The fall sessions for Sheshunoff’s CEO and Senior Lending Officer Affiliation Programs have featured interactive, collaborative discussions on the current issues that are top of mind for community bankers today. As one would expect, members have been eager to learn from the experiences of their fellow bankers with regard to COVID-related issues, including PPP lending and forgiveness, as well as the strategies used for managing bank employees who have been working from home during the pandemic. Several members, especially those in rural markets, have shared that having the option for certain positions to work from home (or anywhere) has expanded their ability to hire new, diverse talent from other regions. While all agreed that the sudden shift to remote work earlier in the year was very difficult, having the capacity to expand their reach for recruiting quality employees will have an extremely positive impact long-term.
During the meetings, industry experts have also guided conversations with attendees on multiple trending topics, such as the latest technology innovations, capital markets, balance sheet optimization, and preparing the next generation of bankers to successfully navigate their organizations through the challenges of the current and future credit environment. Each meeting has also featured economist Dr. Ed Seifried providing his insights on the current COVID-induced recession and predictions about what lies ahead for the US economy. To keep up with the latest updates on current and future Affiliation Program meetings, visit us at https://affiliation.smslp.com/.
