Attracting Quality 

             Developing Loyalty

                          Embracing Leadership

Meet Our Family                                        Executives

Kathy Orr Smith

President

Ms. Smith brings 28+ years of benefits experience to Bank Compensation Consulting.  She was formerly president of a national estate planning company, where she spearheaded the implementation of estate planning programs in numerous banks.  In conjunction with this effort, she conducted specialized training for trust officers in banks across the United States.  This experience has proven invaluable to Ms. Smith’s role with Bank Compensation Consulting, in that she brings a unique perspective to the issues facing banks. Ms. Smith was also instrumental in the development of the Community Bankers Scholarship Program™, which offers community banks an innovative way to award college scholarships to local youth. In addition, she oversees the design and implementation of nonqualified benefit plans for officers and directors of financial institutions, provides comprehensive ownership succession and management succession and integrates overall compensation with the bank’s strategic plan. Valuable incentives are an integral part of these compensation plans.  She works with banks to develop an understanding of current and long-term needs; provides an analysis of existing compensation and benefit practices; and then prepares recommendations that address impact on cash flows, earnings, shareholder value, and other bank objectives to facilitate board approval.  She has presented seminars through Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and other various state banking trade organizations.  In addition, she has taught courses on financial planning for banking professionals at the Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking.  Ms. Smith graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

 

 

Kelly W. Earls has served the banking community since 1996.  Before that time Mr. Earls practiced law in Dallas, Texas for Robert C. Cox, P.C. from 1994 to 1996.  He has advised hundreds of banks on executive and director benefits, estate planning, ownership succession planning and the appropriate uses of Bank Owned Life Insurance in conjunction with such planning. As a principal of Bank Compensation Consulting, Mr. Earls specializes in designing and implementing nonqualified benefit plans, ownership continuity and estate planning for officers, directors and key shareholders of financial institutions.  He works with banks to develop an understanding of current and long term needs of the ownership and management team; and makes recommendations that address those needs, the impact on the financial statements and facilitates board approval.  Mr. Earls coordinates with the bank accountants, attorneys and other consultants to assure their advice is a part of the planning recommendations. Mr. Earls also works with banks to provide ongoing regulatory support for any planning the bank is currently considering or has implemented.  In this regard, he will visit with regulators to gain approval or he answers questions regulators may have regarding the planning the bank has implemented. Mr. Earls received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s degree and a law degree from Texas Tech University.  Mr. Earls is both a licensed CPA and licensed attorney in the State of Texas.

 

Kelly Earls

Principal