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CBW Career Development Scholarship

Congratulations to 2025 Winners

NextGen Scholarship & John Collins Leadership Award

NextGen Scholarship 2025
Dustin Bruland, Bank of the Pacific

John Collins Leadership Awards 2025
Rainia Nitz
Raina Nitz, Oly Fed
Shea Wahlstrom, Oly Fed
Monica Taylor, Oly Fed

Nominate Your Top Talent for a NextGen Scholarship in 2026
Applications for 2026 scholarships available in June 2026

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

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

Requirements to Qualify for Scholarship and to receive funds:
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