Paul W. Barret, Jr. Graduate School of Banking
Course Information
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Year 1:
Jeff Marsico, CEO The Kafaian Group
Focuses on the need for non-traditional financial services by examining margin pressure and competition from non-banks while trying to provide greater retention with current customers and faster growth opportunities. Home study assignment required.
Jimmy Sawyers: Chairman of Sawyers and Jacobs, LLC
An overview of bank technology focusing on current technology trends, online financial services, system selection methodology, and network and Internet security issues.
Richard Hamm: Advantage Consulting LLC
An introduction to the preparation and elementary analysis of financial statements, including a description of the accounting process, balance sheet and income statement preparation, and principles of small business accounting. Focus is on evaluating creditworthiness. Home study required.
Dr. Kerry Sauley: Marjorie B. Ourso Excellence in Teaching Professor at Rucks Department of Management, LSU
A detailed examination of the psychological characteristics (e.g., attitudes, personality, and motivation) that influence the way we interact with our environment, including clients, peers, employees, and supervisors. Home study required
Jay Toups: President/CEO High Performance Teams
Objectives include understanding the meaning of a “sales culture” and the factors affecting client relationships. Focuses on defining steps to developing a sales culture within a team and yourself.
Emily Mays, CAO Community Spirit Bank
An assessment of the competitive positions of your bank, and the ability to use that assessment to better position your bank for competitive advantage and increased profitability. The course is designed to be a useful problem-solving and decision-making discussion for marketing strategy and planning. Home study required.
Shaun Harms: Owner Bankers Assurance, LLC
A review of federal and state laws pertaining to consumer regulation, including Community Reinvestment Act, Truth in Lending, RESPA, Bank Secrecy Act, and Consumer Privacy.
Charlotte Anderson: Senior Consultant with Capital Performance Group
This course is designed to help you explore a series of topics that will help develop the culture needed in order to drive success within your bank. Interactive discussions on operations leadership philosophies, strategic partnering best practices (and how to make them real), together with a review of hot topics like Enterprise Risk Management and using the “voice of the customer” to drive actions will give insight into operations management overall and a “behind the scenes” look to help you understand why every business line should care about it.
Aubrey Earnheart: retired banker with over 47 years experience in credit
An overview of the basic financial requirements necessary to develop a working knowledge of the lending process for those that are not in the lending track within the bank. Home study required.
Dr. David Kern: McAdams Frierson Chair of Bank Management
An overview of monetary and fiscal policies and how they impact the economic environment affecting commercial banks. Additional focus on the theory of interest rates, how they are determined, and understanding their term structure.
Year 2
Richard Hamm: Advantage Consulting LLC
An in-depth analysis of the fundamentals of commercial real estate lending, including the major risks, important underwriting variables and how to understand key issues and differences among various property types. The concepts of sponsorship, loan monitoring, appraisals, and portfolio diversification are discussed. Home study required.
Jeff Hudson: Former Market President Memphis, First Bank
This course is designed to familiarize non-lenders with many of the problems and solutions commercial lenders face. Students will rely on their previous experience and course work in order to present and understand difficult commercial credit situations.
Dr. Kerry Sauley: Marjorie B. Ourso Excellence in Teaching Professor at Rucks Department of Management, LSU
This course is designed to familiarize non-lenders with many of the problems and solutions commercial lenders face. Students will rely on their previous experience and course work in order to present and understand difficult commercial credit situations.
Jackie Etz and Ricky Brillard: Vining Sparks
An examination of the responsibilities of a bank’s Asset Liability Committee in the financial management of an institution. Issues to be discussed include capital management, liquidity and funding, pricing decisions, and interest rate risk management.
Dr. Stephen Lacewell: Director MSU Center for Banking and Finance, Distinguished Professor of Finance–Murray State University
A study of bank performance analysis through discussions of bank performance goals and ratios along with ratios factors and avenues for improvement. Focuses largely on using the Uniform Bank Performance Report (UBPR) and CAMEL regulatory performance ratings. Includes implementing a strategic plan to maintain or improve performance levels. Home study required.
Greyson Tuck: Attorney and Consultant–Gerrish Smith Tuck
A study of the business side of banking, including trends affecting the industry, the need to enhance shareholder value, the legal and regulatory concerns and other areas of similar importance.
Dr. David Kern: McAdams Frierson Chair of Bank Management
Macro- and micro-economic considerations that impact critical areas of the bank, including forecasting, product pricing, and understanding the importance of the economic base. Includes Federal Reserve System, monetary policy, and fiscal policy discussion. Home study required.
Travis Nauert and Kevin Smith: Vining Sparks
An overview of the investment portfolio pertaining to your bank’s financial structure. Course focuses on buying bonds, managing the overall portfolio, and reviewing policies and risk limits. Investment strategies and performance trends are also examined.
Brad Federman: CEO of PerformancePoint LLC and Member of Forbes Coaches Council
A study of areas of management and supervision of importance to banking personnel, with emphasis on employee engagement, motivation, effective communication, counseling, and problem solving. Home study required.
Brad Federman: CEO of PerformancePoint LLC and Member of Forbes Coaches Council
Emotions drive people. People drive performance. In this session you will learn how to better read the emotions of others and acknowledge your own in a manner that allows you to approach people in a more productive manner. The session promotes self-awareness, evaluating the costs and benefits to choices and reactions, and using you emotional intelligence to be more purposeful. Remember, people are hired for their IQ, but they successful because of their EQ.
Year 3
Eric Cook: Digital Strategist, WSI. Founder of The Linked Banker
A detailed examination of the current trends in bank digital marketing and social networking as it relates to branding, sales, product development, and customer service.
Michael Ehrardt and Rick Redmond: Vining Sparks
An overview introducing methods used to effectively manage the short and long-term funding needs of a financial institution, including capital planning and liquidity management strategies.
Aubrey Earnheart, retired bank executive 47+ years
Bringing both lending tracks back to the table to discuss how credit culture fits into a successful corporate culture. Now that both lenders and non-lenders are have a better understanding of the lending process and their individual roles in that process, it is important to understand, in our new paradigm, how everyone has a role in the most profitable line of business of the bank…lending.
Randy Dennis: President, DD&F Consulting Groups
An overview providing a general understanding of the major categories of risks, including credit risks, liquidity risk, market risk, operational risk, legal risk, reputational risk, and securities risks. Examples of managing financial risks are emphasized.
Mike Porten: 37+ year career in banking and Executive in Residence, Tennessee Technical University
An interactive computer bank management simulation game designed to provide experience in total bank management, including decision-making, analysis of environmental conditions, investment strategies, and group interaction.
Brad Federman: CEO of PerformancePoint LLC and Member of Forbes Coaches Council
An analysis that utilizes a self-evaluation process to develop methods of top personal performance. This course will explore the 5 components of Emotional Intelligence and their impact on the world of leadership in banking today. Stress is placed on self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, sympathy, and social skill.
Doc Bodine III: Attorney and Consultant, Gerrish Smith Tuck
An informative and entertaining discussion of the various “secrets” to managing a successful financial institution.
2024 Electives
Byron Earnheart: Programming Director, Barret School of Bankng
This elective is designed to provide students a refresher in the basic “language” of banks i.e. banking financial statements, ratios, and an ROE analysis
Emily Mays: VP/CAO, Community Spirit Bank
Financial literacy is crucial to the success of a community and who better than community bankers to take that lead. This elective will help bankers establish these types of local programs.
Alice Frazier and Pres Kennedy
Community banking is a strong force in our communities…but also in the political arenas. Bankers need to understand this relationship in order to thrive.
Examining cryptocurrency’s role in the community banking industry.
Charles Potts and Wayne Miller
It’s important to see the impacts of digital innovation in the community banking space…but also to allow our minds to dream of “what if…”.
Jeff Marsico: President The Kafafian Group
In reflecting on his career in banking, Jeff identifies 5 areas that he wishes community banks would do better.
Kyle Hershberger
Kyle’s firm does an annual employee survey across multiple community banks around the country. The results are exclusive to the community banking industry and are always sought after.
Justin Muscolino: CEO Tweezzle Corp.
No matter the situation, we are always in need of mastering those soft skills in order to communicate.
Emily Mays
Emily shares her insights into building a personal brand that will help tell you and your bank’s story in your community.
Eric Alexander
Navigating change is an enormous part of leadership and it’s important to understand that about ourselves as well as for our teams.
Eric Alexander
It’s one thing to lead a team of people, but we still have to think about how information moves through the “system”. Learn how to set up and manage the infrastructure of leadership
Ready to take your banking career to the next level?
Barret School of Banking is endorsed by:
Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)
The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for more than 6,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. Visit website
Community Banker University
Community Banker University® (powered by ICBA) is a modernized educational platform that provides community bankers with premier and industry-specific professional development and educational opportunities for all stages of their careers. Visit website
Arkansas Community Bankers
The Arkansas Community Bankers Association is committed to preserving and promoting community banks, their franchise values and the communities they serve. Visit website
Arkansas Bankers Association
The Arkansas Bankers Association will promote the banking industry, function as the government relations liaison, offer educational opportunities and promote services to its membership. Visit website
Community Bankers Association of Georgia
The mission of the CBA is to promote the preservation and continued development of locally, independently-owned community banks in Georgia and the philosophy of hometown banking through unified efforts of its membership and staff. Visit website
Indiana Bankers Association
Our mission is to advocate for and sustain an environment in which banks can succeed. Visit website
Community Bankers Association of Kansas
Collectively creating value for Kansas community banks through advocacy, education, and services for the benefit of their customers and the communities they serve. Visit website
Missouri Independent Bankers Association
The Missouri Independent Bankers Association is an organization of small and medium-sized banks, locally owned, operated and dedicated to meeting the financial needs of their communities. Visit website
Community Bankers Association of Ohio
Community Bankers Association of Ohio is organized to establish and maintain an informed network of independent community banks in the state of Ohio that will have the influence and commitment to effectively serve, protect and promote the interests of its members. Visit website
Community Bankers Association of West Virginia
Our mission is to represent the interests of banks in West Virginia. Visit website
ICBA Securities
We provide community bankers with quality investment products, services and education at competitive prices.
Visit website
Affiliated Organizations:
Christian Brothers University (CBU) www.cbu.edu
The Barret School of Banking offices are located on campus. CBU offers baccalaureate programs and specialized graduate programs. Barret School of Banking graduates are eligible for six hours of graduate credit upon admission to the MBA program at CBU.
ICBA Securities https://www.icba.org/icba-securities
ICBA Securities Corporation is a service of the ICBA Services Network®, a wholly owned subsidiary of ICBA. Through our exclusively endorsed broker Stifel we provide community bankers with quality investment products, services and education at competitive prices.
Sawyers & Jacobs LLC www.sawyersjacobs.com
.Leaders in innovation, risk management, cybersecurity, and technology, with a mission of “Making Banks Better”.
Gerrish Smith Tuck www.gerrish.com
Gerrish Smith Tuck LLC and Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC, Attorneys offer business consulting, financial advisory and legal services to community banks and thrifts nationwide.
Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck www.rbgcpa.com
Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck specializes in accounting, tax and advisory services for financial institutions.
National Registry of CPE Sponsors www.nasba.org
Barret School of Banking is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.
DD & F Consulting Group www.ddfconsulting.com
DD&F Consulting Group provides comprehensive bank consulting services to the financial services industry nationwide.
PerformancePoint, LLC https://www.performancepointllc.com/
What originated as an idea to simply provide more uniquely relevant human resources and talent management solutions has blossomed into a proven organization with a strong track record. Our emphasis is squarely on amplifying brands by leveraging culture, customer and associate relationships.
Holtmeyer & Monson www.holtandmon.com
We cover every stage involved in SBA Lending— from loan packaging and closing, to securitization and sale, through portfolio servicing.
In-Synk Consulting www.in-synk.com
We bring business leaders the clear perspective and proven tools they need to successfully align strategies, actions and goals.
Risk Management Association (RMA) – Memphis Chapter www.rmahq.org/memphis
RMA is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association, whose sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk principles in the financial services industry.
Arkansas State University – MBA Program www.astate.edu
Barret School of Banking graduates are eligible for six hours of graduate credit upon admission to the MBA program at Arkansas State.
High Performance Teams https://highperformanceteams.net/
High Performance Teams is a sales, marketing and management resource company that focuses on providing your company with management, consulting and training resources that will help you build a high performance team.
The Kafafian Group https://kafafiangroup.com/
We’re passionate about helping community financial institutions become more efficient and more profitable. We help you solve challenges and take advantage of opportunities in a rapidly changing industry and economic environment.
Social Assurance https://socialassurance.com/
Founded in 2011, Social Assurance provides the financial services industry with a suite of software solutions, services, and storytelling tools that help build Remarkable financial brands, cultures, and communities. With a mission to Empower, Ignite and Enable financial brands to be Remarkable, Social Assurance now serves over 1,500 financial brands across the country, helping them leave their mark and be the heroes of their community.