For finding opportunities that few others did, and capitalizing on them to generate record profits that positioned Bank of the Ozarks for growth during the downturn, George Gleason is one of American Banker's community bankers of the year for 2010.

Sunwest's strong performance over the past year (when the average return on equity for its peers has been in negative territory) under his leadership has earned Glenn Gray the Community Banker of the Year award for 2010.

FirstBank is one of the best-performing banking companies in the country, and it managed to sidestep many of the problems that unraveled so many banks in recent years. That is why American Banker has chosen John Ikard as one of the Community Bankers of the Year for 2010.

Although some might see Elizabeth Warren as a peculiar choice for American Banker's Innovator of the Year, her concept — enacted into law by the Dodd-Frank Act — has the potential to redefine the business of banking.

For a long career in which he shaped the central bank and influenced regulatory reform, American Banker has given Paul Volcker its 2010 Lifetime Achievement award.