DBA Digest for July 17, 2026 | | |
Through the
DBA Lens
Karyn Polak
President, CEO & Treasurer
Motor City Really Rocks!
| | | Earlier this week I had the opportunity to revisit Detroit, where the State Alliance (supported by the American Bankers Association) met for our Summer Leadership Meeting (SLM). I say “revisit” because I have indeed been there before, not because of my Midwest cred but in the context of capital markets transactions when I was a law firm associate more than two decades ago. Back then there was basically nothing but The Renaissance Center complex (shown here) – which was curiously surrounded by farmland, a strip club, a small residential development, and highway. I thought then that it was the craziest mix and therefore the craziest place in the country. | | |
It’s come a long way, baby. (A Motown reference would be better, admittedly.)
Today Detroit is a vibrant, developing city of artists, engineers, foodies, historians, and sports enthusiasts. Sure, it’s got all the challenges of a small big city, but I’d still encourage you to check it out if you haven’t been there lately. Not to mention you can literally see Canada – and soon cross over into Canada via a brand new bridge – from the Riverwalk downtown.
That momentum, innovation, willingness to try new things that the city shows was also reflected in the agenda for the SLM, which centered around payment rails and blockchain; artificial intelligence; and of course policy and politics. The conversations were all the more valuable given the presence of our Board Chair, Diana Clift, General Counsel of Barclays Bank Delaware. I’m grateful to her for taking the time to be with the crowd of state bank association CEOs, board chairs, ABA and Alliance leadership, and a handful of fascinating guest speakers including the CFO of General Motors; Mason Hamilton, VP, Economics and Research, American Petroleum Institute with a shocking and provocative analyst’s view of the economic risks centered in the Strait of Hormuz; and Sal Karakaplan, Chief Strategy Officer, The Clearing House.
Want to hear more about the substance of our discussions? You’ll just have to come see me at our August 13th happy hour event in Wilmington – keep an eye out for details!
| | Urge Congress to support the SAFE Banking Act | | |
Back in October 2024, as Delaware prepared for its launch of the state’s legal adult-use cannabis industry, state lawmakers approved legislation, proposed by State Treasurer Colleen Davis, providing protections for banks and other financial institutions that serve licensed marijuana businesses. Legislation protecting banks serving legal marijuana businesses can help bridge the gap between state legalization and federal banking laws.
Now we have a chance to close the gap in how federal and state law treat cannabis businesses, as the SAFE Banking Act (S. 4942/H.R. 9471) has been (re)introduced in Congress. This legislation would allow banks to serve cannabis-related businesses if their state (like ours) has legalized cannabis in some capacity.
Reach out to your Senators and Representative today and ask them to support the SAFE Banking Act. You can do so easily at the link below. Share it with your colleagues and community!
| | Take Action to Support the Main Street Capital Access Act | | Let your Congressional delegates know you'd like them to press for timely floor consideration and strong bipartisan passage of H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act. This legislation includes many provisions that we and our peer state bank associations have long supported, such as measures to spur new bank formation, tailor bank regulation, index key asset thresholds to keep pace with inflation, promote greater transparency and fairness in supervision, encourage healthy merger activity, ensure regulatory accountability, and other important issues. These common-sense reforms would promote economic growth in communities across the country through the promotion of a robust, dynamic banking industry and the effective intermediation of credit for individuals, families, and businesses of all sizes. | | Delaware committee drafts plan to test companies run by AI | |
A Delaware committee that has been studying the business uses of artificial intelligence proposed legislation earlier this month to temporarily ease state regulations on companies deploying the fast-growing technology.
The proposed legislation would create a testing ground (regulatory "sandbox") for companies to use what are called AI agents to autonomously complete business tasks typically done by humans. The AI agents would oversee whole business operations under the umbrella of a new kind of entity, called an Artificial Intelligence Company, or AIC.
| | Survey finds most U.S. adults were scammed in 2025 | | |
More than two in three adults report they were personally scammed last year, with those scams costing an estimated $68 billion, or four times what was reported to federal authorities, according to a new survey by the Stop Scams Alliance and Gallup. The American Bankers Association Foundation is a member of the alliance.
The survey found that 68% of respondents said they were personally scammed last year, with 24% reporting they were scammed at some point in their lives. About one in 10 have been scammed more than once, and roughly four in 10 said they are contacted by an attempted scam daily.
As scams increasingly originate through online and social media advertising, Congressional representatives have introduced legislation to address the problem with the SCAM Act (see below!).
| | |
Urge Your Lawmakers
to Co-Sponsor the SCAM Act
| | |
Senators Gallego and Moreno and Representatives Meuser and Correa recently introduced the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act (S.3774/H.R.7548) to combat fraudulent advertising on social media. Delaware's own Rep. McBride is a co-sponsor of the bill.
The bill would require platforms to verify advertisers, detect and remove fake ads, and investigate fraud. It also clarifies legal protections while holding companies accountable if they profit from deceptive advertising.
Stop scams by supporting S.3774 and H.R.7548: Urge your lawmakers to cosponsor the SCAM Act.
| | |
ABA Women Lead Symposium
July 30, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. ET | Virtual
| |
Register today for the upcoming ABA Women Lead Symposium!
The DBA/ABA/SBA Women Lead Symposium is a convenient virtual program designed to help emerging leaders and seasoned professionals become successful leaders. This joint effort between associations will help you gain critical leadership skills that will support your company’s growth goals and advance your career. You’ll learn leading practices and actionable insights to navigate key positions at your bank and foster workforce excellence.
Whether you're looking to expand your leadership toolkit, build meaningful professional relationships, or gain new ideas to bring back to your organization, this event delivers. The symposium is open to all professionals throughout the banking and trust industry.
Program Details:
- July 30, 2026, 1:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. ET
- Zoom Platform
- Price: $169 per person/$599 for group of 5
MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR BANK/TRUST COMPANY AND YOUR CAREER!
July 30 | 1:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. ET | Virtual
| | Richards Layton Director Sara Wagner Nominated to ACREL Board of Governors | | |
Richards, Layton & Finger is pleased to announce that Sara Wagner, a director and chair of the firm's Real Estate Services Group, has been nominated to serve on the Board of Governors of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). She will attend her first Board meeting as an observer this fall ahead of formally joining the Board in 2027.
Sara has been a Fellow of ACREL for several years. She serves as chair of the Attorneys' Opinions Committee and as a member of the Member Selection Committee. She is the immediate past chair of the Capital Markets & Real Estate Finance Committee.
| | Reality Fair Lunch and Learn Overview Session | |
You are invited to join the FDIC for a Reality Fair Lunch and Learn Overview Session. A Reality Fair is a simulation of an adult’s financial life that provides youth with an interactive experience for making real world financial decisions and managing money. Participants experience what it is like to have an account at a financial institution, decide how to use their money, obtain a loan, manage debt, and more.
A Reality Fair can be a single event or combined with a financial education program. The FDIC created its Guide to Organizing a Reality Fair to help organizers plan and execute a fair. The toolkit includes pre- and post-planning checklists, room layouts, sample letters to participants, parents and volunteers, and it includes participant profiles and booth information for use during the event. With this toolkit, anyone can organize a Reality Fair—bankers, community leaders, educators, etc. And, Reality Fairs can be held in various settings, for example, schools, summer youth employment programs, clubs, etc.
Bankers interested in learning about organizing a Reality Fair are encouraged to attend one of two Reality Fair Lunch and Learn sessions.
Tuesday, July 21, 12:00-1:00 pm ET
To RSVP, email Community Affairs Specialist Darnell Sutton at DSutton@fdic.gov.
| Washington Bankers Association
Banking AI Accelerator program | |
Every day, advancements in AI are setting new benchmarks for our industry. While professionals adapt to these changes, organizations face unique challenges in harnessing AI effectively. To address this, we’re thrilled to introduce the Banking AI Accelerator in partnership with Ishtot!
This 8-week hands-on training program, designed specifically for financial institutions, features live instruction, guided online learning, weekly office hours, and practical applications tailored to the banking industry.
The program includes three weeks of live video sessions and eight weeks of asynchronous learning, culminating in a capstone review, personalized evaluation, and certification presentation.
Classes will be held virtually:
September 15 – November 2
November 3 – December 22
| |
2026 ABA Agricultural Bankers Conference
November 4-6, 2026 | Minneapolis, MN
| |
Today’s agricultural lending environment is full of risks — and opportunities. The 2026 Agricultural Bankers Conference will help position your loan portfolio to maximize growth now and seed profitability for the next ag cycle.
This year’s conference program will help you strategize at a higher level to navigate federal policies, national hot-topic issues, talent development and emerging technologies that will affect you and the future-focused decisions you need to make.
Join ag bankers from across the country in Minneapolis for the leading national conversation shaping the future of ag lending! Our event is condensed into 3 jam-packed days to reduce travel costs and time away from your business. Register early to save $300!
November 4-6, 2026 | Minneapolis, MN
| | | | |
