The trade group's leader touted progress in areas such as qualified mortgages and flood insurance, but he also encouraged members to keep speaking out against overzealous supervision.

HomeTrust Bancshares created a special call center and encouraged tellers to invite ATM customers inside the branches to answer questions and to differentiate the company from Bank of America in terms of fees.

There was plenty for banks to be encouraged about in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s most recent Quarterly Banking Profile, which reported comprehensive industry earnings for the fourth quarter and all of 2014. Community bank lending is showing steady growth, capital levels keep rising and the FDIC's insurance reserves are stabilizing. But the numbers also contained worrisome signs. Here are key takeaways from the report.

The $691 million-asset Howard will pay $10.1 million, or $5.09 a share, in cash and stock for the $226 million-asset Patapsco.

The California company has poached lenders from larger rivals, while expanding into specialty finance lines. Those moves have positioned Opus for a growth spurt that should outpace organic growth at most other community banks.

Banks have to invest in mobile technology in order to keep up with millennials. But bankers also need opportunities to rub shoulders with young customers — and small, conveniently situated branches give them an opportunity to do so.

Cambridge Bancorp in Massachusetts will soon have a new president and chief executive.

Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y., has acquired payroll funding firm Damian Services Corp.

WSFS Financial in Wilmington, Del., has agreed to buy Alliance Bancorp Inc. of Pennsylvania in Broomall.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., has agreed to buy Community Financial Shares in Wheaton, Ill.

PacWest needed deposits to fuel its lending machine. Square 1 was drowning in liquidity. Similar deals could be in the works as low-cost deposits become more valuable in light of likely interest-rate increases.

A hedge fund is pressuring Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., to consider spinning off its health savings account division.

Home Bancorp in Lafayette, La., has converted from a federal savings bank to a national bank charter.

The Texas banker, who chaired the ICBA during the financial crisis, feels much better about the regulatory environment for smaller banks. She just wishes that interest rates would finally rise.

The lobbying group's agenda typically includes a general session featuring top regulators. But with the ICBA's Washington Policy Summit two months away, the group opted to steer the focus of its annual convention toward education.

Lawmakers reluctant to offer community banks regulatory relief should consider the empirical evidence of how Dodd-Frank has hurt small lenders — and listen to the federal and state bank regulators calling for changes.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., is looking to raise funds to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta has acquired Boyett Agency to serve as the foundation for a new insurance division.

An overlooked issue in the plan to reform Federal Home Loan bank membership could inadvertently jeopardize the local focus of the system by allowing insurance companies to apply for membership in any of the 12 districts.

PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles has agreed to buy Square 1 Financial in Durham, N.C.