About GBA University
GBA University is the virtual campus for all of GBA's learning, career planning and networking offerings that are essential for the continuing education and development for Georgia's career bankers.

GBA-U is about YOUR continued learning:

• In-person seminars

• Webinars

• Banking Schools

• AIB Courses

• Conferences

Check the GBA-U home page for all the details.

In This Issue:
Spring Forward with Lots of Valuable GBA Educational Offerings

Check out the great GBA-University offerings coming up during the next couple of months. We've got volunteer openings on committees, so now's a great time to get involved and share your expertise and passion for banking. There are so many different channels through which GBA-U can help you stay up to date, learn more and add new skills for your career. So, there's a way to keep your training and development on track regardless of your budget or schedule. Our lineup of conferences, schools, seminars, webinars and AIB offerings to suit every topic of importance to you as a career banker. We're sure you'll find something that is of importance and interest to your training and development needs. Click below for details about each of the following:
 

HR Alert: Still Time to Join us for the Annual HR Professionals Institute

Get Involved at the GBA: Share Your Expertise by Volunteering for a GBA Committee

Perhaps the greatest strength of your Association is the more than 225 bankers who volunteer each year to serve on GBA's 16 standing committees or boards. Committee membership provides leadership, subject-matter expertise and the opportunity to directly influence our efforts to help all members better manage the rapidly changing political, regulatory and educational needs of today’s banking environment. Chuck Williams, GBA’s Chairman-elect and President and CEO of North Georgia Bank, Watkinsville, continues this year's committee appointment process by looking for bankers who want to join their colleagues from across Georgia in service to their industry. “It is a critical time for our industry, so we need the best and brightest bank leaders serving on our committees,” he said. “And, involvement builds lifelong friendships and business opportunities as wonderful byproducts of service to our industry.” Please see the fact sheet describing the committees, boards and their roles, and the volunteer form for recommending someone for a committee or to volunteer yourself. Contact GBA’s Marybeth Jones at 404.420.2032 for more information.

Southeastern Community Bank Symposium Scheduled for March 24

Smart Money Habits Start Early: Participate in Teach Children to Save Day – April 27

Make plans now to teach kids in your community important personal finance skills by participating the ABA Education Foundation’s National Teach Children to Save Day. On Tuesday, April 27, bankers will visit schools nationwide encouraging students to become life‐long savers. “These kids are our future bankers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and community leaders,” said Leadership GBA President Kelly Yielding with McIntosh State Bank in Jackson. “Learning the value of saving at an early age is a vital lesson for them and is critical to our community’s future.” To help you plan or present a lesson, the foundation has created a Teach Children to Save resource kit. Available for K-6 and 7-12 age groups, the resource kits have multiple lesson plans that explain the difference between needs and wants, ways to identify expenses and how priorities can influence spending. For more information on Teach Children to Save Day or to purchase Teach Children to Save resource kits, please visit www.abaef.com or call 1-800-BANKERS.

Why You Should Enroll in the Georgia Banking School

Banking's new environment requires “back to basics” lending skills, people skills and a renewed focus on relationship customers. That's why the Georgia Banking School is simply the best investment in human capital development you can make. Conducted at the University of Georgia May 2-7, the school's curriculum emphasizes all the skills career bankers need. For example, considerable attention is devoted to underwriting and originating loans as well as to the management of loans as a portfolio of assets. And, the curriculum focuses on rebuilding your customer base, changing your business mix from real estate lending to a more balanced mix of small business and personal relationships and the use of marketing, technology and people power to attract and retain customers. Coursework also includes the economy, regulatory issues, compliance topics and the best “Bank Executive” management simulation taught by the best instructor in the country. Plus, by means of a number of interactive workshops and panels, executives from Georgia banks offer their insights into the banking issues of the day. There's simply no better comprehensive program for emerging career bankers. For more information or to register, contact GBA’s Marybeth Jones at 404.420.2032.

National Economic, Business Experts Headline 2010 Annual Convention

Latest Investigation Interview Techniques Session Slated for Annual Security Conference

Interviewing employees is both an art and a science. In this workshop you will learn some of the successful techniques used to interview suspects and gain confessions. Join Bob Anderson, formerly senior vice president, Protective Services Division, Bank of America, as he discusses preparation, documentation and other valuable tools available to make you a better interviewer. This is one of the many outstanding agenda items planned by GBA’s 2009-2010 Security Committee for this year’s conference April 13-14 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The Renaissance Waverly Hotel is offering GBA members a special rate of $149. The rate is based on availability, so make your reservations early by calling the hotel directly at 770.953.4500. For more information or to register by phone, please call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at 404.420.2032.

Bank Trainer Peer Group Meeting Scheduled for May 6

Career Paths for Bankers: Job-Specific Development Mapped Out and Easy to Find

GBA University’s Career Paths for Bankers^TM is the fast and easy way to identify job-specific ongoing development courses for key staff members. In all, we have identified the 44 most common jobs for you, listed their job responsibilities and listed all related development resources for each. Here are two examples and the types of opportunities coming up for those job titles:
 

Let's Get Started: AIB Instructor-Led Online Courses for April

Here are the instructor-led AIB online classes offered the month of April. These courses are instructor-facilitated with weekly assignments and can be taken from your home or your office. All you need is a computer, printer and Internet access. (Classes with an asterisk * require Microsoft Excel Software.) Please register two weeks in advance to secure a seat in the class.

• Understanding Bank Performance, 5 weeks, $315 (March 29)

• Analyzing Bank Performance, 7 weeks, $745 (April 19)

• Commercial Lending, 16 weeks, $405 (April 19)

• General Accounting, 16 weeks, $515 (April 19)

• Introduction to Agricultural Lending, 8 weeks, $375 (April 19)

• Marketing Financial Services, 16 weeks, $405 (April 26)

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $405 (April 19)

• Principles of Banking Accelerated, 10 weeks, $335 (April 19)

• Today’s Teller:  Developing Basic Skills, 8 weeks, $315 (April 5)

• Trust Basics, 16 weeks, $405 (April 26)

• Trust Operations, 15 weeks, $405 (April 19)

There is still availability in the following AIB online classes for March. Please register as soon as possible to secure a seat in the class.

• Economics for Bankers, 16 weeks, $405 (March 22)

• Law & Banking: Principles, 16 weeks, $455 (March 22)

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $405 (March 22)

Please see the AIB Online Course Schedule for a complete listing or call GBA’s Alison Moreau at 404.420.2034 with questions.

In-Person Seminars: Five Great Topics Coming up

• Cash Flow Analysis – March 24, Macon
  This program is an introduction and a practical approach to cash flow analysis. It is designed to assist participants in understanding how to craft a statement of cash flows, improve the quality of credit decisions and increase the understanding of how a potential borrower will repay your loan.

• Employee Investigations – March 30, Macon
  This seminar is designed for Bank Security Officers, Human Systems Managers, Auditors, Financial Center Managers, and Department Managers. Learn about evidence collections, workplace violence, interviews, interrogation and much more.

• Collections and Recovery – April 7, Macon
  This seminar will provide a comprehensive overview of fundamental legal principles involved in the collection process. After completing the seminar, participants will have a working knowledge of the general collection process.

• Basic Deposit and Operations Compliance – April 13, Macon
  In easy-to-understand language, this one-day seminar will cover the regulatory requirements in the area of deposit and operations compliance.

• Basic Loan Compliance – April 14-15, Macon
  This two-day seminar provides an in-depth look at loan compliance. It will cover basic compliance requirements, common problem areas, and will offer extensive question and answer opportunities to address individual concerns. We will also complete several “real-world” loan compliance reviews and develop “risk-based” loan compliance “self-audit” checklists.

March and April Webinars: Call Report Preparation, Advanced Loan Documentation, Lending Essentials and More

Just a reminder that GBA is offering the following webinars:

All webinars are live and allow time for questions and answers. The $250 registration fee gives you access to one web site "seat," one telephone site license and all handout materials. If you can't attend the webinar, you may buy the audio CD, handout materials and a password to see the information online. With questions, please call GBA's Courtenay Pope at 404.420.2015.

Like it? Pass It On, or Recommend a Subscription

If you like GBA-U Edge be sure and forward it to others at your bank. And, if you think someone at your bank should get it, send us an e-mail with their name, title and e-mail address and we'll add them to our monthly distribution. There's no better way to share and enhance the value of GBA University as a resource for your bank's continued success.

Georgia Bankers Association • 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1050, Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone 404.522.1501 • Fax 404.522.9848 • www.gabankers.com