FLORIDA SCHOOL OF BANKING
August 2-8, 2009: University of Florida, Gainesville

The purpose of the Florida School of Banking (FSB) is to provide bank personnel at the supervisory and officer level the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the banking industry and the economy. In 2009 the school will celebrate its 40th year of investing in banking education.

This school is conducted on a three year cycle basis, and the one week long annual sessions must be taken in sequence. It is presumed that once students are enrolled in the first year course, they will continue through the second and third year to graduation.

Participants taking all three years of the cycle will receive a good basic introduction to the banking industry and, upon receiving a passing mark, will be awarded a diploma at the graduation ceremony. The Florida School of Banking remains relevant as attested by the 2,487 graduates, and continues to offer an excellent educational opportunity.

All students for the 2009 session will be housed off campus at the Hilton Conference Center in Gainesville. The hotel is conveniently located just off campus on 34th street, and a short car ride from the classrooms at Rietz Union. This has proven to be a substantial upgrade in sleeping accommodations for all the students, and we are happy to be able to continue to offer this improved learning experience.

The FSB begins on Sunday afternoon with registration and an opening banquet later that same evening. This is a good time for the freshmen to become acquainted with the J. Wayne Reitz Student Union where all of the classes are held, as well as introduce themselves to each other. Everyone has a good time reacquainting themselves and making new and lasting relationships.

After the banquet, the seniors head back to class for their first "decision", the Juniors have the night off, and the Freshmen attend a short orientation class. This is where they learn the rules and policies of the school, and are given a chance to get to know one another better by introducing themselves to the rest of the class.

Bright and early Monday morning the freshman get right to work learning the fundamentals of banking such as general accounting, central bank/monetary policy, and sales & marketing. The juniors are returning for more of the same in addition to diving deep into commercial and consumer lending topics. The seniors start their year on Sunday afternoon with the Bank Management Computer Simulation, while everyone else is still registering.

The senior class is divided into many teams of banks that exist only in cyberspace. These teams use their previous two years of education and compete against each other in simulated banking communities for deposits, loans, etc; much like a typical city. To make the exercise interesting, our simulation leader throws variables into the mix each day, such as fluctuating interest rates, loan losses, etc. And to make the simulation as realistic as possible, we have our own resident regulator roaming around the room making sure everyone is in compliance with all regulations, as well as helping out when possible.

For the Seniors, the whole week leads up to a final presentation that must be given by each team to a resident "bank board of directors." The presentation, and the following question and answer period, typically last approximately twenty minutes. All team members must contribute and have a chance to present their portion of the talk. After it's all said and done one team from each community rises to the occasion and is chosen as the "winner." Each team is judged on not only the details and content of their report, but also the presentation skills they used before the board of directors.

2008 Winning Bank Simulation Community A
Sandra Lewis, CenterState Bank of Florida, Winter Haven
Joshua Harris, Natgional City Bank, Palm City
J. Alan Davis, BankTrust, Niceville
Renee Sebastian, First State Bank/Florida Keys, Islamorada
Laura Woodell, RBC Bank, Vero Beach

2008 Winning Bank Simulation Community B
Dennis d'Auvergne, Orion Bank, Naples
Maria Barsimantov, City National Bank of Florida, Miami
Patrick Murray, Central Florida State Bank, Belleview
Brenda Parker, Peoples First Community Bank, Panama City
D. Ryan Snowden, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Tallahassee

Each year, the FBA Florida School of Banking presents an Honor Graduate Award to a graduating senior who has been singled out by the directors and staff as the outstanding class graduate. Criteria for the selection of the Honor Graduate includes: scholastic achievement during the three-year course of study, contribution to and participation in class and prep sessions, and overall personal contribution within the student body. The selection is made from the top 10 percent of senior students according to grades. The name of the honor graduate is announced at the graduation on Friday evening, and a plaque is awarded at the next FBA annual meeting.

2008 Florida School of Banking Honor Graduate
Michael Knorst
VP/Relationship Manager, Wachovia Bank, Ocala

Each year the freshman class selects officers to represent them
for th next two years, and take the lead on class activities.

2007 Senior Class Officers
Jessica Kendall, Class Treasurer, First Citrus Bank, Tampa
Kathleen Smith, Class President, Riverside Bank/Gulfcoast, Venice
Joanna Reall, Class Secretary, Citrus and Chemical Bank, Bartow
Wilma Van Leeuwen, Class Director, SVP, First City Bank/FL, Ft. Walton Bch.
Kim Hengehold, Class Vice President, Riverside Bank/Central FL, Oviedo

After three years of studying, attending class, and submitting home study problems, the hard work pays off and graduation is right around the corner. These graduates below would tell you that it was a long grueling three years but very much worth the effort. Many friendships were begun and strengthened, skills gained, and they walked away with a greater knowledge of their industry.

2007 FSB Graduating Class

None of the activities above would be possible without the expertise and guidance of a professional team of bankers behind the effort. The Florida Bankers Association in general, and the The Florida School of Banking in particular, are very fortunate to have the assistance of the committee pictured below.

2007 Florida School of Banking Committee
Rick Simpson, President & CCO, Legacy Bank, Boca Raton
Simon Cruz, CEO, Plus International Bank, Miami
Wilma Van Leeuwen, Sr. Vice President, First City Bank of FL, Ft. Walton Bch.
John Moran, President & CEO, Riverside Bank of the Gulfcoast, Cape Coral

The 2009 session will be held on August 2-8, 2009 at the University of Florida in Gainesville. For additional information and registration forms on the Florida School of Banking, please e-mail Pete Brokaw at the FBA Education Department or contact him by telephone at (850) 224-2265.

We are pleased to announce that the Florida Banker’s Association and the College of Technology & Management at St. Petersburg College have agreed that graduates from the Florida School of Banking are eligible to receive six credits towards the College’s accredited baccalaureate degree in Banking. Click here for much more information on this new partnership.