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Ohio Bankers League Announces Sara McCarty as Recipient of the 2026 Next Generation Leadership Award

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Ohio Bankers League (OBL) is proud to announce Sara McCarty, Vice President of Commercial Lending at Portage Community Bank, as the recipient of the 2026 Next Generation Leadership Award.

Presented annually at the OBL Next Gen Conference, the award recognizes an emerging leader in Ohio’s banking industry who exemplifies innovation, integrity, collaboration, and a commitment to shaping the future of banking. The honor celebrates professionals who not only excel in their own roles but also inspire others through leadership, service, and a dedication to developing the next generation of industry talent.

Since joining Portage Community Bank in 2019, McCarty has distinguished herself as a rising leader both within her organization and throughout Ohio’s banking community. She has played an important role in advancing the bank’s strategic goals, mentoring new team members, and strengthening relationships throughout the communities the bank serves.

In nominating McCarty for the award, colleague Robert Standardi highlighted her ability to embrace challenges, adapt to change, and consistently seek opportunities to grow as a leader. He noted that her commitment to Portage Community Bank extends beyond her day-to-day responsibilities, as she continually invests in the institution’s future while modeling the ownership mindset and leadership qualities essential to community banking.

McCarty’s leadership and service have earned recognition throughout the industry. In 2024, she was named Lending Advocate of the Year by Alloy Development Co. for her outstanding support of businesses utilizing the SBA 504 program. She is actively engaged in her local community through service on the City of Kent Revolving Loan Fund and participation on the Alloy Project Review Committee.

Her commitment to advancing Ohio’s banking industry is equally evident through her involvement with the Ohio Bankers League. McCarty currently serves as Chair of the OBL Next Generation Advisory Board and served as moderator of the 2026 OBL Next Gen Conference. She is also a graduate of the 2023 OBL Bank Leadership Institute and the 2022 Leadership Portage County program.

Upon accepting the award, McCarty expressed gratitude to the many colleagues, mentors, and peers who have supported her throughout her career. She made special mention of the late Eric Decker, crediting him with much of her professional success and for encouraging her involvement with the Ohio Bankers League.

“Sara represents the very best of community banking’s future,” said Michael Adelman, President and CEO of the Ohio Bankers League. “Her passion for serving customers, developing others, and giving back to both her community and our industry embodies the spirit of this award. We are proud to recognize her accomplishments and look forward to the continued impact she will have on Ohio banking.”

“Sara is a shining star in community banking and a true inspiration for the next generation of bank leadership,” said Standardi. “Her unwavering leadership, industry service, and commitment to developing others make her a deserving recipient of the OBL Next Generation Leadership Award.”

The Ohio Bankers League congratulates Sara McCarty on this well-deserved recognition and thanks her for the leadership and vision she brings to Ohio’s banking industry.

About the Ohio Bankers League
The OBL is the trade association for the Ohio banking industry – and is Ohio’s only organization focused on meeting the needs of all banks and thrifts in the Buckeye State. The OBL is the voice of the Ohio banking industry fostering a cooperation that has made it one of the strongest and most reputable financial trade associations in the country.

By linking banks, bankers, and industry experts – and by pooling their intellectual and capital resources – the OBL serves as a powerful creator of knowledge and collective resources. The non-profit association is comprised of 170-plus FDIC-insured financial institutions including commercial banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations ranging in size from just over $13 million in assets to more than $3.5 trillion.

About Portage Community Bank
Portage Community Bank is dedicated to providing commercial and personal banking solutions and fostering growth within our communities, embodying the philosophy of “Neighbors Serving Neighbors.” With a focus on customer service and community engagement, we strive to meet the financial needs of our customers while contributing to the economic vitality of our community. Portage Community Bank is an equal housing lender and member FDIC. More information about Portage Community Bank can be found on PCB’s website at www.PortageCommunity.Bank.

OBL Contact:
Audra Johnson, Director of Communications
Ohio Bankers League
614.340.7621
ajohnson@ohiobankersleague.com

Bank Contact:
Connie M. Bennett, Chief Executive Officer
Portage Community Bank
330.296.8080
cbennett@portagecommunity.bank

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SOURCE Portage Community Bank

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EBSCO Clinical Decisions Appoints Paul Tuten as Executive Vice President

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~ Seasoned health IT executive and former ONC advisor to lead EBSCO Clinical Decisions as it advances its mission to bring trusted evidence to clinicians at the point of care.~

IPSWICH, Mass., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EBSCO Clinical Decisions today announced the appointment of Paul Tuten as its Executive Vice President. In his role, Tuten will oversee all aspects of EBSCO Clinical Decisions, including strategy, content, product development, and growth. His priorities include advancing the organization’s point-of-care strategy and expanding partnerships that bring expert-vetted DynaMed® content directly into the workflows, platforms, and AI-enabled tools clinicians use every day.

“Paul’s strong and even-handed leadership is an incredible asset as we work to deliver intelligent, evidence-based tools that elevate care delivery,” said Roy Ziegelstein, MD, MACP, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer of DynaMed. “His deep technical expertise and track record in academic publishing will help us take the next step in building and delivering trustworthy, evidence-based solutions for clinicians that integrate natively into their daily workflows, reducing friction and improving care when and where it matters most.”

Tuten joined the company in 2025 as Executive Vice President and Chief Platform Officer at EBSCO Information Services, focused on accelerating scalable growth of EBSCO’s advanced knowledge services. Prior to joining, he was Chief Product and Technology Officer at Taylor & Francis, where he led a global team in driving digital transformation and enhancing data governance, analytics, and platform-centric customer experiences in service to academic researchers. Tuten previously built and repositioned health IT organizations focused on clinical data exchange, patient safety, quality measurement, and revenue cycle management, including at Quantros (now part of RLDatix and Healthcare Bluebook), RxAnte, and ABILITY Network (now part of Inovalon). He holds a PhD in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University.

“For too long, clinical decision support has worked like a paper map. Useful, but only if you pull over to review it and already know where you are. Clinicians need something closer to GPS, seamlessly integrated into the car and proactively guiding them in real time without having to take their eyes off the road,” said Tuten. “At EBSCO Clinical Decisions, our job is to get trusted clinical knowledge everywhere care is delivered. But like GPS, clinical decision support is only as good as the information behind it. With AI tools multiplying and published research outpacing peer review, it’s never mattered more that human experts decide what evidence informs it. I’m excited to help bring this vision to life and set a new standard for point-of-care delivery.”

Tuten has also advised the federal government on health information exchange and interoperability as a Senior Advisor to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In that role, he supported the HITECH Act’s Meaningful Use program and served as a government liaison to EHR vendors on certification criteria.

To learn more about EBSCO Clinical Decisions, click here. 

About EBSCO Clinical Decisions

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) helps people find, access, and apply trusted information. Through its EBSCO Clinical Decisions suite of products, EBSCO delivers evidence-based clinical decision-support solutions designed to help healthcare professionals answer clinical questions, support informed decisions, and improve patient care.

EBSCO Clinical Decisions combines trusted clinical content with advanced technologies to support healthcare organizations and clinicians across clinical decision-making, patient care, learning, and research. The suite is designed to provide current, evidence-based information within the clinical workflow, helping healthcare professionals find the answers they need when they need them. For more information, visit www.clinicaldecisions.com. Visit our blog at Health Notes or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ebsco-clinical-decisions-appoints-paul-tuten-as-executive-vice-president-302918867.html

SOURCE EBSCO Information Services

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College Board Launches AP Cybersecurity to Prepare Students to Protect the Digital World

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New high school course builds foundational skills for college, careers, and service as states connect cybersecurity education to national security needs

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cyber threats reach into everyday life, from scams that steal families’ savings to attacks on utilities and other essential services. Helping students understand and respond to those threats can open doors to further education, employment, and national defense service. College Board’s new AP Cybersecurity course, which was launched in high schools this fall, gives students a place to begin.

In 2025, U.S. employers posted more than half a million job listings requiring cybersecurity skills. Yet many students have little opportunity to learn about cybersecurity in high school or see where those skills could take them.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/college_board/9381153-en-college-board-launches-ap-cybersecurity

AP Cybersecurity introduces students to the work behind that demand: protecting the systems people depend on. Through practical scenarios, students assess security weaknesses, weigh risks, and investigate evidence of attacks. An assignment might ask them to evaluate threats to internet-connected farm equipment or recommend protections for computer networks aboard a naval submarine.

These assignments help students see how cybersecurity skills apply across industries and in national defense. Indiana offers an example of how those connections can take shape. The statewide Cybersecurity Partnership brings together high schools, colleges, employers, and the Indiana National Guard to help students explore routes into further education, employment, and military service.

The course and partnerships like Indiana’s address two connected needs: giving students an introduction to cybersecurity and helping them understand where continued learning could lead. For students, that connection gives classroom assignments a larger purpose. Investigating a security weakness today can be a first step toward learning how to protect a hospital, secure a business, or defend the country.

Interested in learning more? Talk to your school district or high school to see if they are offering AP Cybersecurity or visit collegeboard.org

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/college-board-launches-ap-cybersecurity-to-prepare-students-to-protect-the-digital-world-302918558.html

SOURCE College Board

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Alkami to Host Webinar with Thomaston Savings Bank on Using Predictive AI to Deliver Data-Driven Guidance and Accelerate Growth

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Leaders from Alkami and Thomaston Savings Bank will discuss how financial institutions can use predictive AI and behavioral signals to drive strategic growth and strengthen account holder relationships

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT) (“Alkami”), a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., today announced an upcoming webinar hosted with Thomaston Savings Bank, “Guess Less and Grow More with Predictive AI.” The webinar will take place Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

As account holders increasingly expect more personalized and proactive experiences, financial institutions have an opportunity to leverage data to deliver tailored guidance during every interaction. According to Alkami research, 44% of Americans who use digital banking wish their primary financial provider did a better job anticipating their financial needs and goals.1

The upcoming webinar will explore how financial institutions can respond to these expectations by using predictive artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth across deposits and lending while strengthening primary relationships. Speakers will discuss how Alkami’s Data & Marketing Solution uses behavioral insights and predictive AI to help institutions identify growth opportunities and deliver more personalized outreach.

Featured speakers include:

Kent Blacksher, strategic account executive, AlkamiEthan O’Day, business intelligence analyst, Thomaston Savings Bank

“Data helps us understand how customers engage, but the real value comes from understanding what those behaviors may tell us about their needs,” said Ethan O’Day, business intelligence analyst, Thomaston Savings Bank. “Predictive AI can help us focus our outreach sooner and make it more relevant, while our team’s expertise keeps the work grounded in the relationships we have with our customers.”

During the session, attendees will learn how to:

Identify deposit and lending opportunities using behavioral signalsCreate more relevant outreach for customers and membersRecognize engagement and attrition signals earlierSimplify campaign execution and move from insight to actionBuild marketing strategies that support growth and retention

The presentation will explore real examples of how data-activated campaigns drive faster product adoption, along with insights into how predictive AI can help guide your team’s strategy.

“Financial institutions have more data than ever, but data creates value when teams can turn insight into action,” said Kent Blacksher, strategic account executive at Alkami. “Combining predictive AI with human expertise allows marketing teams to skip the guesswork while building stronger account holder relationships.”

To register for the webinar, visit here.

To learn more about Anticipatory Banking and the Alkami Digital Sales & Service Platform, visit here.

About Alkami
Alkami provides a digital sales and service platform for U.S. banks and credit unions. Our unified Platform integrates onboarding, digital banking, and data and marketing—each solution can stand alone, but together they deliver more—to help institutions onboard, engage, and grow relationships. As the future shifts toward Anticipatory Banking, we help data-informed bankers meet the moment with technology that drives action.

1 Alkami Proprietary Research. 2026 Digital Banking Americans Research Study. Online survey of 1,500 U.S. digital banking Americans conducted March 26–April 22, 2026.

Media Relations Contacts
Vested
alkami@fullyvested.com

Marla Pieton
marla.pieton@alkami.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alkami-to-host-webinar-with-thomaston-savings-bank-on-using-predictive-ai-to-deliver-data-driven-guidance-and-accelerate-growth-302918495.html

SOURCE Alkami Technology, Inc.

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