CBW Career Development Scholarship

2026 NextGen Scholarship

Nominate Your Top Talent for a NextGen Scholarship in 2026. 

Winner receives up to $2,000 toward any

ICBA Banker Certification Program

ICBA certification programs are designed to raise the standards of professionalism in the industry and give consumers a consistent stamp of approval to look for when selecting a banker.

ICBA offers eleven nationally recognized certification programs, each awarding a professional designation and delivered through an Institute format that combines classroom instruction, live virtual sessions, and both individual and group work. Participants must attend the full Institute, engage in all case studies, group work, and presentations, and pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher; certification testing is required to earn the designation but not to attend the Institute.  Annual continuing professional education is then required to ensure participants remain current.

2026 Scholarship Application

Certification Programs Offered

• Audit: Certified Community Bank Internal Auditor ($3,299)
  • This program is designed to provide tools and step-by-step procedures to establish and maintain an effective internal audit function within a community bank. Areas covered include auditing basics, internal auditing papers, auditing liabilities and other activities, auditing assets and bank information systems auditing. 
  • In person April 26-May 1 or Livestream Oct 6-Oct 15
• Bank Security: Certified Community Bank Security Officer ($1,699)
  • This program is designed to provide the Security Officer, regardless of the location or size of the bank, with critical information to meet regulatory requirements and provide strategic and tactical methods of security, robbery and fraud prevention and risk management.
  • Livestream April 21-23 or In person Aug 4-6
• BSA/AML:  Certified BSA/AML Professional ($1,699)
  • The formal requirements for financial institution compliance under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) continue to be significant. This program covers all primary requirements of regulation and delivers guidance on best practice expectations in each area.  
  • Livestream April 14-16 or Livestream Aug. 11-13 or In person Nov 3-5
• Commercial Lending: Certified Commercial Loan Officer ($1,699)
  • Loans are the most significant risk in most bank portfolios. This program assists in developing the necessary credit skills to maintain and manage a commercial credit portfolio as well as the analytical processes needed to reach a conclusion about the borrower's repayment ability. 
  • In person Aug. 2-6
• Compliance:  Certified Community Bank Compliance Officer($2,999)
  • The Compliance Institute is a comprehensive learning experience that covers the areas of regulatory compliance a community bank Compliance Officer is responsible for. This program covers: Developing a Compliance Program, Lending, Deposit and Operations Compliance.
  • Livestream May 12-21 or In person Oct 4-9
• Consumer Lending:  Certified Community Bank Consumer Lender($1,699)
  • Consumer lending presents a unique set of challenges by combining credit risk process with regulatory process. This program addresses the consumer lending decision and making sense of each step by covering the application process, financial statement analysis, credit analysis, loan structure, compliance, documentation procedures and closing.
  • Livestream Jun 2-4
• Credit Analyst:  Certified Community Bank Credit Analyst ($1,699)
  • The role of a credit analyst has evolved into a critical function in today's community banks. This program focuses on the necessary financial analysis skills needed by today's credit analysts and addresses the additional expertise vital to a community bank's overall lending success.
  • Livestream March 31-April 2 or In person Aug 17-20
• Data & Analytics:  Certified Community Bank Data Analyst  ($1,699)
  • Participants of ICBA's Data & Analytics Institute will gain the skills to turn data into actionable strategies that drive business growth and improve decision-making.
  • In person Jun 9-11
• Enterprise Risk Management:  Certified Community Bank Risk Specialist($1,699)
  • Participants of ICBA's Enterprise Risk Management Institute will enrich and affirm their knowledge of the risk components that influence a bank’s function and soundness. This certification program focuses on strategies surrounding bank governance, credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, compliance risk, and legal risk. The program includes comprehensive dialogue that brings all risk elements together to reveal the necessary components of a successful enterprise risk management (ERM) framework.
  • In person Sept 28-30
• IT:  Certified Community Bank Technology Officer ($2,699)
  • As technology rapidly evolves, community banks have new opportunities to enhance efficiency, strengthen service delivery, and better protect customers. This program equips IT managers and officers with strategies to manage and maximize technology investments, strengthen IT capabilities, improve operational efficiency, and build effective business continuity solutions.
  •  In person Aug 31-Sep 3
• Marketing: Certified Community Bank Marketing Strategist($1,699)
  • Participants of ICBA's Marketing Institute will gain the skills and solutions to help strengthen existing marketing capabilities and develop new approaches.
  • In person Oct 5-8

Contact Kathy Swenson at kathy@communitybankers-wa.org to inquire about the scholarship.

Requirements and Details:
Scholarship recipients must be a community banker employed at a community bank that is a member of both CBW and ICBA at the time the class begins. 

NextGen Scholarship winner receives up to $2,000 toward the registration of one ICBA Certification Program.  If the program is less than $2,000 no payment will be issued for the difference.  If the program is more than $2,000, the recipient is responsible for the difference.  The scholarship must be used by August 31, 2027.

John Collins Leadership Award winners will receive up to $1,000 reimbursement ofor the registration of one ICBA Certification Program.  Payment will be made to the sponsoring institution.  Award must be used before 12/31/2026. 

Past NextGen Scholarship Winners

• Dustin Bruland - Bank of the Pacific

• Teri Leo - Twin City Bank

• Chuck Hoeschen - Olympia Federal Savings

• Karah Cowan - Community First Bank

• Michael Gordon - Kitsap Bank

• Alexa Meagher - Commencement Bank

• Ryan Deckard - State Bank Northwest

Past John Collins Leadership Award Winners

• Rainia Nintz - Oly Fed
• Shea Wahlstrom - Oly Fed
• Monica Taylor - Oly Fed
• Jay Johnston - Bank of the Pacific
• Melissa Kirkeby - Olympia Federal Savings
• Kaitlyn Koeller - Olympia Federal Savings
• Aleecia Poulsen - Kitsap Bank
• Jackie Smith - Kitsap Bank
• Grant Sims - SaviBank
• Dustin Mead - Bank of the Pacific
• Max Wark - Timberland Bank
• Christina Haworth - Commencement Bank
• Daniel Vining - Commencement Bank
• Riley Doerge - Commencement Bank
• Bentley Simpson - Kitsap Bank