Federal Reserve/Conference of State Bank Supervisors/FDIC presents the

2026 Community Banking Research Conference

Taking place Oct. 6-7, the research conference will bring together community bankers, academics, policymakers and bank regulators to discuss the latest research on community banking.

Community Banking Research Conference

The fourteenth annual Community Banking Research Conference—sponsored by the Federal Reserve System, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)—will be hosted on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7. The conference brings together community bankers, academics, policymakers and bank regulators to discuss the latest research on community banking.

The conference presents an innovative approach to the study of community banks. Academics explore issues raised by the industry in a neutral, empirical manner and present their findings at the conference. Community bankers contribute to an annual survey prior to the conference and then participate directly in the conference by serving as keynote speakers and panelists, and by providing feedback to the research presented. For more information, please contact conference@communitybanking.org.

Conference Agenda 6th Floor, 6th Floor | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
October 6-7, 2026

  • Tuesday, October 6
  • Introduction
    photo of James Fuchs James Fuchs

    Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis

  • Welcome Remarks
    photo of Rhoshunda Kelly Rhoshunda Kelly

    Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance

  • Annual Survey
    photo of Thomas Siems Thomas Siems

    Chief Economist, CSBS

  • Morning Keynote
  • Break
  • Research Paper Session 1
    Credit Unions and the Value of the Tax Subsidy
    The Transmission of Corporate Tax Cuts to Consumer Loans: Evidence from the TCJA

    Cross-Charter Consolidation: Evidence from Credit Union Acquisitions of Community Banks

    Does the Credit Union Tax Exemption Affect Competition in Local Lending Markets? Evidence from the TCJA

  • Lunch
  • Afternoon Plenary
  • Research Paper Session 2
    The Geography of Banking
    Credit Without Proximity: Informational Frictions and Unequal Gains from Technology

    Going the Distance? Bank-customer proximity, applicant demographics, and credit access

    Geographically Concentrated Banks and the Amplification of Regional Economic Shocks

  • Afternoon Break
  • 2026 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition Winning Presentation
  • Community Banker Keynote
    photo of Jill Castilla Jill Castilla

    Chairman, President, and CEO , Citizens Bank of Edmond, Edmond, Oklahoma

  • Day One Reflections
  • Dinner Reception
  • Wednesday, October 7
  • Morning Keynote
  • Research Paper Session 3
    The Competitive Edge of Community Banks
    The Economic Payoff of Civic Engagement: Evidence from Community Banks

    Banking Local: Media Slant, Erosion of Trust and Financial Decisions

    Smaller Banks, Smarter Lending? Evidence from the Commercial Real Estate Market

  • Break
  • Panel Discussion
    Future of Deposits
  • Presentation of the John W. Ryan Award
  • Concluding Remarks
  • Poster Papers
    Rate Channeling Through Deposit Menus

    Bank Supervision as Information Production: Evidence from U.S. Bank Holding Companies