By Tim Koch, GSBC President & Michael Stevens, GSBC President-Elect
As America’s Premier Community Banking School, GSBC’s primary objective is to engage our students in timely and relevant issues facing community banks to provide them with the tools and information to tackle these challenges and help lead their organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic raised significant challenges for community banks from both economic and operational perspectives in the past year; therefore, GSBC’s electives have been expanded in 2021 to address these challenges and reveal areas of opportunity.
Specifically, the following modifications have been made to the 2021 curriculum:
‘Hard Questions Roundtable’ Elective – Second week electives now incorporate a selection of topics that focus on current/emerging issues in community banking. On Monday, students will have the choice of participating in two of the following moderated round-table discussions:
- From Responding to the Pandemic to Transforming the Workplace
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives at Community Banks
- Measuring & Managing Environmental Risk
- Cryptocurrency and the Community Bank
New Second Week Electives
- Increasing Non-Interest Income
- Banking Cannabis & Hemp Business
- Strategies for Ag Lending
- Cybersecurity & Real-World Community Banking Security
- A Strategic Approach to FinTech
‘Success in Negotiations’
- New core course for third year students during week two.
Keynote Speakers/Presentations
- Monday, July 19: Rebeca Romero-Rainey, President/CEO, Independent Community Bankers of America
- Wednesday, July 21: Community Banks & the Economy Faculty Panel
The GSBC staff, Board of Trustees and faculty members continue to design these courses to include direct takeaways students can immediately take back to their organizations. Thank you for your continued support of GSBC.