In November 2018, Michelle W. Bowman was sworn in to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as the first person to fill the community banking seat, bringing the perspective of small towns and rural America into national policymaking. A fifth-generation Kansan and former small-town banker, she previously served as Kansas State Bank Commissioner and held leadership roles in both the private sector and federal government, including FEMA post-9/11 and after Hurricane Katrina. Bowman is a key voice on balanced oversight, innovation, and financial inclusion.

Elected in 2012, Andy Barr serves as a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and chairs its Subcommittee on Financial Institutions & Monetary Policy. He has helped shape legislation on banking regulation, competitiveness, and sanctions policy, responding to challenges from inflation to geopolitical risk. A champion for veterans and rural communities, Barr authored the bipartisan COBRA Act in honor of his late wife to advance research and treatment for sudden cardiac arrest.

Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red and The Coming Collapse of China, among other works. A former lawyer in Hong Kong and Shanghai, he has briefed the National Intelligence Council, CIA, State Department, and Pentagon, and appears frequently across major networks. Chang writes for Newsweek and The Hill and has testified before Congress on U.S.–China policy.

In October 2001, Commander Mark Nutsch led a U.S. Special Forces team on a covert mission in Afghanistan that captured Mazar-i-Sharif within weeks and helped overthrow the Taliban. His story inspired the film 12 Strong and the bestseller Horse Soldiers. A Bronze Star with valor recipient, he now consults for Special Operations Command and speaks on leadership, ingenuity, and mission success.

Craig Dismuke is a Managing Director at Stifel Financial Corp. and formerly Chief Economist for Vining Sparks IBG. He produces economic and interest rate forecasts, evaluates fixed-income performance, and is a frequent guest on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg. Previously, he served as Managing Director in Institutional Fixed Income at Bear Stearns. He lives in Memphis with his wife, Ashley, and their three children.

Blake Earley joined the ABA in 2022 on the Congressional Relations team, lobbying House Republican offices. He previously spent eight years with Regions Bank in legal and BSA/AML operations before moving to Washington to join Regions’ Government Affairs team. Earley holds a B.A. in political science and history (UAB) and both a J.D. and M.P.A. from the University of Alabama.