2026 SDBA LEAD STRONG: Women in Banking Conference

September 22-23, 2026 | Sioux Falls Convention Center

      

       

      

IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE GAME

Join banking professionals from across South Dakota for Lead Strong: Women in Banking 2026, an energizing event designed to inspire growth, spark new ideas, and celebrate the power of leadership at every level. This year’s theme, Change the Game, challenges us to think differently, embrace new opportunities, and redefine what’s possible—for ourselves, our organizations, and our industry.

Through dynamic speakers, meaningful conversations, and powerful networking opportunities, you’ll hear from presenters who are breaking barriers, creating impact, and leading change in banking and beyond. Whether you’re an emerging leader, a seasoned executive, or somewhere in between, you’ll leave with fresh perspectives, practical insights, and the confidence to make your next move.

Because changing the game doesn’t require a title—it starts with a decision to lead. 

LOCATION

Sioux Falls Convention Center | 1201 N. West Ave., Sioux Falls, SD
Event Hotel: Sheraton Sioux Falls & Convention Center | 1211 N. West Ave., Sioux Falls, SD | 605.331.0100
Rooms: $154 | Cut Off: 9/1/2026 | Block Name: Women in Banking
Note: Looks like our host hotel decided to embrace this year’s Change the Game theme a little early! The Sheraton is undergoing renovations, which means our room block has been reduced. If staying at the Sheraton is part of your game plan, we encourage you to book soon to secure your room.

If the Sheraton fills up, don’t worry—we’ve got plenty of great backup plans. We’ve arranged alternate lodging at the Holiday Inn Express just across the street and at the High Point Hotel nearby. No matter where you stay, you’ll be just minutes away from all the inspiration, networking, and fun that make Lead Strong: Women in Banking such a memorable experience.

Nearby Hotels:
Holiday Inn & Suites | 2040 West Russell Street, Sioux Falls | 605.331.2040
$189 | Cut off: 8/23/2026 | Block: Women in Banking

HighPoint Hotel | 1530 W 22nd Street, Sioux Falls | 605.404.4500
$149 | Cut off: 8/17/2026 | Block: SDBA Women in Banking

REGISTRATION FEES

$275 through August 22 | $285 August 23-September 8 | $295 Onsite
Cancellation: 100% refund if canceled August 28 or sooner; 75% if canceled August 29-31. No refund September 1 or later. Substitutions allowed any time.

FOR GROUPS OF 20 OR MORE: If you would like to bulk register 20 or more attendees, please email [email protected] to request the special form.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

We’ll gladly request vegetarian or gluten-free meal options for attendees who let us know by August 28th. In order to ensure availability, please submit your request to [email protected] by this deadline. While we work closely with our conference venue, menu options are ultimately determined by their catering team, and we aren’t able to accommodate every individual dietary preference or highly specialized food requirement.

If you have severe allergies, extensive dietary restrictions, or are particularly selective about what you can eat, we recommend bringing snacks or a meal that you know will meet your needs. We appreciate your understanding and will do our best to make your conference experience an enjoyable one.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 22

5:30-7:30 p.m. | Game On! Welcome Reception | Sheraton Party Deck | 1211 N. West Ave., Sioux Falls - The best way to start changing the game? Get together with other game changers. Join us on the Sheraton Party Deck for a fun-filled happy hour with networking, games, and laughter. And because you told us that adding extra travel to an already busy schedule can be a challenge, we’re bringing the party to you. Just great people, great conversations, and a great venue steps away from the event venue.

Come relax, make new connections, challenge a colleague to a game, and get energized for an inspiring Lead Strong experience. After all, every winning season starts with a strong opening night.

Wednesday, September 23

7:30-8:30 a.m. | Registration Opens + Continental Breakfast

8:30-9:00 a.m. | Welcome + Sponsor Recognition 

9:00-9:40 a.m. | UNSUBSCRIBE™: Why Letting Go is the Secret to Getting Ahead | Ginny Priem, Keynote Speaker and #1 Bestselling Author | Minneapolis, MN - Women in banking feel the expectation to do more, prove more, and hold everything together while the actual cost may go unrecognized. With competing priorities, UNSUB-SCRIBE™ gives you a proven framework and language for identifying what to stop doing and how to actually stop doing it, without torching your career in the process. Through her four-pillar Filter (BLOCK, MUTE, SWAP, MANAGE), Ginny walks you through practical tools you can implement right away to take back your time and energy so you can lead on your own terms. You’ll leave knowing what to say yes to, what to say no to, and why that difference matters more than you think.

9:40-10:20 a.m. | Winning Moves from Community Bank Leaders: Three CEOs. Three journeys. One candid conversation.
FACILITATOR: Kristina Schaefer, SVP, Associate General Counsel & Director of Government Relations Dacotah Bank | Sioux Falls, SD
PANELISTS: Pennie Lutz, President/CEO | Richland State Bank | Bruce, SD; Jodi Eich, CEO | Rivers Edge Bank | Marion, SD; Valerie Anderson, President | Farmers State Bank of Canton - Leadership isn’t defined by a title or a seat in the CEO’s office. Leadership is a choice—and everyone has the opportunity to lead from where they are. Every role in a community bank offers opportunities to influence others, drive change, and make a meaningful impact. Join three com-munity bank CEOs for an honest conversation about the leadership lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers, the people who influenced them along the way, and how leadership can be demonstrated at every level of an organization. Through candid stories and practical insights, this panel will challenge traditional assumptions about leadership, inspire new perspectives, and empower attendees to recognize and develop their own leadership potential—regardless of their position or career path.

10:20-10:40 a.m. | Break

10:40-11:20 a.m. | Strategy That Works: Bold Thinking, Smart Decisions | Cathy Nescrick, VP Workforce Excellence | American Bankers Association | Washington, DC - Strategic thinking isn’t reserved for boardrooms—it’s a mindset rooted in curiosity, clarity, and courage. In this dynamic session, we’ll explore how bold decisions are often shaped by thoughtful questions, and how confidence grows not from having all the answers, but from knowing what to ask. Through real-world insights, we’ll reframe how we view strategy, decision-making, and leadership. Bankers will leave with a renewed sense of their strategic strengths and practical tools to lead with impact.

11:20 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. | Breakout: Round 1
Option 1 - Gentle Yoga: Move, Breath, Restore | Bri Fiedler, Owner & Founder | B|Well Company | Brookings + Sioux Falls, SD - This gentle yoga session is designed for all experience levels and focuses on mindful movement, breath-work, mobility, and relaxation. Participants can expect a welcoming practice that promotes flexibility, reduces stress, and encourages a greater sense of balance and well-being. Whether you are new to yoga or a longtime practitioner, this class offers an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and leave feeling refreshed and restored.

Option 2 - Gratitude in Action: Brighten Someone's Mailbox Instead of Their Inbox | Amy Fordyce, Artist, Creative Spirit & Connector | Fordyce Foundation | Prole, IA - Think you’re not artistic? Let Amy prove you wrong! No artistic talent is required—just a willing heart and a spirit of gratitude. Together, through a simple, creative activity, we’ll explore the power of gratitude as we create, laugh, reflect, and craft meaningful thank-you notes that foster connection, brighten someone’s day in a colorful, memorable way and remind others that their impact matters.

Option 3 - Calm The Mealtime Chaos | Alesha Berning, Professional Organizer and Meal Prepper | Chaos to Calm | Brandon, SD - Tired of the daily “What’s for dinner?” scramble? In this session, Alesha Berning will share a simple, practical approach to meal planning that helps calm mealtime chaos while saving time, money, and stress. You’ll learn a step-by-step system for creating a meal plan that works in real life, along with batch cooking strategies that make future meals easier. Whether you’re cooking for two or feeding a household of ten or more, you’ll leave with practical tools to reduce food waste, stretch your grocery budget, and make mealtimes run more smoothly.

Option 4 - Communicating With Yourself | Lexie Feterl, Owner and Creative Director | FÊTE Marketing & Events | Sioux Falls, SD - We spend much of our lives communicating with others, but often neglect the most important con-versation: the one we have with ourselves. In this session, we’ll explore how reflection and simple note-taking practices can become powerful tools for processing experiences, gaining perspective, and recognizing personal growth. Through practical prompts and real-life examples, attendees will discover approachable ways to capture the moments, lessons, and victories that often get lost in the busyness of everyday life. Because personal growth doesn’t happen by accident - it happens when we intentionally make space to reflect, learn, and move forward.

12:00-12:50 p.m. | Lunch

12:50-1:30 p.m. | Breakouts: Round 2 (Repeated)

1:30-2:10 p.m. | AI In Banking: From Disruption to Competitive Advantage | Eric Cook, CEO & Chief Digital Strategist | WSI, The LinkedBanker & CommunityBanking.ai | Prudenville, MI - AI is not just another tech trend – it is reshaping how banks operate, compete, and serve customers. In this forward-thinking session, “recovering banker” Eric Cook will cut through the hype and focus on what truly matters to banking executives: how AI drives innovation, efficiency, and risk management while maintaining trust and compliance. Discover how leading banks are using AI to automate transactions, enhance fraud detection, personalize customer experiences, and transform risk assessment.

2:10-2:30 p.m. | Change the Game Through Engagement and Advocacy | Karl Adam, SDBA President & CEO | Pierre, SD - Engagement and advocacy are more than industry buzzwords—they are how real change happens. In this session, discover how getting involved, sharing your perspective, and building relationships can help shape the future of banking and your community. Whether you’re new to advocacy or already engaged, you’ll leave with practical ways to amplify your voice, make an impact, and help change the game for our industry.

2:30-2:50 p.m. | Break

2:50-3:00 p.m. | Women of Impact Awards - Changing the game starts with leaders who are willing to step forward, challenge the status quo, and create opportunities for others to succeed. The SDBA Women of Impact Award recognizes South Dakota bankers whose contributions have made a meaningful difference in their organizations, communities, and our industry. Join us as we celebrate the inspiring achievements of the 2026 Women of Impact recipients. 

3:00-3:50 p.m. | Working with Porcupines | Deadra Stanton, Midwest Speakers Bureau | Des Moines, IA - What do you get when you mix iPhones, deadlines, and five generations in the workplace? Porcupines. Everywhere. In this insightful and humorous session, Deadra—a proud child of the ’60s, mother of two, grandma of four, and a 40-year veteran of the classroom—shares practical tools for working across generational and cultural divides. With warmth and wit, she helps audiences recognize the “porcupines” we all encounter—those prickly personalities, tough conversations, and unexpected challenges—and how to navigate them with grace, empathy, and a healthy sense of humor.

3:50-4:00 p.m. | Closing Comments

ATTIRE

The suggested attire is business casual. Bring a sweater or jacket as meeting room temperatures vary. AND…Back by popular demand! TENNIES! Change the Game… and your shoes! Because CHANGING THE GAME is easier in tennies!

CAUSE

Change the Game Through Giving
As part of this year’s Lead Strong: Women in Banking conference, we’re proud to support the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, whose mission is to prevent, treat, and heal trauma. Since 1893, Children’s Home Society has been helping children and families build safer, healthier, and more resilient futures.

In the spirit of our theme, Change the Game, we invite attendees to help make a difference by bringing an item to donate. Requested items include puzzles (750 pieces or fewer), family-friendly board games, model car kits, adult coloring books and colored pencils, and decks of cards. These simple activities provide opportunities for connection, creativity, healing, and fun for the children and families they serve across the state.

A donation drop-off area will be located near the registration desk. One of our favorite traditions is watching the collection grow throughout the event as attendees come together to support a worthy cause. Join us as we change the game—not just in banking, but in the lives of South Dakota children and families.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

For questions or clarifications, please contact the SDBA at [email protected] or call 605.224.1653.