LEAD Conference
Build the Skills to Lead What's Next.
October 7-8, 2026
The Park Event Center | Waite Park, Minnesota
Registration is open for the 2026 LEAD Conference.
Register for LEADThe LEAD Conference brings together emerging community bank professionals for two days of leadership development, industry education, and connection. Broaden your perspective, strengthen your leadership skills, and develop relationships with peers who are building their careers alongside you.
Grow as a Leader
You don't need to wait for a certain title to start becoming a stronger leader.
BankIn Minnesota's LEAD Conference – Leadership, Education, and Development – is designed for community bank professionals who want to keep learning, take on new challenges, and make a greater impact at their bank.
Through practical leadership development, exposure to perspectives beyond your current role, and opportunities to learn alongside peers from across Minnesota, LEAD helps prepare you for greater responsibility while building skills you can put to work right away.
Who Should Attend?
LEAD is designed for rising talent, emerging managers, and community bank professionals who are ready to grow.
Consider LEAD for employees who demonstrate initiative, want to better understand the bank and industry, or are beginning to take on greater responsibility. Attendees don't need to hold a management title – just an interest in learning, growing, and making a greater impact at their bank.
What You'll Gain
Lead with Confidence
Strengthen the communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills that support effective leadership.
Broaden Your Perspective
Gain a better understanding of community banking and how different roles, priorities, and challenges come together across the bank.
Build Your Network
Connect with peers from community banks across Minnesota who are building their careers and taking on new challenges alongside you.
Bring It Back to Your Bank
Leave with practical tools, new ideas, and stronger connections you can put to work right away.
2026 Program
LEAD combines leadership development with community banking education, peer discussion, and opportunities to connect with bankers and industry professionals from across Minnesota.
Wednesday, October 7
Thursday, October 8
2026 Session Details
Explore the keynote, panel, and breakout sessions planned for the 2026 LEAD Conference.
Keynote Sessions
Beyond High Performance: What Great Leaders Do That Good Ones Don’t
Austin Walker
Wednesday, October 7
10:20-11:40 a.m.
Explore how you can expand what you believe is possible, identify where you want to go, and build the mindset and momentum to move beyond high performance.
Reset Your Algorithm: Building Habits for Better Well-Being
Jen Holper, HealthPartners
Wednesday, October 7
2:50-4 p.m.
Explore how stress affects your energy, performance, and mental well-being, and learn practical strategies for building resilience and sustainable self-care habits.
Don’t Act Like a Leader. Be a Leader.
Larry Williams, ExecutiveSense Consulting
Thursday, October 8
9-10:15 a.m.
Consider authenticity, vulnerability, and service as qualities of effective leadership, and explore practical ways to lead with greater purpose and impact.
Panel Discussion
Leading in the Middle: Developing People, Strengthening Teams & Building Future Leaders
Thursday, October 8 | 11:25 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Panelists
Haleigh Carr, Peoples State Bank
Stephanie Von Ruden, F&M State Bank of New York Mills
Miles Patton, Winthrop & Weinstine
Taylor Johnson, Star Bank
Ali Bouta, Bravera Bank
Moderator
Jake Jenniges, Integrity Bank Plus
A candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities of middle management — from staffing, accountability, communication, and culture to developing employees, identifying future leaders, and building a strong succession pipeline.
Breakout Sessions
Choose from sessions covering timely issues and practical strategies for community bankers. Select a session below for additional details.
The Art of Branding: Mastering the Storytelling Narrative
Kathrynn Cavanaugh, Kameo
Every strong brand has a story — but not every organization knows how to tell it well. This discussion is designed to help professionals uncover their authentic brand story and learn how to bring it to life in a way that connects, inspires, and builds trust.
You'll explore how storytelling shapes perception, drives engagement, and differentiates brands in crowded markets. Through practical examples and hands-on exercises, we’ll cover how to translate values, purpose, and culture into stories that resonate across teams and customer touchpoints.
The Regulation E Playbook: Dispute Resolution Strategies That Protect Banks and Customers
Kristen Larson, Winthrop & Weinstine
Regulation E disputes present significant compliance, operational, and customer service challenges for banks. This fast-paced session provides a practical overview of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E requirements governing consumer dispute investigations and resolution.
You'll learn key regulatory expectations related to investigations, response timelines, documentation, provisional credit, and customer communications. The session will also highlight the importance of account agreements, disclosures, and internal procedures in supporting compliant and consistent dispute resolution outcomes.
Leave with actionable strategies to strengthen your dispute management processes, reduce regulatory risk, and balance compliance obligations with a positive customer experience.
The New Fed Roster, and the Bond Market’s Expectations
The Baker Group
New Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh has the financial markets paying close attention as they attempt to decipher the near-term strategy for monetary policy. Lurking over the conversation is the size and the direction of inflation, and our national debt.
We will describe the makeup of the Federal Reserve Board and review what we have learned about the new Chair’s policies and practices. We will also discuss market-based expectations for interest rates and community bank profitability.
Fraud Watch – Emerging Threats
Reese Orman, CPA & Manager, and Megan Peterson, CLA
Fraud is changing rapidly, fueled by advances in technology, artificial intelligence, and increasingly sophisticated scams targeting both banks and their customers.
This session will explore the latest fraud trends impacting community banks and provide practical insights into recognizing warning signs, strengthening prevention efforts, and enhancing customer and employee awareness. You'll leave with actionable strategies to help protect your institution, customers, and communities from emerging fraud threats.
Navigating Compliance: Today’s Hot Topics & Regulatory Trends
Carrie Helmle, United Bankers’ Bank
Join us for a high-level overview of current compliance hot topics impacting financial institutions. The presentation will touch on key areas such as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs), Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), and other timely regulatory and compliance topics.
This session is designed to provide a brief look at areas receiving attention across the industry and help you stay informed about the evolving compliance landscape.
The Problematic Employee — Employee Performance Management
Andrew Johnson, Wagner, Falconer, & Judd, Ltd
Join us as we discuss why documentation matters and the risks employers face with poor documentation. We will discuss best practices on how to discipline and terminate employees.
Connect Beyond the Sessions
Some of the most valuable conversations at LEAD happen between sessions. You'll have time throughout the conference to meet community bankers from across Minnesota, exchange ideas, learn from one another's experiences, and build relationships that continue after the conference ends.
Hotel Accommodations
The LEAD room block at the Hilton Garden Inn St. Cloud is sold out.
Additional rooms may be available at the Residence Inn St. Cloud. Check current availability and rates directly with the hotel.
Check Residence Inn AvailabilityWith Support From:
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Amplio Economic Development Corporation • Edge One • Graduate School of Banking at Colorado • Ironcore, Inc. • Kameo Marketing LLC • Loffler • Teslar Software
Help Shape LEAD
The LEAD Conference Committee brings community bankers together to identify relevant topics, shape the attendee experience, and bring fresh ideas to future conferences. Interested in helping shape what's next? We'd like to hear from you.
Invest in What's Next
Strong community banks need people who are prepared to keep learning, take on new challenges, and lead with confidence.
Invest in your development – or the development of someone on your team – with two days dedicated to building skills, expanding perspectives, and strengthening connections across Minnesota's community banking industry.
Register for LEAD