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

The hundreds of offerings and a
GBA-U's top-notch staff and instructors are why Georgia bankers rely on GBA-U as the principal outside resource they use in accomplishing their goals and objectives.

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

In This Issue:

Build Momentum with Year-End and New-Year Events, Classes

The clock on 2010 may be running out, but the November and December schedule for GBA-University is always packed with great training and development opportunities, continuing into the new year. We see these late-year and new-year offerings as great ways to keep the momentum going so you and your bank don't miss a beat with the latest trends, important industry updates and the most current skills. GBA-U is about you and your peer bankers getting the best, most valuable training and development available. There's something for everyone, so check out all the links and information below.

In Their Words: By Walker Jordan, Vice President, Bank of Monticello

My GBA-U Holiday Wish List

I've been attending GBA-U events since 2006, and I feel the GBA-U always presents the best training and education options in the industry. With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to tell you about four GBA events on my wish list and why. Your bank can give its shareholders and customers the gift of an expertly trained staff by sending employees to any of these events throughout the next year. All the details are available on the GBA University web page or linked in the list:

1. Credit Conference, Dec. 2. The GBA's Credit Conference is a great source of current information on economic and regulatory information during a time when most banks are finalizing their budgets and strategies for 2011. 

2. Legislative Reception & Legislative/Economic Forum, Jan. 12, 2011. The best opportunity to meet new members of the Georgia House and Senate and introduce our local representatives to GBA staff to further build good relationships with our representatives. 

3. Leadership GBA Conference. This event is a great chance to grow as a leader, meet other bankers from around the state as well as hear economic and regulatory updates from very knowledgeable presenters. 

4. Georgia Banking School, May 1-6, 2011. To me, graduating from the Georgia Banking School was the most significant step I've taken in my career at the bank. A commitment to the Georgia Banking School program immediately communicates a desire to move up.

What events are on your GBA-U events wish list? Take a moment to let us know. From the entire GBA-U staff, have a great holiday season!

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GBA's Senior Lending Officer Peer Group Meeting and Credit Conference

The second meeting of GBA's Senior Lending Officer Peer Group on Dec. 2 will serve as the lead in to our annual Credit Conference.  Both meetings will be held in the same room at the Cobb Galleria. The Peer Group registration begins at 8 a.m. and Credit Conference registration begins at 1 p.m. Remember, the Peer Group is complimentary for those attending the Credit Conference. If you are attending both events, please register for both individually in order to receive a box lunch between events. With questions, please contact GBA's Alison Moreau at 404.420.2034 or Marybeth Jones at 404.420.2032

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Bank Trainer Peer Group Meeting Scheduled for Jan 26.

Please join us for GBA-U's Bank Trainer Peer Group on, Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Georgia Bank and Trust Company Training Center, Martinez. Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Chris DiLorenzo, President of The James Paul Group, Duluth. He will address the constant challenges of how to recognize training opportunities through observations and interviews, product knowledge testing and post training evaluations and measurements. We will finish up with an open forum discussion. With questions about the meeting, please contact GBA's Alison Moreau at 404.420.2034.

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GBA's Legislative Reception and Legislative and Economic Update - Jan. 12

GBA will host its annual Legislative Reception honoring the members of the General Assembly, the Constitutional Officers, the statewide Judiciary and other dignitaries Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. This year we'll be at The Commerce Club's new location on the 49th Floor of the of the 191 Peachtree Building. The GBA Board of Directors, the GBA Public Affairs Committee members and the GBA BankPAC Board of Directors will also host a Legislative and Economic update that afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. Joe Keating, Chief Investment Officer, CenterState Bank, NA, Atlanta will provide an update of the current national and state economic environment. Also joining us will be key Georgia legislators to bring you up to date on the latest issues the banking industry will be facing in the 2011 legislative session. The hotel and the 191 Peachtree Building are adjacent to each other, so there's no travel involved between the afternoon session and the reception. Detailed information about the reception has been mailed. A block of sleeping rooms has been reserved at the Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, for the night of Jan. 12. The negotiated rate is $179 per night for a single or double room. You may reserve a room by calling the hotel directly at 404.659.0400 or 800.241.3333. Be sure to tell them you are with the Georgia Bankers Association. These rooms will be held until Friday, Dec. 17, 2010. Parking will also be available at the Commerce Club. With questions, please call GBA's Susie McGehee at 404.420.2010.

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Register for GBA Webinars Today

Just a reminder that GBA will offer the following upcoming webinars. Click the links below for details and access to registration. These webinars offer a relatively low-cost and thorough way to make the most of your training budget. 

• How to Comply With the New Risk-Based Pricing Regulations - Nov. 23

• Secured Transactions - Nov. 30

• Surviving the Perfect Storm - Capital, Liquidity, and NPA Resolution - Dec. 1

• Safe Deposit Compliance & Legal - 2010 Update - Dec. 7

• IRS Information Reporting: 1098s, 1099s, and TIN Compliance - Dec. 7

• Understanding Letters of Credit - Dec. 8

• 2010 IRS Information Reporting - Part 1 - Dec. 8

• Flood Insurance Review & Update - Dec. 9

• Excelling at Coaching Performance - Dec. 9

• Fighting Payments Fraud - Dec. 10

• Check Holds - Dec. 14

• Private Education Loans - Dec. 15

• Games Trainers Play - Dec. 15

• 2010 IRS Information Reporting - Part 2 - Dec. 15

• 2010 Lending Compliance Update - Dec. 20

All webinars are live and allow time for questions and answers. The $255 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.

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Seminars: Loan Documentation, Employee Investigations and Financial Statements
An important aspect of any job is to receive great training. That's why GBA-U offers a variety of in-person seminars. What are the advantages of attending an in-person seminar? It allows you to have personal interaction with the speaker, ask specific questions, participate in peer discussions and truly have a more memorable experience while receiving pertinent information. GBA-U will host the upcoming in-person seminars this fall listed below. For more details, click on the seminar of your choice. See you there!

• Advanced Loan Documentation - Dec. 2, Macon
  This is the second of two seminars on loan documentation. This seminar will focus on more complex and problematic aspects of construction and commercial loans. Highlights will include a recap of the Introductory Course on Loan Documentation: review of basic loan documentation, collateral types and the condition of borrowers and guarantors, due diligence, problem loans and much more.

• Analyzing Personal Financial Statements - Dec. 9, Macon
  This program will cover step-by-step the process of analyzing personal financial statements and tax returns, including how to identify the borrower's ability to repay your loan from a cash flow analysis, identify new cross-selling opportunities, spot fraudulent tax returns and much more

• Collections and Recovery - Dec. 16, 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.

• Employee Investigations - Jan. 18, Macon
  This interactive one-day seminar will help you deal with the obstacles and challenges you face when conducting employee investigations. Some of the topics to be covered include: Somebody's Stealing, NOW WHAT?; Evidence Collection, Analysis, & Organization - Get it Right; Playing Detective - Interview and Interrogation; and Workplace Violence.

• Analyzing Commercial Financial Statements - Jan. 27, Macon
  This one-day workshop is designed to introduce and utilize a comprehensive and consistent approach to analyzing commercial financial statements. Emphasis is placed on a practical methodology to assist bankers in evaluating the creditworthiness of a company. 

 With questions or details please call or email GBA's Courtenay Pope at 404.420.2015.

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Suggest a Course: Your Needs Drive GBA-U Offerings

We want to make sure we keep putting the "you" in GBA-U. If there's something we don't offer on our regular calendar, let us know what might be helpful. We'll see if we can build a special program based on your suggestion. E-bulletin readers, send our GBA-University staff an e-mail with your suggestion. Be sure to give us some idea about how you'd prefer to get the training such as an in-person seminar, webinar or other channel, and a reasonably convenient location suggestion for in-person course suggestions. Or you can fill out and fax back this form.

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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.

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