Mergers, de novo formations, and regulatory modernization are reshaping how community banks plan for the future.

In this episode, host Kyle Thomas moderates a panel featuring Leslie Andersen of i3 Bank, Ilaria Rawlins of Fortuna Bank, David Coxon of Georgia Banking Company, and Randall Guynn of the Federal Reserve Board. Together, they share perspectives from across the banking landscape on what it takes to buy, sell, create, or redefine in today’s market. 

The conversation explores how supervision, technology, and market conditions influence each path, and what community institutions need from regulators as they chart their next moves. Drawing on insights from both practitioners and policy leaders, the panel highlights how collaboration and clarity can strengthen and adapt a banking system.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How market conditions influence bank growth and strategic direction
2. What recent regulatory experiences reveal about efficiency and oversight
3. Where innovation and supervision can align to strengthen community banking

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:49) How panelists chose their paths to buy, sell, or create

(05:14) What redefining a century-old community bank looks like

(06:44) Building a women-owned de novo bank in a competitive market

(08:07) What regulators can learn from mergers and acquisitions

(14:16) Launching a new bank after SVB and Signature failures

(18:54) Why M&A approvals take too long for community banks

(24:26) Redefining a century-old bank for modern customers and growth

(31:50) Technology barriers every new and growing bank must overcome

(36:55) Can AI and new cores transform small bank operations?

(41:28) How to streamline regulation without sacrificing safety and trust

(45:00) Why regulators and banks need shared sandboxes for innovation

(51:34) Lessons every banker can learn from innovation and change

Uncertainty in the economy, deposit insurance reform, and the future of community banking are top of mind for policymakers.

In this episode, CSBS Chief Economist Tom Siems and Vice President of Policy Nathan Ross join host Kyle Thomas to unpack findings from the 2025 CSBS Annual Survey of Community Banks. They discuss how net interest margins and core deposit growth have emerged as pressing concerns, why inflation continues to shape costs across the industry, and how fraud and cybersecurity challenges are demanding new responses. The conversation also explores where community bankers stand on deposit insurance reform and what potential changes in coverage could mean for local institutions. With perspectives from both economics and policy, Siems and Ross outline how the survey informs decisions in Washington and across the states.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How community bankers are navigating margin pressures and funding challenges
2. What survey results reveal about inflation, fraud, and cybersecurity risks
3. Why is deposit insurance reform gaining momentum in policy discussions

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:28) Why the annual survey matters to community banks

(05:55) Uncertainty shaping bankers' outlooks on the economy and regulation

(08:10) Net interest margins emerge as the top concern

(09:07) Core deposit growth challenges after SVB and Signature failures

(13:53) How inflation pressures affect deposits, costs, and operations

(17:17) Cybersecurity and technology risks are straining smaller institutions

(25:16) What bankers want from deposit insurance reform

Everyone talks about the economy. Few understand how it’s actually kept stable.

For over a century, state financial regulation has been a cornerstone of America’s economic resilience. But in a time of rapid technological change and evolving market dynamics, how do we balance innovation with stability? State of the System is your front-row seat to that conversation.

Hosted by Kyle Thomas, this show brings together regulators, policymakers, and financial leaders to unpack what’s happening behind the headlines, and why it matters. From fintech to supervision, from community banking to consumer protection, we explore the unique power of the state-based regulatory system in shaping a more resilient and dynamic financial future.

Welcome to State of the System. Where insight meets impact.