More than 170 bankers from across the state recently attended the Alabama Banking School hosted by the University.

Sponsored by the Alabama Bankers Association, the Alabama Banking School is the only banking school in the state. The three-year program is designed to broaden the knowledge and skills of the state’s bankers, while giving them an opportunity to network with other bankers in the state.

Alabama Banking School--State bankers attending the Alabama Banking School compete using “virtual banks” as part of their senior coursework. Sponsored by the Alabama Bankers Association and hosted by USA, the Alabama Banking School is the only banking school in the state. This summer marked its 30th anniversary year. Standing from the left are John Duncan, banking school director and board chair; Dr. Robert Bennett, education director and former Mitchell College of Business faculty member; Dr. Carl Moore, banking school instructor and dean of the Mitchell College of Business; and Ron Best, bank simulation coordinator. Seated from the left are Alabama Banking School seniors Kay Sartain from Bank of Walker County in Jasper, Ala., Liz Braswell from AmeriFirst Bank in Montgomery, Melinda McCullough from Peachtree Bank in Clanton, Ala., and John Eringman from Regions Financial Corporation in Mobile.

The bankers attended a weeklong resident session at the USA Brookley campus for three consecutive summers. They are also required to do home-study problems and assignments between sessions.

One-quarter of the school’s instructors are faculty from USA’s Mitchell College of Business. Other instructors include senior-level professionals in the banking industry, bank regulators and accounting professionals.

This is the school’s 30th anniversary year, and this summer it celebrated its 1,500th graduate.

Alabama State Treasurer Kay Ivey was among the first class of graduates from the banking school, which was established in 1975. USA has been host to the school since its inception.