The association’s primary focus for 2026 is to enhance member engagement. We believe that increased member engagement improves the association’s ability to understand and respond to member needs and provides greater opportunities for interested bank leaders to participate in guiding association priorities and advancing our industry.

There are two major components to member engagement. The first component relates to the association’s activities to communicate with its members. We currently reach our members through electronic channels, West Virginia Banker magazine, annual convention, banker legislative day, educational programming, banking school and personal outreach.

The second component relates to creating meaningful and rewarding opportunities for interested bank leaders to participate in guiding association priorities and governance. Bank leaders currently participate by serving on the board of directors and board committees. In addition, bankers provide oversight for the West Virginia Bankers PAC, Banking School, Proserv and committees related to legislative strategy, investment and audit. We also periodically form workgroups to address specific industry issues.

The association’s member engagement activities are already robust. However, we recognize that improvement would benefit our members and the industry. Increasing in-person outreach and conversation will help us better understand and respond to changing member needs and ensure that members are informed on how to use association membership to their best advantage. Increasing association governance opportunities for interested bank leaders allows them greater opportunities to become better informed about industry trends, expand peer networks and serve the West Virginia banking community.

Enhancing membership engagement requires changing how the association is staffed and managed. We are fortunate to have talented professional staff committed to pursuing innovations to better serve our members. We began those innovations in 2025, and we will continue their development in 2026.

In 2025, the association engaged in four significant organizational improvements to increase efficiency and free resources to increase and enhance member engagement activities. First, the association substantially outsourced and automated many accounting and administration functions. Second, we added our political strategist, Bryce Himelrick. Third, we developed plans to better utilize the exceptional abilities of our education director, Amanda Cunningham, and our communications and convention director, Allison Boyd. Fourth, we began recruiting for a new staff member to support communication and event planning activities to free up Amanda, Allison and Bryce to focus more time on strategy, innovation and member engagement.

Amanda, Allison and Bryce will be assuming expanded responsibilities. Amanda will be responsible for all professional development activities. Allison will be responsible for membership development, including associate members and endorsed partners. Bryce will be responsible for political engagement activities that include PAC, legislative affairs and banker political participation.

This year, we will continue to reorganize our time and resources to increase personal outreach from Amanda, Allison, Bryce and me. We look forward to expanding and deepening our relationships with member bankers.

We will also organize three new committees to provide oversight for Amanda, Allison and Bryce as they develop their areas of responsibility. We are committed to making service on the new oversight committees meaningful and rewarding.

We will be working hard to implement our member engagement enhancement strategies while continuing to provide excellent service on our existing services and programs. We will keep you informed as the changes develop.

If you have an interest in serving on an association committee, please let me know. I would be delighted to explore opportunities for you to lend your expertise to improve our association and our industry.