September/October 2026

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Deeper than data

Five Indiana bankers serving in the Federal Reserve System talk about what it means to bring true community perspective to the federal level. Hear from D. Neil Dauby, German American Bank, Jasper; Shane Pilarski, Alliance Bank, Francesville; Kristin Pruitt, Lake City Bank, Warsaw; Sydney Whitlock, NWSB, Charlestown; and Kevin Wright, STAR Bank, Fort Wayne.

AI in community banking: Building a practical governance foundation

Often, technology enters through an existing vendor platform rather than a separately identified AI initiative. That means your bank may be using substantially more AI than the board or senior management realize via software updates that add AI-assisted underwriting or customer-service features, or employees using public generative AI tools to summarize information or prepare communications.

What the DOL’s overtime rollback means for your bank

Many banks spent the second half of 2024 preparing for the Department of Labor’s overtime rule changes, reviewing employee classifications, raising salaries, revising policies or converting employees to hourly status. Then on May 14, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division formally restored the 2019 salary thresholds used for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s white-collar overtime exemptions.

National perspective

Our partners at ICBA and ABA write about the leading with a heart of service and talking about tokenization.

DIGITAL EXTRA: Heeding fraud warning signs to prevent larger losses

Fraud rarely announces itself with one obvious event. It could start with a small, unfamiliar debit card charge or an urgent wire request. Those warnings may reach different teams or even a vendor. Without holistic visibility, that separation gives fraud room to grow into a more serious attack.

Building the future of banking

Two years ago, the Indiana Bankers Association established the Financial Services Academy and set out to create a new path leading the new generation of Indiana’s banking workforce into the industry. Today, that vision is becoming a reality, with high school apprentices gaining hands-on experience at banks across the state and Indiana’s banking industry once again demonstrating its commitment to innovation and developing the next generation of talent.

Digging deeper

Other articles from this issue include:

• the IBA’s newest grassroots initiative, Take Your Lawmaker to Work Day
• Record municipal insurance: infrastructure necessity or credit warning sign?
• DIGITAL EXTRA: Using AI the right way in compliance
• two products from NFP now endorsed by the IBA: equity protection program and long-term care
• Cambridge Capital celebrates $1 billion in partner lending with Indiana community banks

Prefer the flipbook? Read the entire September/October 2026 issue of Hoosier Banker magazine by clicking below!