CU Team Wins 2024 CSBS Community Bank Competition

A team of three Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania students won the 2024 Community Bank Case Study Competition.

The competition, sponsored by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), attracted 27 student teams representing 21 colleges and universities.

The winning Commonwealth team members were Hannah Caccia, an accounting major from Williamsport, and Ariane Rouffignac, a marketing major, both from the Mansfield campus, and Eric Shaw, a finance major from Rock Glen, from the Bloomsburg campus. Economics faculty member Dr. Atika Benaddi and finance faculty member Dr. Victoria Geyfman were advisers. The team partnered with First Citizens Community Bank in Mansfield.

Drs. Geyfman and Benaddi have been involved in this competition since 2017 and 2019, respectively. Their teams have placed in the top five nationwide several times, but this is the first time the team has won the entire competition.

"Guiding students through this competition isn't just about overseeing the preparation of a comprehensive report and a video. It is about providing students with insights into the vital role of community banks," says Geyfman.

"Students' journey to understanding the banking industry and connecting with local communities fuels our dedication," says Benaddi. "Witnessing their growth and pride in their achievements makes every moment of preparation worthwhile."

The Commonwealth team will present its findings at the Community Banking Research Conference in early October, and each member will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

"The Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania executed an exceptional case study that gave rich and detailed insight into this year's topic," said CSBS Chair Charlie Clark, who serves as director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions.

"Congratulations to our talented students on this impressive accomplishment. We are proud of the effort you put forth to win the competition; you are a shining example of what makes our CU students great," said President Bashar W. Hanna.

The annual competition is open to undergraduate students in all fields of study as an opportunity to gain valuable first-hand knowledge of the banking industry. The teams partnered with local community banks to determine lessons learned from the Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank closures, identify the banks' expectations for regulatory and supervisory changes, and evaluate how the banks are using social media.

Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Secretary Wendy Spicher congratulated the Commonwealth team. "The competition is very competitive, so it's particularly gratifying to see that teams from Pennsylvania have placed in the top three spots for five out of the last six years," said Spicher. "Congratulations to Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania on a well-deserved win!"

For the case study, teams studied the closures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank. They then determined what lessons their chosen community bank learned from those 2023 regional failures. Additionally, teams were asked to determine what makes their selected case study bank different from the institutions that failed in 2023. Teams identified how their case study bank handles risks through asset and liability management. Teams were also asked to identify their case study bank's expectations for regulatory and supervisory changes, as well as how their selected institution uses social media in their daily operations.

Teams from the University of Illinois-Springfield and Southeastern Louisiana University placed second and third, respectively. The top three case studies will be published in the CSBS Journal of Community Bank Case Studies, available in October.