Welcome to your 2026 IBA Ag Banking Conference resource hub! Here you’ll find presentation materials, speaker resources, and other helpful information to reference throughout the conference and take back to your bank. Use these resources to follow along during sessions, capture key takeaways, and continue the conversations with your team and agricultural customers. We’re glad you’re here and hope these tools help you make the most of your conference experience!
Agenda
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2026
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Registration + Continental Breakfast
10:15 - 10:30 a.m. OPENING SESSION
David Boulay, Ph.D., President & CEO, Illinois Bankers Association
Emcee, Kaylee Heap, Senior Manager, GROWMARK, Inc.
10:30 a.m. – Noon Thriving in Chaotic Times: Tools, Techniques & Perspectives for Ag Bankers
Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Government Loan Programs
Moderator: Ben Jackson, EVP, Government Relations, Illinois Bankers Association
Rebecca Huston, Director of Invest in Illinois, Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
John Taflan, Loan Program Manager, Advantage IL, Department of Commerce
Katie Yusko, Farm Loan Specialist, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Travis Schroll, Director, Institutional Sales, FHLB Chicago
2:00 – 2:45 p.m. Legislative Update: Key Policy Developments Impacting Ag Banking
Ben Jackson, EVP, Government Relations, Illinois Bankers Association
Ed Elfmann, SVP, Agricultural and Rural Banking Policy, American Bankers Association
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Supporting Farm Families — Mental Health Tools for Lenders
Moderator: Sharie Cradduck, Agriculture Resource Specialist, SIU Medicine
Rachel Brown, Mental Health Specialist, Farm Family Resource Initiative
Adrienne DeSutter, Founder, Sow Hope Grow Hope, Ag Mental Health Consultant
Dr. Josie Rudolphi, Illinois Farm Family Mental Health Voucher Program, U of I Extension
Liz Hulsizer, Hulsizer Farms, Knox County
4:00 – 4:45 p.m. Networking Like a Pro!
Brian Hilliard, Author & Keynote Speaker
4:45 – 6:00 p.m. Networking Reception
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2026
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Passing It On: Honest Conversations About the Family Farm
Kevin Brooks, Farm Business Management and Marketing Educator, U of I Extension
9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Farm Armageddon: Actionable Ideas to Help Farmers and Improve Credit Portfolios
Joe Jennings, Founder & CEO, Daitaas, LLC | Tilley
10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Grain Markets Outlook
Matt Bennett, Co-Founder and CEO, AgMarket.Net®
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. Fireside Chat
Matt Bennett, Co-Founder and CEO, AgMarket.Net®
Eric Snodgrass, Sr. Science Fellow, Nutrien Ag Solutions
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. High Impact Meteorology
Eric Snodgrass, Sr. Science Fellow, Nutrien Ag Solutions