Financial Institutions Conference

Greg Gonzales is the 18th commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, who began serving in this role in 2005, and was reappointed by Governor Bill Haslam. He has served in the department since 1986. In this position, Gonzales serves as Tennessee's chief regulatory officer of all state-chartered depository and licensed non-depository financial institutions. Additionally, he has served as assistant commissioner and general counsel for the department.

Gonzales is a past Chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), which is the professional organization of state banking commissioners in the United States. Commissioner Gonzales, for a number of years, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Money Transmitter Regulators Association (MTRA), an organization of a majority of the states that Greg Gonzales is the 18th commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, who began serving in this role in 2005, and was reappointed by Governor Bill Haslam. He has served in the department since 1986. In this position, Gonzales serves as Tennessee's chief regulatory officer of all state-chartered depository and licensed non-depository financial institutions. Additionally, he has served as assistant commissioner and general counsel for the department.

Gonzales is a past Chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), which is the professional organization of state banking commissioners in the United States. Commissioner Gonzales, for a number of years, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Money Transmitter Regulators Association (MTRA), an organization of a majority of the states that regulate funds transfer companies. He serves as Chairman of the State Liaison Committee that incorporates the state supervisory perspective into the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. The FFIEC affects regulatory guidance on all depository financial institutions in the United States. He served on the U.S. Treasury's Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group. Commissioner Gonzales currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission. Gonzales also currently serves on a national task force studying how new technologies are affecting the U.S. payment systems.

Commissioner Gonzales was born in Cookeville, Tennessee and graduated Cum Laude in Cursu Honorum with a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Technological University in 1980. Gonzales served as a research assistant in 1980 to Sir Patrick Cormack, a Conservative Party member of the British Parliament. He earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1984.

Commissioner Gonzales is an avid baseball fan and has rooted for the Chicago Cubs since the 1960s, which has taught him great life lessons in perseverance and that loyalty is eventually rewarded.

As Managing Partner at HUB | Taylor Advisors, Omar works with institutions across the country to provide profit driven balance sheet management solutions. He began his banking career as investment and asset liability manager for several billion plus institutions in Texas and served as an Advisory Board Director for the Lone Star New Markets Fund, L.P. Omar has been a frequent speaker at various financial institution programs including the Federal Home Loan Bank System and Bank Director Magazine.

Butler serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of First Citizens National Bank and First Citizens Bancshares, Inc. She also serves as the Bank's Chief Risk Officer. Ms. Butler joined First Citizens National Bank as Chief Financial Officer in 2004. Ms. Butler is a Certified Public Accountant and previously served as Senior Audit Manager of the banking practice of a local accounting firm and as a senior accountant/auditor for KPMG LLP. Ms. Butler holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Memphis.

Butler is Past President and Vice President of West Tennessee Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), Past Chairman and Member of the Young CPA Committee for TSCPA. Ms. Butler has served on the Financial Institutions Committee for TSCPA for 15 years and served as Chairman for the past two years. Ms. Butler is a member of the American Bankers Association's Accounting Committee and also currently serves on their Accounting Administrative Committee. She is a member of American Business Women's Association and previously served as Treasurer as well as member of the Audit Committee, Fundraising Committee and Business Associates' Night Committee. Ms. Butler serves on the Dyersburg State Accounting Advisory Committee and has previously served on the March of Dimes Steering Committee and Dyer County Relay for Life Silent Auction Committee.

Jack Matthis is a member/partner in ATA's financial institutions practice with over 25 years of experience. His practice encompasses all aspects of the industry's needs including: tax, internal and external audit, loan review, interest rate risk, Bank Secrecy Act, IT audits and compliance reviews. As an engagement partner and with more than thirty financial institution clients, he provides the knowledge and guidance to achieve their goals while maintaining the highest level of customer service and quality standards.

Clark Oakley is the Chief Operating Officer and an executive vice president at Wilson Bank & Trust, a $2.6 billion institution with 28 full-service offices serving Middle Tennessee. He attended the Graduate School of Banking at LSU and the Southeastern School of Banking at Vanderbilt University, and is also a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Bankers Association's inaugural Executive Development Academy.

Clark loves being a banker. He started in the industry at age 16, and his roles in financial services have included everything from customer service rep to mortgage processor to office manager to bank executive. These days one of his major areas of focus is process improvement, where his successes have been keyed by gathering varied perspectives and involving impacted employees on the front end of projects.

In his community, Clark serves on the board for United Way and he's a member of Rotary International and Gideons International. He also serves as a deacon and finance chairman at his church, First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Tenn.

Kris is the FDIC’s Field Supervisor for Nashville Territory and has been in the role since October 2022. The Territory encompasses the entire state of Tennessee and comprises over 80 State Non-Member banks. Prior to assuming his current role, Kris was as a Field Supervisor in the Louisiana Territory for three years.

As a Field Supervisor, Kris directs and observe staffs comprised of first line supervisors, senior examiners, large financial institution examiner teams, and pre-commissioned examiners and interns. He serves as a subject matter expert in Capital Markets and spent six years working as a Senior Capital Markets Specialist and a Senior Examination Specialist. He is also a trainer for FDIC and Interagency examiner training courses.

Kris holds three Bachelor of Science degrees in business disciplines from Winston-Salem State University, a Master of Science in Finance and Economics from West Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Management from Texas A&M-Commerce. He is currently studying for his Doctorate in Public Administration at Valdosta State University.

Rachel is the Chief Risk Officer and Wilson Bank and Trust. As part of the bank's executive management team, Fischer leads the risk governance framework for the bank. Fischer brings more than ten years of banking and financial services expertise, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Director of Data, Model and Cyber Risk Governance for Columbia Bank based in Tacoma, Washington. She is credited with making significant improvements in developing and maturing model risk programs for banks and financial institutions.

Ryan Smith is a managing director at Piper Sandler in the financial services group. In this role, he advises financial institutions on capital management, budgeting, fixed income and investments, debt capital markets, regulation and accounting, derivatives and asset/liability management. Smith also works closely with the firm's investment banking group to identify and develop strategic opportunities related to mergers and acquisitions, capital issuance or other transactions.

Prior to joining Piper Sandler in 2019, he was the head of financial institution analytics, and formerly head of bank strategies at Stifel Financial, where he worked in a similar capacity and advised financial institutions across the country. Smith started his career at Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods (a full service investment bank that was acquired by Stifel), where he worked on a team that advised on dozens of completed M&A deals, IPOs, equity offerings and other transactions.

Smith holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Amherst College. He serves as a board member for the non-profit Rooftop Films, Inc. and is the investment advisor for the non-profit, Educate!

Robbie has five years of experience with Crowe providing a variety of client services in financial services industry. His experience includes banking clients ranging from $300 million to $13 billion in assets. Robbie has experience in audits of public and private financial institutions, including banks, financing companies, and mortgage origination companies. He also has experience with SOX Section 404 internal control audits, and FDICIA internal control attestations.

Kaleb has eight years of experience with Crowe providing a variety of client services in financial services industry. His experience includes banking clients ranging from $100 million to $40 billion in assets. Kaleb has experience in audits of and advisory services for public and private financial institutions, including banks, financing companies, and mortgage origination companies. He also has experience with SOX Section 404 internal control audits, and FDICIA internal control attestations.

Dr. Chris Kuehl is a Managing Director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. He provides forecasts and strategic guidance for a wide variety of corporate clients around the world. He is the chief economist for several national and international organizations, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, National Association of Credit Management, Finance, Credit and International Business and the Business Information Industry Association. He is also the economic analyst for several state accounting societies – Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Kansas.

Prior to starting Armada in 1999 he was a professor of economics and finance for 15 years – teaching in the US, Hungary, Russia, Estonia, Singapore and Taiwan. He holds advanced degrees in economics, Soviet studies and East Asian studies.

Chris is the author of Business Intelligence Briefs and Executive Intelligence Briefs - both publications from Armada. He is also responsible for the Credit Manager's Index from NACM and Fabrinomics from the FMA.