North Dakota Bankers
Extraordinary Leadership for North Dakota Banks

NDBA E-News

Loan Documentation and Loan Enforcement Seminars

There’s still time to register for NDBA’s Loan Documentation and Loan Enforcement Seminars.

Two Dates and Locations
May 20 – Holiday Inn, Fargo
May 21 – Radisson Hotel, Bismarck
Group discounts available!

Program Highlights

  • Loan Agreements and Promissory notes
  • Mortgages
  • Security agreements
  • Guaranties
  • Financing Statements
  • Subordination and intercreditor agreements
  • Assignments
  • Workout agreements
  • North Dakota legal remedies

Click here for details and to register.


 

Creating a Welcoming, Winning World-class Workplace Webinar

NDBA is proud to partner with Massachusetts Bankers Association to offer this upcoming webinar.

Date: June 4
Time: 9:00-10:00 am CT
Member Price: $285 (Use Code: CWWW25)
Via Zoom
(A recording will be available for 7 days for individuals registered but not attending live.)
 
To register:
Register Here  Use Code: CWWW25
 
About the Webinar
As executive orders and legal challenges reshape the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) landscape, companies are adapting their strategies to remain compliant while maintaining inclusive workplaces. How can organizations integrate DEI principles into broader business operations, ensure employee engagement, and evolve terminology to create a "Welcoming, Winning, World-Class Workplace"?

About the Presenter
Dr. Shirley Davis of SPS Global is an expert in workforce trends and inclusive leadership.

What You Will Learn
  • Navigating Regulatory and Legal Risks - Understanding executive orders, corporate misconceptions, and the legal landscape, as well as guidance from 16 state attorneys general, including those led by Massachusetts AG Andrea Joy Campbell.  
  • Corporate Adaptation Strategies - How companies are renaming DEI programs, integrating inclusion into broader business operations, and maintaining employee engagement.
  • Business Case for Inclusion - Why DEI (even under different names) remains a competitive advantage and the risks of eliminating efforts, including consumer backlash and stakeholder lawsuits.
  • Real-World Examples - How leading organizations are evolving their DEI strategies in response to legal and operational challenges.
  • Interactive Discussion and Polls: Share how your organization is adapting. 
  • Actionable Takeaways: Discover how to integrate inclusion into your business strategy while ensuring compliance and fostering employee engagement.
  • Participate in this critical discussion on evolving workplace inclusion! 
Who Should Attend?
Financial Services Executives, Diversity Officers and Council Members, Human Resource Managers, and anyone responsible for creating a winning workplace culture.
 

   

Have You Registered Yet?

[click here] for the Convention website
[click here] for PDF Convention information and forms


2025 Quad States Convention
June 8-10

Event Location: The Monument, Rapid City SD

Big Ideas + Bold Bankers = The Big Bank Theory!
 
Don’t forget to register for The Big Bank Theory Quad States Convention, happening June 8-10 in Rapid City, SD. We'll be mixing science, strategy, and just the right amount of fun at this year's gathering!
 
🚀 From thought-provoking sessions to electrifying networking opportunities, this is one experiment you won’t want to miss. So before the tax day dust settles, take a moment to sign up and secure your place in the lab—we mean, the convention!

Speaker Lineup:
  • Mike Oster  |  Brigadier General USA, retired - Rapid City SD
  • Lauren Henderson  |  | Stifel - Chigago IL
  • Rob Nichols  |  American Bankers Associaiton - Washington DC
  • Dr. Melissa Furman  |  Career Potential, LLC - August GA
  • Dave Defazio  |  StrategyCorps - Brentwood TN
  • Jack Stahlmann  |  Don't Flinch, LLC - St. Paul MN
 

  

NDBA to host Effective Leadership Seminar this Fall

[click here] to register online
[click here] for PDF registration form to save & send


September 30 - October 1, 2025
Event Location: Holiday Inn, Bismarck ND

Leaders need practical tools that work. Effective Leadership trains leaders how to utilize the most effective leadership style in any given situation using the four leadership styles:
Directing | Coaching | Supporting | Delegating

About the Program

Individuals in leadership roles who want to increase their effectiveness – executives, managers at all levels, project managers, team leaders and supervisors – will reap many benefits from this presentation by Mark Stenson. This new generation of leadership training emerged from research and feedback from thousands of managers, and has been proven and tested in the real world.

About Presenter Mark Stenson
 
Mark Stenson is the president of Stenson Management Consulting. Mark has 37 years of experience in the financial services industry and consults with 17 community banks across the country in areas of performance-based compensation, strategic planning and management development. In addition, he speaks at numerous conferences, conventions and schools. Mark is the former President & CEO of First American Trust Company in western Minnesota.
 

SBS Institute Offers Webinar in May

Plan, Test, Conquer: How Testing Your BCP and IRP Can Save Your Business

In today's fast-paced and unpredictable business environment, the ability to quickly recover from disruptions is crucial. Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into the critical importance of regularly testing your Business Resilience Plans, including your Business Continuity Plan (BCP), Disaster Recovery Plan, Pandemic Preparedness Plan, and Incident Response Plan (IRP).

When: May 21, 2025- 2:00 PM CST | 1.5 CPE
Cost: $249 ($199 for SBS Institute Members)
Register: Click Here

This presentation will cover the following regulatory guidance:
  • What is Business Resilience Planning?
  • The Importance of Testing
  • Types of Tests to Perform
  • Testing Measurement and Reporting

Working to Keep You Informed!
Learn To Live Mental Health Program

Access to this benefit is provided to the NDBBT by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Access code is BLUEND.

May Webinars

  • Let Your Values Be Your Compass: What guides your decisions when you’re lost, confused, or simply not at your best? Join us for this special kickoff of Mental Health Month with Dr. Russ Morfitt who will share how our deepest values can serve as our true north to keep us moving toward our most important goals – even when the path ahead isn’t clear.

    Friday, May 2nd: 11-11:30am CST/12-12:30pm EST
     
  • Habits: Building the Good, Breaking the Bad: We live much of our lives without even thinking. Exciting new findings show that we can build new healthy habits and break old ones with less effort to improve our lives. Join The Learn to Live Clinical Team to learn how to take your next big step toward a better life.

    Thursday, May 8th: 12-12:30pm CST/1-1:30pm EST
     
  • What is Anxiety and What Can I Do About It?: Do worried thoughts command all your attention and steal your joy? Or does your body tell you that you’re troubled with an upset stomach, trembling hands, and sweat on your forehead? Even when they seem like they’re coming out of nowhere, these can be symptoms of anxiety. The Learn to Live Clinical Team will help you better understand anxiety and introduce you to evidence based strategies that can help improve your well-being.

    Friday, May 9th: 10:30-11am CST/11:30am-12pm EST
     
  • Getting Unstuck: The Science of Moving Forward: Do you often feel stuck or powerless in times of uncertainty? In this webinar, the Learn to Live team will help you assess your own challenges and share powerful strategies to help you thrive despite the unknown. You will learn practical ways to restore your wellbeing through specific actions and an intentional approach to difficult thoughts and emotions. 

    Tuesday, May 13th: 2:30-3pm CST/3:30-4pm EST
     
  • Don’t Let ANTs Ruin Your Lunch: In this 15-minute webinar we’ll share about ANTs (Automatic Negative Thinking Traps). They are so common yet often go unnoticed as they trick us into worrying and create unnecessary stress in our days. You’ll learn a research-based strategy that can help you stop ANTs from ruining your days. 

    Friday, May 16th: 11:30-11:45am CST/12:30-12:45pm EST
     
  • Thriving Through Transition: Simple Menopause Strategies: For many women, menopause is considered a loss. Bodily sensations such as hot flashes and mood swings can be overwhelming and embarrassing. And for some women, there is a sense of sadness as their reproductive capacities come to an end. In this 15-minute webinar, we will share research-supported steps to thrive through this transition in life.  

    Wednesday, May 21st: 12-12:15pm CST/1-1:15pm EST
 

OTHER BANKING NEWS

_____________
 

FCC Proposes Call Authentication Requirement for Non-IP Networks

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to advance a proposal to create a new call authentication requirement designed to limit criminal access to the U.S. calling network.
 
Current FCC rules require voice service providers to implement the “STIR/SHAKEN” call authentication framework, which requires calls to be signed at origination and attested through the call pathway until the call reaches the recipient. STIR/SHAKEN works only over IP networks, and not over non-IP networks. The proposed rulemaking issued today would require voice service providers that use a non-IP network – that is, a legacy time division multiplexing network – to implement a caller ID authentication framework for that non-IP network within two years.
 
In a statement, Paul Benda, EVP for risk, fraud and cybersecurity at ABA, applauded the FCC vote, calling it an important step forward in the fight against fraud.  “Voice calls that impersonate banks and other legitimate businesses harm consumers and undermine those businesses’ ability to communicate with their customers,” Benda said. “While the FCC has made strides to limit criminal access to the nation’s calling network, bad actors have exploited this gap in our caller ID authentication framework to commit consumer fraud.”
 
To read more, visit: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-411101A1.pdf
 

Commercial Banks’ Farm Lending Strong into Q1

A recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City says farm lending activity at commercial banks continued to be strong into the first quarter of 2025, while the pace of growth eased slightly.
 
According to the Kansas City Fed’s Survey of Terms of Lending to Farmers, the volume of farm operating loans increased sharply from a year ago alongside an increase in the number of large loans. Demand for non-real estate agricultural loans has grown over the past year alongside elevated production expenses and a contraction in farm-sector liquidity, Fed economists reported. The growth was recorded during the survey period in early February, ahead of recent distribution of assistance payments from the American Relief Act, which could potentially improve liquidity for some producers, the report said. Economists with the Kansas City Fed cautioned that crop prices are likely to continue weighing on financial conditions in the sector and could keep demand for financing elevated.
 
The volume of new non-real estate farm loan activity at commercial banks increased about 4% from a year ago. Loans for miscellaneous purposes “remained subdued,” while the volume of loans for key types of farm debt increased considerably more, according to the survey. The increase is largely attributed to loans for operating expenses, which grew by more than 30% for the third consecutive quarter.
 
The share of new loans larger than $500,000 increased sharply for the second consecutive year, rising to about 3.5% in the first quarter. Interest rates on most types of agricultural loans declined slightly. The average rate charged on non-real estate farm loans dropped on average, by about 30 basis points from the previous quarter. Average rates were around 80 basis points lower than this time last year, but remained above the average of recent decades, according to survey findings.
 
To read more, visit: https://www.kansascityfed.org/agriculture/agfinance-updates/farm-lending-increases-alongside-larger-operating-loans/
 

SBA Reinstates Stronger Underwriting Requirements for 7(a) Loans
The Small Business Administration has reinstated stronger underwriting requirements for 7(a) loans through the issuance of a Standard Operating Procedure document.
 
The 7(a) program is a loan guarantee program designed to encourage lenders to provide loans to small businesses that might not otherwise have access to financing. Under the previous administration, SBA loosened underwriting requirements through a 2023 final rule that many have attributed to the recent rise in default rates for 7(a) loans.
 
The SOP also reinstated the franchise directory — a resource that assisted 7(a) lenders with determining the eligibility of a franchisee for a 7(a) loan before it was discontinued in 2023. In addition, the SOP restored a requirement that small business borrowers provide a 10% equity injection when the borrower is a startup or when the borrower is purchasing an existing business.
 
To read more, visit: https://colemanreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SOP-50-10-8-effective-6.1.2025-Final.pdf
 


 


Upcoming Events

 
 
Loan Documentation and
Loan Enforcement Seminars
  May 20, 2025 | Holiday Inn, Fargo
May 21, 2025  |  Radisson Hotel, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Dakota School of Banking   June 1-6, 2025 | Univerity of Jamestown
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Quad-States Convention   June 8-10, 2025 | Rapid City, SD
[CLICK HERE] for more information

National School for
Experienced Bankers
  June 23-26, 2025 | Spearfish, SD
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Fraud Academy   August 12-14, 2025
Virtual and In-person | Lexington KY
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Regional Member Meetings   September 8-11, 2025
Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck and Minot
Information to come

Effective Leadership Seminar   Sep 30-Oct 1, 2025 | Holiday Inn, Bismarck
[CLICK HERE] for more information

Ag Credit Conference   October 2-3, 2025
Radisson Hotel, Bismarck
Information to come

NDBA Peer Group Consortium   October 20-21, 2025
ND Heritage Center & National Energy Center of Excellence
[CLICK HERE] for more information on NDBA Peer Groups
     
 


 


Cyber Showcase: Network Security Match Game

Date: May 8
Time: 2:30 - 3:30 PM CT
Cost: Free

Not all network security tests are created equal — and not every organization needs the same approach. In this interactive webinar, host Bret Rock and SBS network security team members will play a match game, pairing different types of testing with the size, complexity, and maturity of the organizations that benefit from them most.

Save your spot! | click here

Cyber Showcase is a free monthly webinar series from SBS Cybersecurity that aims to translate complex information and cyber security topics into plain English. Mixing education and sales information, these webinars highlight existing SBS services and provide a platform to roll out exciting new offerings.
 


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