President’s Column WHAT WE HEARD DURING VACB’S 2025 SPRING ROUNDTABLES COREY CONNORS President & CEO, VACB This spring, VACB hit the road to hear directly from our members. Hosting six regional Banker Roundtables across the Commonwealth, VACB staff and volunteer leaders engaged with more than 50 community bankers across different functions at member banks in open dialogue about the challenges and opportunities they encounter in their day-to-day work. While the opportunity to network and share ideas was welcomed, the purpose behind hosting these Roundtables was clear: VACB hoped to solicit ideas to continue strengthening the organization’s value proposition. Indeed, the feedback gathered will directly inform the VACB Board’s alignment planning process this August, helping to ensure that the Association’s focus reflects the stated needs of its members. FAMILIAR CHALLENGES, NEW URGENCY Many of the issues raised in these Roundtables were not new, but the sense of urgency surrounding them has grown. Workforce challenges remain top of mind for nearly every institution, particularly in rural areas. Banks cited difficulty attracting and retaining staff, with specific challenges at the entry and middle management levels. Attendees emphasized the need to invest in employee engagement, mentoring, and training to 6 The CommunityBanker
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