcome Kickoff Kick off the CBA convention in style with the dynamic Pat Dix as our emcee! With his engaging presence and infectious energy, Pat will set the stage for an exciting, inspiring, and unforgettable few days. Don’t miss this electrifying start to an incredible convention experience! |
8:15 am - 9:15 am |
Opening Session with Billy Boughey - "Journey to Success!" An engaging conversation about the important "signs" we encounter on the path to success. Billy will explore eight key signs—like Yield, Detour, and Stop—and how they relate to leadership and personal growth. By understanding and applying these signals, we can navigate challenges, make better decisions, and stay on course. This is one of his most requested talks. ABOUT BILLY:
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9:15 am - 9:30 am |
Stretch Break |
9:30 am - 10:15 am |
"The State of the State" - Shawn O'Brien Review analysis on how Georgia banks are performing and trending both nationally and within the state in areas such as deposits, loans, net interest margins, efficiency and other key metrics. Discuss the current credit landscape and outlook ahead. Cover key demographic and economic trends shaping the state and its future. ABOUT SHAWN:
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10:15 am - 11:00 am |
Exhibit Break Time |
11:10 am - 11:50 am
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"Building Resilient Succession Plans: A Competency-Based Approach" – Dawn Gehring Succession planning is more than just a list of names. It’s a strategic imperative for ensuring business continuity and supporting smooth leadership transitions. How can organizations create succession plans that are proactive, sustainable, and adaptable to both planned and unplanned departures? Join FHLBank Atlanta’s Dawn Gehring for an engaging discussion on designing a robust, competency-driven succession framework that aligns with your institution’s current and future business needs. ABOUT DAWN:
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11:50 am - 12:00 pm |
CBA Business Meeting and Announcements CBA Chair Frank Griffin and CBA CEO John McNair
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Afternoon and Evening On Your Own |
7:30 am - 8:00 am |
Breakfast (Hot) |
8:00 am - 8:05 am |
Advocacy Day Kickoff |
8:05 am - 9:00 am |
Regulatory Panel: Navigating the Evolving Landscape |
9:00 am - 9:10 am |
Stretch Break |
9:10 am - 9:40 am Rep. Demetrius Douglas
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Legislative Panel: Policy Trends & Industry Impact Join this year’s Regulatory Panel, where industry experts and policymakers explore the latest updates, challenges, and trends shaping the regulatory landscape. This session will cover key compliance issues, emerging policies, and best practices to help your bank remain agile and competitive. Gain insights, engage in discussions, and get answers to your most pressing questions, as our panelists share their expertise. Stay ahead of regulatory changes with strategies designed to ensure compliance and success. ABOUT SENATOR SUMMERS:
Following his football career, Douglas spent 15 years in the mortgage industry and became a successful real estate entrepreneur. Passionate about youth development, he has coached high school football and is currently a defensive coach at Dutchtown High School. A committed community leader and deacon at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, he has served in the Georgia House of Representatives since 2012, representing District 78. Demetrius and his wife, Veda, live in Henry County with their daughters, Destiny and Demi.
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9:40 am - 10:30 am |
Exhibit Break Time
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10:35 am – 11:30 am
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The Latest on the Political Landscape with Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson ABOUT BRIAN:
ABOUT THARON: A nationally recognized political strategist and trusted community leader, Tharon appears each week on Fox 5 Atlanta’s longest-running public affairs program, “The Georgia Gang” and on 90.1 WABE-FM’s popular “Political Breakfast” podcast, ranked among the top 40 political podcasts nationally. He is also the author of the award-winning column “Red, Blue, and You,” which can be found monthly in Georgia Trend magazine. Tharon advises elected officials at the highest levels of government. Most recently he served as a senior advisor to the Biden-Harris campaign in the battleground state of Georgia. He has served at senior levels of federal, state, and local campaigns, including for President Barack Obama, Congressman John Lewis, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Congressman John Barrow and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.
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11:30 am - 12:05 pm Paul Merski |
"Legislative Lens - Exploring Policy Through Dual Perspectives" Through candid dialogue and expert insight, they will shed light on the challenges, opportunities, and evolving priorities that impact community banking at every level of government. This platform not only highlights the intersection of state and federal advocacy but also deepens understanding of how policy decisions shape the future of local financial institutions. This session will give attendees meaningful perspective on the issues that matter most to community banks—straight from the advocates on the front lines. ABOUT PAUL:
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Afternoon On Your Own
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8:00 pm - 10:00 pm |
Advocacy Celebration / Silent Auction |
7:30 am - 8:00 am |
Breakfast (Hot) |
8:00 am - 8:05 am |
Saturday Kickoff |
8:05 am - 8:35 am |
Morning Boost with ICBA |
8:35 am - 9:35 am
Photo coming soon! Zara Perumal, Overwatch Data |
PANEL: Artificial Intelligence in Banking? Are you Ready for the Future? ABOUT KRISTINA: |
9:35 am - 9:45 am |
Stretch Break
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9:45 am - 10:45 am
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Critical Information for Community Bank Executives The position of a community bank executive is one of honor and prestige. It is also one that is not low stress or free of risk. This presentation provides valuable insight into the duties, responsibilities and considerations of a community executive in today’s environment and presents individual and corporate strategies to ensure success. ABOUT JEFFREY: Jeffrey Gerrish is Senior Chairman of the Board of Gerrish Smith Tuck Consultants, LLC and a member of the Memphis-based law firm of Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC, Attorneys. The two firms have assisted over 2,000 financial institutions in all 50 states. Jeff’s consulting and legal practice places special emphasis on strategic planning; community bank mergers and acquisitions; dealing with the regulators, particularly as related to enforcement actions; bank holding company formations; acquisition and ownership planning for directors; stock repurchase plans; regulatory and compliance issues, including fair lending, unfair and deceptive and abusive practices; capital raising; securities law; ESOPs; and other matters of importance to community financial institutions. |
10:45 am - 10:55 am |
Stretch Break |
10:55 am - 11:55 am |
Closing Session with Don Yaeger - "What Makes the Great Ones Great!" As a sportswriter and author of more than two dozen books, Don has had a front row seat with some of the greatest winners in athletics, including Walter Payton, Jimmy Connors, Michael Jordan, John Wooden, Pat Riley and Dale Brown. They are all legends in their own right, but does anyone believe the athletes mentioned above are really the GREATEST athletes of their time, physically? Remember, Jordan wasn’t even the first pick in the draft. Payton had to go to a small black college because bigger schools didn’t want to risk a scholarship on him. Each became a champion through strength and skills that had nothing to do with physical prowess. Using rich personal accounts gathered from more than twenty-five years of interviews with many of today’s sports legends and business leaders, Don has distilled Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness. Don shares some of these characteristics with audiences, in an easy, engaging style, which helps participants realize that they, too, can achieve a higher level of personal success. ABOUT DON: An award-winning keynote speaker, 11-time New York Times bestselling author, and host of the top-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast, Don Yaeger is one of America’s most compelling thought leaders. A former Sports Illustrated Associate Editor, he shares powerful lessons on achieving greatness from his firsthand experiences with legendary sports and business figures. Sought after by companies and organizations, Don coaches leaders on building a culture of greatness using insights from his extensive study of elite teams. Renowned thought leaders like John Maxwell and Simon Sinek have called him the best storyteller they’ve worked with. His expertise has earned him invitations to major talk shows, from Oprah to Good Morning America. His Corporate Competitor Podcast, launched in 2020, quickly gained recognition, ranking among Spotify’s top 5% most followed and shared podcasts worldwide. Don has interviewed top executives, including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the CEOs of Disney, Delta Airlines, and Chick-fil-A. A Hawaii native and Ball State University Hall of Fame inductee, Don now lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Jeanette, and their two children. |
11:55 am - 12:30 pm |
Closing Session |
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Afternoon On Your Own
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3:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
Tailgate Party
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6:00 pm - 6:45 pm |
Reception
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7:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
Chairman's Dinner and Installation of Officers
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8:30 pm - 9:30 pm |
Entertainment
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