Innovate 2025 | BBOK Operations Summit
Inspired by advancement in the Fintech market, Innovate 2025 will show developments that innovation and faster payments can make in the community banking environment. Ultimately, empowering you to drive your business into the future.
Register today to secure your spot for Innovate 2025!
*A registration price increase will take place on March 1, 2025, raising the fee from $125/person to $150/person.
For more details or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Daniel Hayden or Caitlyn Beneke.
Schedule:
8:00 – 8:45 a.m. | Breakfast & Registration
8:45 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Bankers Helping Bankers with Mathew Smith
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. | Break
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. | Bank Panel: The Challenges of Innovation
11:15 – 11:30 a.m. | Sparking Innovation at BBOK
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Lunch & Networking
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Instant Payment Panel
1:30 – 1:45 p.m. | Break
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. | Streamlining Operations with Hydeman & Invo Solutions
2:45 – 3:30 p.m. | Innovate and Elevate: Open Dialogue with BBOK
Bank Panel: The Challenges of Innovation Speakers
*Click an image to read each speakers’ bio.
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- Cooper is the SVP of Innovation & Corporate Management at Bank of the Plains, a $425M community bank with locations in central and southwest Kansas. Cooper oversees innovation opportunities and implementations across the bank, deposit operations, marketing, other corporate duties, and serves on the bank and holding company boards. Prior to joining Bank of the Plains, Cooper resided in Chicago as an investor in early stage companies with Bluestein Ventures, and previously was part of the New Ventures Group at the Kraft Heinz Company.
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- With over 20 years of experience in the banking industry, Heather serves as the Assistant Vice President Deposit Operations/Branch Management Officer at Denison State Bank. Beginning her career as a teller, Heather has steadily progressed through various departments, gaining extensive knowledge across the financial services spectrum. She has spearheaded numerous product implementations, enhancing the bank’s offerings and operational efficiency. Along with overseeing all of deposit operations for Denison State Bank, she is also heavily involved in the bank’s digital banking platform and fraud.
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- With 20+ years of banking experience, including over a decade of expertise in bank technology systems, Jesse has established a proven track record in implementing, managing, and supporting complex technological solutions within both publicly traded and community banks. As a Senior Vice President of Operations at Legacy Bank, Jesse oversees IT, security, deposit operations, customer contact, and treasury management teams, focusing on enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. In previous roles Jesse managed large-scale technology integrations, spearheaded data conversion projects during 18 bank acquisitions, and led multi-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that align with strategic business goals.
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- Michelle is currently the Vice President of Deposit Operations and has been with GNBank for 13 years. She manages the centralized deposit operations department for GNBank that services 14 branches in 20 locations throughout the states of Kansas and Colorado. She has successfully led the implementation of a new overdraft protection program for GNBank’s customers. The project involved cross-functional collaboration and a focus on regulatory compliance. More recently, GNBank implemented instant issue debit cards. She played a key role in developing branch procedures, training staff and streamlining processes. This initiative not only enhanced service delivery but also increased customer engagement and loyalty. Currently, she is focused on developing a comprehensive Treasury Services program. This initiative aims to enhance cash management solutions for customers, drive operational efficiencies within our branches, and expand GNBank’s service offerings to both existing and new customers.
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- Tammy has been with Dream First Bank, N.A. for 10 years. Her current position is Vice President over Operations. She has been instrumental in installing ITMs with virtual teller assistance at our branches in 2017 and 2018. They were one of the first to implement ITM’s in Kansas at that time. She has been project lead for the implementation of Zelle, Card Hub, Apple Pay, Google Pay and an online account opening project. In 2022, Dream First Bank went through a rebranding project which she lead all aspects of the core, digital products and card rebrand. She has been project lead for a Beta Project with Hyosung and their core, for core connected IBKs. They were one of two banks in the country for that project. Currently, they are working on a new Digital Platform project with greater access to FinTechs and a possible BAAS in the future. Dream First Bank is also finishing a digital card issuance project to benefit their customers when losing their debit cards or when fraud occurs.
Instant Payments Panel Speakers
*Click an image to read each speakers’ bio.
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- Dan Gonzalez is vice president and national account director for Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) heading the FRFS National Account Program and is based out of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Gonzalez’s responsibilities include collaborating and engaging with the payments industry to define and prioritize system improvements that advance payment speed, efficiency, and security. He has overall responsibility for the Federal Reserve’s Financial Services relationships with the top 27 financial institutions in the country, as well as payment networks and service providers. Gonzalez spent the last several years working closely with key industry participants on their efforts to establish faster and more efficient payment systems. He has over 30 years’ experience in payments, sales, marketing and management in the financial services industry. Gonzalez is a graduate of Siena College (Loudonville, NY) and the Federal Reserve’s Business Development University. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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- Eric Dotson, Co-founder and EVP of Sales and Marketing at Aptys Solutions, spearheads the company’s growth as a leading provider of cloud-based payment solutions to over 5,500 financial institutions. With more than 30 years of global experience, Dotson drives business development and fosters strategic client relationships, significantly boosting Aptys’ industry presence. Prior to Aptys, Dotson was VP of Sales at Goldleaf Financial Solutions, where he played a pivotal role in advancing clearing services for Image Exchange, ACH, Wire, and Fed services. His expertise in modernizing payment infrastructures spans the Caribbean and Latin America, further highlighting his influence in the industry. A graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in International Relations and minors in Business and Spanish, Dotson brings a unique blend of strategic insight and hands-on expertise to his work at Aptys, consistently advocating for enterprise-wide payment solutions for diverse financial institutions.
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- Scott Miller is a Vice President ECCHO Membership and Education at The Clearing House. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the growth and retention of financial institution members across all product lines, including Real Time Payments. Mr. Miller began his tenure at ECCHO in 2005. ECCHO was subsequently acquired by The Clearing House at the end of 2017. Throughout his tenure with ECCHO, membership increased from 40 financial institution members to nearly 3,000. Additionally, Mr. Miller supports The Clearing House and its members through advocacy efforts with many industry agencies, and with educational functions which include the National Check Professional (NCP) certification. Prior to joining The Clearing House, Mr. Miller held various sales and operational positions for the Federal Reserve System over his 22-year career there, including Senior Account Manager and Check Operations Manager.
Keynote Speaker
*Click the image to read the speaker’s bio.
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- Matthew Smith is the President of Bankers Helping Bankers and Director of Innovation Initiatives for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT). Matthew joined the BHB team in 2022, following an eighteen-year career of strategic technology implementation in community banks in Texas and Oklahoma. Matthew’s experience provides him with a deep knowledge of IT infrastructure management, vendor management, process improvement and emerging financial technology. He is comfortable in the board room and in the server room, playing an important role in strategy development and deployment. In his role, Matthew is charged with the ongoing development of Bankers Helping Bankers, an initiative to connect bankers nationwide to navigate the changing landscape of financial services technology. He also serves as the staff leader of IBAT’s emerging technology committee and is a member of the IBAT Management Team.
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