2026 Women In Banking Conference

Book Hotel Room

Our Roomblock at the SpringHill Suites is full! Additional rooms are now available at the same rate at the Courtyard by Marriott, conveniently located just across the shared parking lot from the conference hotel.

Book Room for the Women in Banking Conference 2026 – Courtyard Hotel

Prefer another option? A variety of additional hotels are available nearby.

Home2Suites by Hilton | 0.17 miles away | Home2 Suites by Hilton Bozeman Midtown
Hilton Garden Inn | 0.30 miles away | Hilton Garden Inn Bozeman
Homewood Suites by Hilton | 0.60 miles away | Homewood Suites Bozeman Hotel

2026 Women in Banking Conference

Tentative Schedule

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

4:00–5:00 PM | Registration and Welcome Reception

5:00–6:30 PM | Crafts and Connections

The Crafts and Connections class is not included in the conference registration fee.

An additional fee is required to participate.

6:30 PM | Dinner on Your Own

Thursday, October 8, 2026

7:00–8:00 AM | Registration and Continental Breakfast
Breakfast is available to guests staying at the SpringHill Suites

8:00–8:15 AM | Introductions and Welcome

8:15–10:00 AM | Guest Speakers and Networking Opportunities

10:00-10:15 AM | Morning Break

10:15–12:00 PM | Guest Speakers and Networking Opportunities

12:00–12:30 PM | Lunch

12:30-1:30 PM | Final Guest Speakers

Conference concludes at 1:30 PM

Meet Our Speakers

Martha Kohl, Montana Historical Society Outreach and Education Program Manager – Beyond Schoolmarms and Madams: Montana Women’s Lives 

Martha Kohl has worked at the Montana Historical Society for thirty-one years, most recently as Outreach and Education Program Manager. She is the author of Montana: A History of Our Home and I Do: A Cultural History of Montana Weddings, coauthor of A History of Montana in 101 Places and editor of Beyond Schoolmarms and Madams: Montana Women’s Lives.

Tricia Binford, Montana State University Women’s Basketball Coach – FIRED UP!

Tricia Binford has led Montana State University women’s basketball since 2005, becoming the program’s longest-tenured and winningest head coach. A five-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, Binford has guided the Bobcats to three Big Sky Tournament championships, 20 consecutive postseason appearances, and an unprecedented level of success both on and off the court. Under her leadership, Montana State has earned national recognition for its athletic and academic achievements, including a historic 30–4 season in 2024–25 and 57 combined victories over the past two seasons. A former Boise State standout and WNBA player, Binford was the 31st overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft and played professionally with the Cleveland Rockers and Utah Starzz, including as a member of the Rockers’ 2001 Eastern Conference Championship team. Beyond basketball, Binford is passionate about leadership, teamwork, academics, and community engagement—making her a powerful voice on building strong teams and empowering women to lead.

Lilly Thomas, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Relations ICBA – If I Knew Then: Lessons in Leadership, Advocacy & Finding Your Voice 

Lilly Thomas is Executive Vice President, Regulatory Relations for the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA). Representing the interests of more than 5,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, Thomas oversees ICBA’s regulatory policies in consumer protection and operational risk and advocates federal regulators to streamline and reduce the burden of excessive regulations facing community banks.

She also promotes ICBA positions with other industry organizations and advises ICBA community bankers on regulatory and industry changes. Thomas has broad experience in financial institutions law and more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry.

She oversees areas in fair lending, cyber security, data security, privacy, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing, financial inclusion, small business data collection, small dollar lending Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

Prior to joining ICBA in 2009, Thomas was an assistant general counsel at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) where she worked on advocacy and compliance issues. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School.

Sarah Adydan , CPA Manager Pinion Global  – Leading in an AI World: Why Human Skills Matter More Than Ever

Since beginning her public accounting career in 2018, she has provided audit, accounting, and advisory services to nonprofit organizations, agricultural operations, and privately held businesses. Sarah has experience leading financial statement audits, Single Audits, compliance engagements, and complex accounting projects. She also serves as an A&A Learning Leader, helping develop and deliver technical training programs that support staff growth and professional development across the firm. Sarah Adydan is a Manager in the A&A department at Pinion’s Helena office. 

Jen Severson, President United Bankers’ Bank

Jen Severson is the President and Chief Financial Officer at United Bankers’ Bank. She started her role as Chief Financial Officer at UBB in 2021 and took on the role of President in 2025.  In Jen’s 25-plus years of banking experience, she has worked in credit and lending roles at large regional and small community banks.  She also served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at a de novo community bank. 

Jen received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Psychology from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD; her MBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder; and a Certificate in Real Estate Finance from Boston University.

Jennifer Fritz, Wendt Agency President/CEO – Leading with Courage: Embracing bravery and building a culture of empowerment

Jennifer Fritz is President/CEO of The Wendt Agency, where she leads the agency’s strategic vision and works alongside clients to navigate an ever-changing marketing landscape. She is Wendt’s eighth CEO in nearly 100 years and the fourth woman to hold the role. As a shareholder and director of the full-service marketing agency, Jennifer also plays an active role in shaping Wendt’s long-term direction and continued growth.

Known for her collaborative leadership style and curiosity for what’s next, Jennifer is all in when it comes to creating thoughtful and results-driven strategies for Wendt’s clients. With a passion for providing progressive solutions, she isn’t afraid to bring contemporary, cutting-edge ideas to the table. Today, she leads a 15-person agency team while working side by side with clients to build brands that connect and keep Wendt moving forward in modern communications and technologies.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Communication Studies from the University of Montana. She is a graduate of Leadership Great Falls and Leadership Montana and is Dare to LeadTM trained. A lifelong learner by nature, she continues to seek out new ideas, perspectives, and approaches that move both Wendt and its clients forward across industries spanning banking, tourism, public services, non-profit, retail, and beyond

Outside the agency, Jennifer’s favorite role is spending time with her husband, Ryan, and their two children, Kate and Lawrence. Together, they embrace the Montana lifestyle – golfing, exploring the mountains, chasing kids’ sports and finding plenty of adventures along the way. Rounding out the crew is Morris, their fluffy four-legged family member, named after a former Gonzaga basketball player – a nod to another family favorite.

Melanie Hall, Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions Commissioner

Melanie Hall is the Commissioner of the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions. She provides the overall leadership to the Banking Division, which is responsible for the supervision of all state-chartered banks and state-chartered credit unions. In addition, the division licenses and examines over 2000 non-bank financial entities including mortgage lenders, mortgage servicers, and mortgage brokers, consumer loan companies, sales finance companies, deferred deposit lenders and escrow businesses. The Division is also responsible for processing all consumer complaints by Montanans against regulated and unregulated providers of financial services. Commissioner Hall obtained her B.A. in Economics from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and her juris doctor from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the past Chair of the Board of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and also the past Chair of the CSBS Education Foundation Board. She currently serves on the St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees and the Board of the Montana Council for Economic Education.

Jessica Gildea, Making Waves with Jess – Mind & Body Wellness In the Workplace for Longevity 

Originally from Lancaster County, PA, Jessica began swimming competitively at age 5 and teaching swim lessons at age 14. With more than 25 years of teaching experience across Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, and Montana, she founded her own swim business, Makin Waves. Jessica received her yoga certification in Denver, Colorado, in 2018 and incorporates elements of yoga, breathwork, and Qigong into her teaching. She currently works at Thrive, a Montana nonprofit, and teaches swim and yoga at Montana State University.

With an emphasis on communication, connection, and meeting each person where they are, Jes creates lessons that are fun, challenging, and adaptable to each student’s individual pace and goals. She believes the greatest growth and learning happen when people feel both supported and challenged.

In her free time, Jessica enjoys yoga, Qigong, hiking, skiing, live music, thrifting, traveling, and spending time with animals.