2026 Citizens Business Summit
Registration has now closed. Please contact Kasey Culbert for further registration inquiries. Her contact information is listed below.
The 2026 Citizens Business Summit is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. Speakers this year include economist, Dr. Ed Seifried, Gene Marks from The Marks Group, and Major General Terry Grisham, Director of Redstone Transition Team, U.S. Space Command.
CPAs may receive 3.8 hours CPE after attending the 2026 Citizens Business Summit. Please contact Kasey Culbert to request a certificate which will be provided following the summit.
Event Location
Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge
1155 Lodge Drive
Guntersville, AL 35976
2026 Summit Agenda
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Check-in & Breakfast
8:15 am - 8:25 am
Invocation, Pledge, and Summit Welcome
Mike Alred
Chairman of the Board – Citizens Bank & Trust
Alan Hurtado
Citizens Bank & Trust Albertville High School Aggie Branch
Ella Beth Kirkland
Citizens Bank & Trust Guntersville High School Wildcat Branch
Charlie Williams
CEO – Citizens Bank & Trust
8:25 am – 9:30 am
Economic Update
Dr. Ed Seifried
Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business – Lafayette College, Easton Pennsylvania
9:30 am – 9:45 am
Break
9:45 am – 10:50 am
Beyond 2026 – From Washington to Your Workplace
Gene Marks – The Marks Group PC
10:50 am – 11:05 am
Break - Refreshments Available
11:05 am – 12:10 pm
U.S. Space Command Transitions to Huntsville
Raymond M. Ruscoe, Ph.D. Colonel, USSF
Deputy Director, Redstone Transition Team
United States Space Command
Huntsville, Alabama
12:10 pm – 12:15 pm
Closing Remarks, Lunch Invitation
Charlie Williams, CEO – Citizens Bank & Trust
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Lunch
The Citizens Business Summit
Fostering awareness in a challenging economic landscape
The Citizens Business Summit ("Summit") takes place in September of each year at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. Since its inception in 2016, the Summit has brought the business community of North Alabama together for a "mini-conference", hosted by our Bank, and filled with economic, small business, and industry experts. The thought and effort behind the Summit arose from the desire of our institution to be much more than a Bank in the communities we serve. To be leaders, with a servant-hood corporate agenda that extends much further than simply accepting deposits and making loans. Each year over 200 attendees come together to learn, grow, and network. Our goal continues to be to provide them with something to take away, that can be helpful in their daily business or professional lives, and in their personal lives as well. Previous Summit speakers include: Lt. Col. Robert J. Darling who was the highest ranking military official in the White House on 9/11 and is author of 24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker, small business expert, Gene Marks; New York Times best-selling author, Andy Andrews; economists Loren C. Scott and Dr. Ed Seifried and more.
Contact
Kasey C. Culbert
VP/Marketing
[email protected]
Citizens Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 250
Guntersville, AL 35976
256-505-4600