Greg Hayes

BELLEVILLE — When Greg Hayes, a native of Mifflin County and President/CEO of Kish Bank, walked onto the stage at the Federal Reserve Board’s Community Bank Conference in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, he shared the spotlight with some of the most powerful names in American finance.

The event featured keynote addresses from Michelle Bowman, vice chair for supervision at the Fed, and Scott Bessent, U.S. secretary of the treasury. They were joined by some of the nation’s most influential financial leaders, including Vlad Tenev (CEO of Robinhood), Stephen Schwarzman (CEO & Founder, Blackstone); and Charles Cascarilla (CEO of Paxos). CNBC’s Jim Cramer served as Moderator.

For Hayes, this wasn’t just another conference — it was a chance to ensure rural communities like Mifflin County have a seat at the table.

“Community banks operate under a regulatory framework that often wasn’t designed for us,” Hayes said on stage. “Kish Bank crossed a billion dollars, and we had to comply with FDICIA. Meanwhile, a stablecoin issuer is looking at a $50 billion threshold. If we regulate only by charter, not by activity, we create an uneven playing field.”

Bowman underscored the Fed’s intent to recalibrate oversight. “We have to make sure regulations are aligned to the actual risk of the institution,” Bowman said. “Community banks are essential to credit access in rural and small-town America.”

Bessent’s message to the crowd of bankers was equally direct: “Go on the offense. Retake market share. Chase customers. Community banks can lead in this new landscape.”

For Kish Bank, headquartered in Belleville, that leadership is personal. Hayes grew up in Mifflin County and continues to lead an organization that has built its reputation on relationship-based banking, small business support, and civic engagement.

“This wasn’t just a policy conversation,” Hayes later remarked. “It was about protecting the economic heartbeat of towns like Lewistown and Belleville.”

With a national spotlight on community banks, the Mifflin County CEO’s voice carried well beyond Pennsylvania’s borders.

“Central Pennsylvania businesses deserve to have their voice represented in Washington,” Hayes said. “This is about ensuring community banks can keep doing what we do best — serving real people, in real communities.”