By Rose Oswald Poels
WBA staff and 17 Wisconsin bankers joined colleagues from all corners of the country last week in Washington, D.C. for Congressional Hill visits as part of the American Bankers Association’s Washington Summit. I am incredibly grateful for all the bankers who took time away from their busy schedules to advocate on behalf of our industry. We were pleased to see several first-time attendees alongside seasoned advocates who join our trips annually.
Our meetings with Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and their staff were impactful. We were able to provide real-world perspective on the role community banks play in powering local economies and protecting consumers from fraud. Conversations focused on stablecoin legislation, the need to adjust regulatory thresholds to better reflect the current operating environment, and efforts to combat consumer fraud through proposals such as the SCAM Act. We also discussed the importance of deposit insurance reform to maintain confidence in the banking system, alongside ongoing concerns surrounding the growing disparity created by the tax-exempt status of large credit unions. We reinforced the importance of preserving a competitive and fair financial services landscape — one that benefits taxpayers and does not disadvantage taxpaying community banks.
The bankers who joined us found the trip to be productive. I believe there is no substitute for bringing real stories straight from our state, and lawmakers often reiterate how much they value hearing directly from the constituents they represent. WBA’s advocacy efforts are the strongest when our membership actively engages in delivering our messages.
I hope more bankers feel inspired to join these important efforts! The next trip to Washington, D.C. is right around the corner on May 4–7, 2026, held in conjunction with Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)’s Capital Summit. Each visit to The Hill continues the conversation, and a recurrent, strong presence of bankers makes sure our priorities are heard as regulatory discussions evolve. Please contact me at ropoels@wisbank.com or Daryll Lund at dlund@wisbank.com if you are interested in joining us in May.
Thank you to all the dedicated bankers who attended the WBA/ABA Washington Summit:
- Robin Christian, Premier Community Bank
- Bill Dyson, Ladysmith Federal Savings & Loan Association
- Morgan Farmer, Park Bank
- Kristen Gagliano, North Shore Bank
- Laura Garcia, First Business Bank
- Kelly Heroux, The Peshtigo National Bank
- Paul Hoffmann, Lake Ridge Bank
- Corey Hoze, Associated Bank
- Kelsey Hudson, One Community Bank
- Lindsay Monacelli, Peoples State Bank
- Kathleen Palmer, BMO Bank
- Joe Peikert, Wolf River Community Bank
- Chanel Schmidt, The Port Washington State Bank
- Tim Schneider, Bank Five Nine
- Meredith Strieff, Horicon Bank
- Sharilyn Zimmerman, Bank of Lake Mills
- Greg Ogren, Security State Bank
- Chris Ogren, Security State Bank
