Board education and training are essential best practices in the new era of community banking. Regulatory expectations and wise management demand a skill set that many directors lack. The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation (SWGSB) and the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT) have recognized this and offer the Certified Community Bank Director’s (CCBD) program, a comprehensive curriculum that addresses all areas of bank directorship—from duties and responsibilities to the foundations of bank finance. Participants will learn about corporate governance, performance metrics, the Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance, risk management, bank regulation, investment portfolio maximization, credit risk management, balance sheet management, strategic performance and interest rate risk.

The next CCBD program will be held October 21–23 at the James M. Collins Executive Education Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Accommodations will be available at The Lumen, a mid-20th-century retreat located directly across from Southern Methodist University along a tree-lined border of the Highland Park neighborhood. For reservations, call 214/219-2400 and reference the Certified Community Bank Director’s program. A complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and the CCBD program will be available on October 21 and 22.

The three-day CCBD program will offer more than a dozen informative sessions, including:

• Corporate Governance and the Role of a Board Member, S. Scott MacDonald, PhD, president and CEO of the SWGSB Foundation
• Understanding Performance Metrics, R. Jay Phillips, chairman, president and CEO of West Texas State Bank and head of the Cerfis Group Inc.
• The Director’s Role in BSA and AML Compliance, Karen M. Neeley, JD, IBAT general counsel
• Risk Management, MacDonald
• Today’s Most Important Compliance Topics, Kelly Goulart, IBAT regulatory compliance manager
• A Conversation with the Regulators, Regulatory Panel
• Understanding the Bank’s Investment Portfolio, Todd Wentz, executive vice president at TIB
• Credit Risk Management for Lingering Effects of COVID-19, Merrill J. Reynolds Jr., partner and co-founder of the Reynolds Williams Group
• Mock Board Session on Corporate Governance, MacDonald and Reynolds
• Program Announcements, Steve Scurlock, IBAT director of government relations
• The Director’s Role in Credit Risk Management, Reynolds
• Corporate Governance and the Compliance Function, Sanford M. Brown, JD, partner at Alston & Bird
• Balance Sheet Management, Blake Scharlach, senior vice president at TIB
• Strategic Performance: How Does Your Institution Measure Up?, MacDonald
• Understanding Interest Rate Risk, James J. Clarke, PhD, expert on interest rate risk, investments, bank strategic planning and board governance

To fulfill the requirements for the CCBD designation, individuals must complete all of the following:

• Attend the CCBD program level 1 or equivalent, or join the “live” Zoom feed. Once recorded, a self-paced option is available.
• For the self-paced learning option, each recorded presentation must be viewed in its entirety, from start to finish. Attendance is verified; progress is automatically recorded by SWGSB’s monitoring system. Notification will be sent upon completion of each CCBD level.
• Complete an additional 10 to 12 hours of director education and present proof of attendance within 12 months of attending the CCBD program. One Assembly for Bank Directors, level 2 of the CCBD program or a workshop for bank directors conducted by SWGSB would meet this requirement. All other courses and programs will be evaluated and accredited at the discretion of SWGSB and IBAT.
• Submit a signed code of conduct.
• To maintain the CCBD designation, individuals must attend 10 to 12 hours of continuing director education every two years and submit proof of attendance.

A formal request must be made by the individual for the CCBD designation after completing the requirements outlined above. This includes submitting proof of attendance of courses conducted by IBAT, SWGSB and other organizations.

Level 1 of the CCBD program is designed to address the most necessary skills needed by directors today. It is suitable for new as well as experienced directors looking to be certified on core director responsibilities. Level 2 has been introduced for those directors who have completed level 1 of the program (or equivalent) and are ready to drill down into additional areas the modern director needs to master. Combined, level 1 and 2 will fulfill the requirements for certification.

This certification covers not only the regulatory and fiduciary responsibilities of bank directors, but also board structures and processes. It focuses on what makes boards and directors effective, as well as what is expected of them by regulators, examiners and shareholders. Upon completion of the requirements outlined above, participants will be awarded a certificate and be allowed to use the CCBD designation. It qualifies for up to 12 hours of CPE credit.

The program fee is $945 each for the first and second directors from the same bank. A group discount rate of $895 is available for the third, fourth, etc. directors from the same bank. Click here to register for the CCBD program. To download a brochure with details, click here. Hotel information is available here.