Pub. 1 2010 Issue 1

www.wvbankers.org 20 S ince its creation, thousands of students have graduated from WVSB, better pre- pared to contribute to the managerial duties of their institutions. Many of these graduates continued their banking career, rising through the ranks to become presidents and CEOs of numerous West Virginia banks. This school is intended to provide bank personnel the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the banking industry and the economy. The freshmen class curriculum is designed to give students a basic understanding of the bank- ing process. It’s a good mix of theory taught by bankers and consultants that Rising Through the Ranks By Donna Atkinson, WVBA Director of Education For the past 62 years, West Virginia bankers have been attending the West Virginia School of Banking (WVSB), sponsored by the West Virginia Bankers Association. work with banking issues every day. They cover topics such as accounting, economics, introduction to lending, investments, capital planning, asset/ liability management, leadership and ethics in banking, net interest mar- gins, financial analysis, marketing and communication skills. The graduating seniors are given a unique opportunity to apply all they have learned the previous year. Students are divided into teams of separate banks that exist only in cyberspace. They are assigned officers, and compete against the other teams in a computer simulated banking community for deposits, loans, and market share. It’s very realistic and much like a typical market environment in any city across the state. To make the exercise interesting, the simulation leader throws variables into the mix each day, such as fluctuating interest rates, loan losses, etc. A team of quali- fied “fellows” roam the room making sure the teams are in compliance and offer assistance as needed. Regula- tors visit the school one day, adding an important component to the decision- making process. When the seniors are not meeting with their teammates, they are listen- ing to lectures given by consultants and bankers who deal with the issues on a daily basis. Some topics include risk management, presentation skills, project management, human resource management and team building and leadership development. Graduates will leave the WVSB well versed in how a bank works in the real world and better equipped to enter into up- per management. To continue efforts to offer additional education to those who have gradu- ated from the WVSB or other banking schools, we added the Lloyd P. Calvert Graduate School of Banking in 2001. The bank simulation program is more advanced and the lectures are more challenging. Topics include cash management, funding, mergers and acquisitions, advanced economics,