3/14/25

By University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - The Robbins Banking Institute at Fort Hays State University hosted its second annual lecture series event on Feb. 27, with Michelle Bowman, Federal Reserve Governor, serving as keynote speaker. Kansas Bankers Association members and the FHSU community were on hand to make connections and learn more about banking opportunities.

Other speakers during the morning’s lineup included Dr. Jill Arensdorf, FHSU Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs; W.R. Robbins, namesake of the Robbins Banking Institute at FHSU and CEO of Farmers Bank and Trust; Dale Winklepleck, Robbins Banking Institute Advisory Council Chairman, and Doug Wareham, KBA President and CEO.

Bowman, who took office as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 2018, brought her extensive history as a banking professional to bear as she discussed challenges to the banking industry. Among her many governmental and financial positions, Bowman served as state bank commissioner of Kansas, vice president of Farmers and Drovers Bank, and worked in Washington, D.C., for the late Sen. Bob Dole.

The critical role of community banks was one theme of Bowman’s lecture. Community banks, she said, are essential not only in the U.S. banking system “but also as drivers of local and regional economic growth, and as anchors of their local communities.”

“Bankers are members of their communities,” she said. “They’re neighbors, they’re friends. Their kids attend local schools and play sports in the local recreational league. The term relationship banking has true meaning in this context.”

One of the most significant barriers to the community bank model, she said, is the competition for qualified bank management and staff. Attracting, developing, and retaining future and current bank leadership is a significant challenge. One of the most critical tasks for bank management is to develop the next generation of leadership.

“Educational programs like the Robbins Banking Institute, bank and regulator internships, and regional graduate schools of banking can help develop a pipeline of talent to support the industry and supervisory responsibilities,” Bowman said.

The Robbins Banking Institute, the first banking institute in Kansas, launched in 2017. With close ties to the Kansas Bankers Association and the Kansas banking community, the institute, founded by W.R. Robbins and his late wife Yvonne, offers a quality education that culminates in completing a real-world banking simulation as part of its banking capstone course.

In opening remarks, Robbins related his academic and career history, his endowment of the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, and his role in creating the Robbins Banking Institute.

“We are showing young people what the finance world is all about,” he said of the banking institute’s mission. “How they should look at it when making their career decisions.”

Not long after the institute was created, Robbins knew it needed an industry partner. An agreement was formed with the Kansas Bankers Association. An advisory council comprising KBA members, FHSU faculty, and bankers provides direction to the banking institute.

A unique aspect of the Robbins Banking Institute is its availability not only as an on-campus program but also entirely online for place-bound students, including banking professionals who seek additional education to compete for job promotions.

The Robbins Banking Institute is part of FHSU’s Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting. The department is one of four in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Offering BBA degrees and minors in accounting, finance, and international business and economics, the department also provides certificate programs.

Learn more about the Robbins Banking Institute, at https://www.fhsu.edu/efa/Robbins-Banking-Institute/

For additional news and information about Fort Hays State University, go to https://www.fhsu.edu/university-communications/