2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition Journal

Letter from the President & CEO Conference of State Bank Supervisors

On behalf of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, I am pleased to present the 2023 Journal of Community Bank Case Studies , which showcases the work of the top three student teams in our annual Community Bank Case Study Competition. This is the ninth year of the 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. This year we asked university students across the nation to examine how community banks are tackling very real and important issues — recruiting and retaining talent, approaching succession planning and using technology to advance operations. A team from the University of Tennessee at Martin earned first place for its submission, which one judge described as rich with insights and detail. The team will present its work at the Community Banking Research Conference in St. Louis in October. Teams from Iowa State University and Messiah University placed second and third, respectively. Their work stood out from a field of 34 student teams and three rounds of judging due to their well written and researched case studies. Our competition serves multiple purposes. It gives students the opportunity to work together as a team on an academic project and to network with community bankers. It has given us a valuable way to invest in the workforce of tomorrow. Many students from past years have cited the competition as an experience that led them to pursue a career in community banking or bank regulation. As a student in this year’s winning team told us, “I never thought of a career in banking before the competition, but hearing the executives talk about their passion of making their community better and their account holders feel their hard-earned money is safe and secure has definitely made me consider a banking job.” And the community banking industry and policy makers benefit from their research. Hundreds of student teams have partnered with community banks over the past nine years and provided fresh perspective on the challenges that community banks are faced with overcoming. This year’s students have produced impressive work, and I am pleased to share their results with you. Sincerely,

James M. Cooper President and CEO Conference of State Bank Supervisors

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