©2026 Virginia Association of Community Banks (VACB) | MBR Connect, formerly The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. The Community Banker is published four times per year and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of VACB, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. The Community Banker is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of VACB. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (855) 747-4003. 6 14 CONTENTS 4 CHAIR’S MESSAGE The Integrity of the Machine Why Community Banking Remains a Human Equation By Lisa E. Kilgour, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, MainStreet Bank 5 VACB Preferred Vendor Providers 6 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Can You Spare 30 Minutes for the Future of Community Banking? By Corey Connors, President & CEO, VACB 8 Culture Built Your Bank — Now It Has to Transform It By Tricia Rhodes, Chief People Officer, SingleStone Consulting 10 Jonathan Swift on Community Banking By Jim Reber, President and CEO, ICBA Securities 14 Value-Based Selling in Financial Services What Top Performers Do By Tony Cole, Co-Founder, Anthony Cole Training Group 18 2026 Industry Outlook Community Bankers’ Top Challenges, Investments and Opportunities By Jason Young, Vice President of Product Management, CSI 20 The Power of Healthy Dissent in Leadership By Lindsay E. LaNore, Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Learning & Experience Officer, ICBA 22 Why Mentorship Matters in Banking’s Next Chapter VACB Executive Committee CHAIR Lisa E. Kilgour MainStreet Bank Fairfax VICE CHAIR Dabney T.P. Gilliam Jr. Bank of Charlotte Co. Phenix PAST CHAIR Tara Y. Harrison Virginia National Bank Charlottesville TREASURER LeAnne R. Emert Benchmark Community Bank Kenbridge SECRETARY James E. Hendricks Jr. TowneBank Midlothian ICBA STATE DELEGATE Blake M. Edwards Jr. Skyline National Bank Independence PRESIDENT & CEO Corey J. Connors VACB Richmond VACB Board of Directors Cetric A. Gayles Citizens Bank & Trust Blackstone Aaron Green Pendleton Community Bank Harrisonburg Robert J. Hobbs CornerStone Bank Lexington Paul M. Mylum National Bank Blacksburg Thomas L. Rasey Jr. The Farmers Bank of Appomattox Appomattox Mark N. Reed Pioneer Bank Stanley Matthew H. Steilberg C&F Bank Toano VACB Staff Katharine C. Garner, CMP Vice President Education & Communications Kelli C. Mallinger Member Services Administrator 3 The Community Banker
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