Emily Gardner is a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Fair Lending professional with expertise in CRA strategy, examination management, community development, and regulatory compliance. She has led CRA and Fair Lending initiatives through complex regulatory examinations, served as the primary liaison with federal examiners, and helped guide institutions through evolving CRA expectations and organizational growth. Her work contributed to First Western Trust Bank’s strongest CRA examination performance to date, including the institution’s first Large Bank CRA examination.

Emily is passionate about transforming CRA from a compliance function into a strategic driver of community investment. She implemented an innovative loan-mining strategy that significantly expanded community development lending and launched the Up & Adams financial literacy initiative in partnership with local government to increase access to financial education for low- and moderate-income communities. She firmly believes CRA can be both strategic and enjoyable—yes, those two things can coexist.

At findCRA FOCUS 2026, Emily will share practical insights on CRA program management, examination preparation, community development strategy, and building high-performing CRA programs that create lasting value for financial institutions and the communities they serve.