Even though it is too soon to get the industry together in person, the IPA continues to help payments professionals keep up with trends in the industry at its online Innovative Payments Conference. 

The conference kicked off with a discussion of Banking as a Service, which forms the underpinning of many fintechs. IPA member Metabank led a discussion that included Visa, NetSpend, and Modern Treasury. 

We discussed data sharing with Consumer Reports and the Financial Data Exchange. The FDIC presented results from its household banking survey. 

Wednesday wrapped up with a cocktail class that featured the head mixologist of Old Elk distillery who explained how to make a Manhattan and discussed payments in the service industry during the pandemic. We also presented our Skiba volunteer awards and the Terrence P. Maher Prepaid Influencer Award.

Skiba volunteer awards were presented to the following members for their work on the IPA Fintech Glossary.

• Lori Breitzke, Vice President – Product Management, Prepaid & EBT, Commercial & Data Products, FIS    
• Don Becker, VP Prepaid Card Partnerships, CommercePayments, Commerce Bank   
• Liz Nutting, Executive Relationship Manager, Prepaid Business Development, Discover Global Network   

For her help with member recruitment and her service on the IPA Board and finance committee, a Skiba was awarded to:

• Joan Herman, Chief Operating Officer, Paysign

The IPA presented the annual Terrence P. Maher Prepaid Influencer Award to IPA Board Member Emeritus Nora Arpin.
And we are only halfway through the first week. Upcoming sessions include a look at payments around the world, with a panel of international payments associations, how to manage your career as the economy emerges from the recession, and a look at what the North Korean hack of Sony Pictures can teach payments companies. 

​If you’d like to attend these and get access to the recordings of previous sessions, you can still register. Visit IPC 2021 - Innovative Payments Association (ipa.org)

​On Wednesday, April 14, IPA presented the annual Terrence P. Maher Prepaid Influencer Award to IPA Board Member Emeritus Nora Arpin. The award, sponsored by Baird Holm LLP, was created in honor of Terry Maher, who served as general counsel for the association for eight years until he passed away in 2014. 
 
Nora has been a long-time member as well as having served as the vice chair or the IPA Board. She has been instrumental in the Association’s efforts to advocate on behalf of the industry, and was among the first to identify brokered deposits as an important issue for the association to address. 
 
Congratulations to Nora on this well-deserved honor!