Members of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas are meeting in Frisco this week (September 16–19) for the association’s 49th Annual Convention. Frisco’s Omni PGA Resort is the destination for this year’s gathering, so plenty of golfing will be enjoyed in milder temperatures than most of Texas has experienced in months.

The four-day event will offer in-depth looks at key issues impacting the banking industry, specifically those related to community banks. General sessions featuring renowned national speakers, learning labs, regulator roundtables and banker/peer resource-sharing sessions are offered on the education front. Networking opportunities and entertainment options—including the Chairman’s Opening Party, PAC Auction/Dinner and Songwriters’ Showcase—will round out the convention schedule.

Featured speakers at the event will include Brendan McDonough, a Granite Mountain Hotshot and the subject of the film Only the Brave; David L. Cook, Ph.D., sport and performance psychology speaker, coach, author and filmmaker; Derek B. Williams, chair of the Independent Community Bankers of America; Jelena McWilliams, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.; and Charles G. Cooper, commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking.

IBAT’s always-popular Songwriters’ Showcase will feature three hit-making tunesmiths: Leslie Satcher, Marv Green and J.T. Harding. All three have written chart-topping tunes for some of the biggest stars in country music, including Willie Nelson, George Strait, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney.

Convention Speakers

Brendan McDonough’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. A heroin addict with a daughter on the way, he was facing a bleak future. But he recovered and was given a chance to change his life and serve a higher purpose as a member of an elite squad of firefighters, the Granite Mountain Hotshots. His service as a firefighter unlocked a latent drive and dedication, and McDonough—or “Donut,” as his colleagues liked to call him—went on to successfully battle a number of blazes and eventually win the confidence of the men he came to call his brothers. After surviving Arizona’s Yarnell Hill Wildfire and an unfathomable loss of 19 of his fellow firefighters in 2013, McDonough suffered from bouts of deep depression and intractable post-traumatic stress. It was the greatest loss of firefighters’ lives in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks. But the family who needed him, his faith in God and the memory of his brothers’ sacrifice inspired him to keep living through his darkest moments and pushed him to begin helping others. McDonough’s story of struggle and redemption leaves audiences uplifted, encouraging them to become their best selves and to seek out support when struggling. The story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots came to the silver screen with the release of Only the Brave in 2017. The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Taylor Kitsch and Jennifer Connelly. McDonough was portrayed by Miles Teller.

President and CEO of Century Bank & Trust in Milledgeville, Georgia, Derek B. Williams has served the community banking industry for many years, including in a number of leadership roles at ICBA. In addition to his role as chairman of the organization’s executive committee and board, he is also a member of ICBA’s federal delegate board and policy development and nominating committees. He serves on the ICBA ThinkTECH selection committee and is the executive committee liaison to the bank innovation and solutions committee and large community bank council. Williams previously sat on the FDIC community bank advisory committee for three years. Williams is chair of the Communities in Schools of Milledgeville/Baldwin County, vice chair of the Milledgeville/Baldwin County Development Authority and member of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission Council.

David L. Cook served as the “Mental Training Coach” for the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2004, which included two NBA championships. He has coached more than 100 players from the PGA, NBA (two NBA MVPs—David Robinson and Tim Duncan), NFL, MLB, Olympics and collegiate national championship ranks. His business clients have included Valero, Insperity, Exxon Mobil, Sprint, HP/Compaq, USAA and many other Fortune 500 companies. In 2006, Cook released his bestselling novel, Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia. The book was made into a movie, Seven Days in Utopia, in 2011 starring Academy Award winners Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo. Cook served as executive producer on the film and president and chairman of Utopia Films the Production Company. His latest book, greatness, is Cook’s most successful literary project to date.

Jelena McWilliams was sworn in as the 21st chair of the FDIC in 2018. At that time, she was executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary for Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to joining Fifth Third Bank, she worked for the U.S. Senate for six years, culminating in her service as chief counsel and deputy staff director for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. From 2007 to 2010, McWilliams served as an attorney at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where she drafted consumer protection regulations, reviewed and analyzed comment letters on regulatory proposals, and responded to consumer complaints. McWilliams is currently managing partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in Washington, D.C. Before entering public service, she practiced corporate and securities law in California and Washington, D.C.

Charles G. Cooper’s career in the banking industry spans almost 50 years and includes senior-level positions in both the public and private sectors. He was appointed commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking in 2008. As banking commissioner, his responsibilities include the chartering, regulation, supervision and examination of 214 Texas state-chartered banks with aggregate assets of approximately $426.6 billion. Cooper has served in various positions with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, including as chairman in 2016 and currently as chairman emeritus. In 2018, state bank supervisors appointed him as the state banking representative on the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which he concluded in 2022. He is also the state representative on the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee and is heavily involved in promoting cybersecurity efforts in the financial sector.

Songwriters’ Showcase

Best known for writing the hits “When God-Fearin’ Women Get The Blues” for Martina McBride, “Troubadour” for George Strait and the Gretchen Wilson and Merle Haggard hit “Politically Uncorrect,” Leslie Satcher’s songs have been recorded by a veritable who’s who in the music world. Her songwriting credits include cuts for Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, Blake Shelton, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Sheila E., Ariana Grande and dozens more. Satcher has received multiple BMI “Million-Air” awards recognizing a song’s one-millionth airplay and her incomparable vocals contribute to an astounding number of Grammy, CMA and ACM award-winning projects. She also performs internationally and at benefits for those less fortunate with friends Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Paul Overstreet and others.

Marv Green earned his first No. 1 hit in 1998 with “True,” recorded by George Strait. The following year he scored his second No. 1 with “Amazed,” recorded by Lonestar. It spent eight weeks in the Billboard top spot. Green was honored by BMI with its Song of the Year Award in 2000 and Songwriter of the Year in 2001. He also garnered the ACM Song of the Year for “Amazed,” as well as a Grammy nomination. Green collected his third No. 1 with “It Just Comes Natural,” recorded by George Strait, and his fourth No. 1 with the Carrie Underwood single “Wasted.” Two of Green’s songs were performed on the Nashville TV show—“Wrong Song,” featuring Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, and “Trouble Is,” featuring Panettiere. His other No. 1 songs include songs for Reba McEntire, Chris Young and Tim McGraw.

J.T. Harding was born and raised in South Detroit. While other kids were on the baseball field, he was in his basement jumping around to MTV and trying to write his own songs. He has written several chart-topping hits, including the 3-million-selling “Smile” with Uncle Kracker, “Somewhere in My Car” with Keith Urban, “Somewhere With You” and “Bar at the End of the World” for Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls,” Jake Owen’s “Alone With You” and superstar Blake Shelton’s No. 1 song “Sangria.”