2020 Journal of Community Bank Studies

Letter from John W. Ryan President & CEO Conference of State Bank Supervisors

On behalf of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, I am pleased to present the Journal of Community Bank Case Studies, Volume V. The publication showcases the work of the top three student teams in the 2020 Community Bank Case Study Competition. This is the sixth year of the annual competition, which is open to undergraduate students in all fields of study as an opportunity to gain valuable first-hand knowledge of the banking industry. Despite a global pandemic, 37 teams representing 33 colleges and universities entered the competition and examined the impact of the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (BSA- AML) requirements on community banks. They partnered with a local bank to examine compliance challenges, associated time and costs and identify potential regulatory reforms. Our competition serves multiple purposes. Students have an educational opportunity that allows them to network with local banks. And the community banking industry and policy makers benefit from their research. These case studies will be incredibly useful contributions to the policy discussions on the impact of BSA-AML on community banks. I am grateful to these students for persevering in a challenging year. And I am very pleased to present their papers in this Journal of Community Bank Case Studies.

Sincerely, John W. Ryan

President and CEO Conference of State Bank Supervisors

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