Contents ©2026 West Virginia Bankers Association (WVBA) | MBR Connect™, formerly The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. West Virginia 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 WVBA, 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. West Virginia Banker is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of WVBA. 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 (801) 676-9722. 8 12 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 4 Banker Cooperation Is Critical To Bank Success By Mark Mangano, President & CEO, WVBankers 6 Legislative Wins for West Virginia’s Banks By Bryce Himelrick, Government Affairs Strategist, WVBankers 8 Impact of Movement of State-Licensed Medical Marijuana to Schedule III By Jordan C. Maddy, Esq., Associate Attorney, and Amy J. Tawney, Esq., Partner, Bowles Rice 10 Three Questions Banks Should Ask About Moving Deposits Off Balance Sheet A Strategic Decision — Not a Reaction By H.D. Barkett, Senior Managing Director, IntraFi® 12 FASB Makes Refinements to CECL for Purchased Loans By Kelly L. Shafer, CPA, Member, Suttle & Stalnaker LLC 14 Why Branding Expertise Matters in the Age of AI By Steve Labecki, Director of Brand Development, Altitude 18 Bankers’ Top 5 Strategic Priorities for 2026 By Tara Schultz, Senior Vice President of Strategic Insights and Industry Relations, CSI 21 Driving Growth in a Digital-First Era Data Should Be the True North Star Guiding Your Decisions To Drive Better Results By Preston Afrank, Senior Executive Vice President, Haberfeld 2 WEST VIRGINIA BANKER
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