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Small Bank Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Workshop

On October 24, 2023, the agencies issued a final rule that revised their regulations implementing the CRA. However, the Final Rule never took effect due to litigation challenging the rule. The agencies now plan to issue a proposal to rescind the 2023 CRA Final Rule, and seek public comment on reinstating the CRA framework that existed prior to the 2023 Final Rule. What does that mean for compliant programs for Small Banks under CRA?

Upcoming
Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Presented by Lauren Sparks
3 CRCM Credits
$450.00 or 4 Tokens

Includes: Live Access, 30 Days OnDemand Playback, Presenter Materials and Handouts

  • Auditing
  • Compliance
  • CRA Compliance
  • General Compliance
  • Lending Compliance
  • Risk Management/Legal
  • Community Reinvestment Act Officer
  • Compliance Officer
  • Internal Auditor
  • Loan Operations Manager/Specialist
  • Marketing Officer/Business Development
  • Risk Manager
  • Training Manager
  • Trainer

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Limited Spots available! Join us for this special 2.5-hour class and workshop for community bankers to explore the requirements and the environment for CRA Small Bank standards. We will discuss how we got here, and where we stand in terms of expectations as of the workshop date.

Of course we will briefly review the history of CRA, its basic requirements that all community banks must demonstrate, and lay out steps to prepare for your next CRA exam. We will review policy, training, and management CRA assessment. We will share common errors and exam findings to highlight potential gaps in your own process. Finally, we will break into groups to explore the operationalizing of CRA compliance and the nuts and bolts of your CRA program.

What You'll Learn

  • Community Reinvestment Act overview
  • Discussion of potential upcoming changes
  • Current status of CRA for Small Banks
  • Elements of a successful Small Bank CRA Program
  • Intermediate Small Bank Status: did you fall into the trough of under $600 million?
  • Relationship of CRA to Fair Lending
  • An understanding of Reasonably Expected Market Area (REMA) and red-lining
  • Common errors and audit findings in CRA exams
  • Internal controls to support the CRA Program
  • Step through Small Bank self-analysis process
  • Ideas/tips/tools from other bankers to try in your bank

Who Should Attend

This workshop is ideal for anyone with hands-on responsibilities for the Community Reinvestment Act or Fair Lending and/or compliance in those areas, as well as those handling marketing and advertising or lending. This can include the marketing team, loan officers, compliance officers, and auditors.

Lauren Sparks

Instructor Bio

With a career spanning 40+ years as a community banker and banking regulatory and risk management consultant, Lauren Sparks is an accomplished advocate for community banks and women’s financial services leadership. In her early banking career, Ms. Sparks held positions that ranged from teller to Investment Officer, Loan Officer, and Cashier. Ms. Sparks moved to bank consulting firms at a local level, and then to a national level where as a Director she specialized in troubled banks and fintech. In 2009, Ms. Sparks formed 3PR, Inc., a woman-owned consulting firm specializing in community banks and financial institutions. 3PR serves more than 40 community banks at any given time and has had experience as a preferred vendor for one of the world’s largest software providers.

Ms. Sparks edited the Reference Guide for Regulatory Compliance Manual for the American Bankers’ Association for 10 years. Ms. Sparks is a founder of the Houston chapter of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Association (ACAMS) and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), and an Accredited ACH Processional (AAP).

Continuing Education Credit Information

Small Bank Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Workshop has been approved for 3 CRCM credits. This statement is not an endorsement of this program or its sponsor. Credits are redeemable for both Live and OnDemand viewing. For questions on certificates, please email support@oncourselearning.com. Certification holders must report these credits at https://aba.csod.com.

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