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CBW Career Development Scholarship

NextGen Scholarship 2025​

John Collins Leadership Award 2025

Nominate Your Top Talent for a NextGen Scholarship
Community Bankers of Washington is excited to announce a scholarship program designed to help you nurture the top talent at your bank. Winners attend ICBA's Lead FWD Summit, September 8-9 in Bloomington, MN.  Get the scholarship application.

Bank professionals from all areas of the bank — operations, credit, retail, wealth management, information technology, marketing, administration, finance, and more — attend ICBA's LEAD FWD Summit to unlock their leadership and learn how to lead their banks and careers forward.

Past Scholarship winners received

Free registration at Lead FWD + up to $1,350 travel expense to sponsoring bank
$400 discount on Lead FWD registration + up to $1,000 traveling expense to sponsoring bank

It’s easy to apply! Simply send application below & one letter of recommendation to kathy@communitybankers-wa.org before July 31 2025

Visit icba.org/leadfwd to learn about the event. Contact Kathy Swenson at kathy@communitybankers-wa.org to inquire about the scholarship.

2025 Scholarship Application

Requirements to Qualify for Scholarship and to receive funds:
Submit application to kathy@communitybankers-wa.org by July 31, 2025.  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 LEAD FWD Summit takes place. Recipient must complete a post-event survey before sponsoring bank can receive funds.  Next Gen Scholarship winner must submit receipts for travel (airfare, hotel, etc.) to CBW to qualify for reimbursement.

NextGen Leaders receive a scholarship to attend ICBA Lead Forward Summit. The summit provides training and insights rooted in leadership development, technical banking, advocacy, and a multitude of hot-topic banking issues including cryptocurrency and more.

Past NextGen Scholarship Winners

  • 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
  • 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