By Rose Oswald Poels
The past several weeks have underscored the power of a united banking industry. As advocacy efforts around stablecoin intensified this month, I want to take a moment to thank all the bankers around the state who joined the grassroots efforts we shared. Bankers working directly with customers bring an especially powerful perspective to policy decisions, and those real-world, day-to-day insights are especially compelling to decision-makers.
Our industry kicked off 2026 with great advocacy momentum, and now is the time to build on it. The months ahead present a few opportunities to meet directly with policymakers and reinforce how our community banks directly contribute to local economic growth and financial access.
Capitol Day is on Wednesday, February 11 in Madison — just three weeks away! Last year, we saw an impressive turnout of over 320 bankers which sent a powerful message about the engagement of Wisconsin banking. Participants meet in pre-arranged groups with legislators from their home districts and are provided with talking points to aid in productive conversations. Very few legislators have experience in banking, so the bankers who show up and share their perspectives help them understand how decisions affect our communities.
For those who are interested in advocating for our industry beyond the borders of our state, there are two upcoming WBA Washington, D.C. trips to meet with our congressional delegation — one in conjunction with the American Bankers Association (ABA) Washington Summit, and the other with the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) Capital Summit. There is no registration fee; participants are only responsible for their own travel and lodging. All bankers are welcome to join either trip:
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WBA/ABA Washington Summit, March 9–11, 2026, Washington, D.C.
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WBA/ICBA Capital Summit, May 4–7, 2026, Washington, D.C.
Thank you to everyone who has already engaged in grassroots advocacy this January. I am inspired to see how many bankers know that our voice carries weight, and our efforts make an important impact in protecting the future of our industry.
I want to emphasize that all bankers — regardless of position or advocacy experience — are encouraged to attend these events. Please share the flyer below with members of your team who may be interested in advocating at the federal level.
Please contact me at ropoels@wisbank.com, Daryll Lund at dlund@wisbank.com, or Lorenzo Cruz at lcruz@wisbank.com with further questions.
I look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks ahead!
