Legislature to Reconvene for Final Days
The Georgia General Assembly will return from a week-long recess on Tuesday, April 10^th, for the 34th Legislative Day of their 40-day annual session.  The biggest remaining issues the members will have to resolve are the 2007 supplemental budget and the fiscal 2008 budget.  You have probably seen press reports about the philosophical differences between the House and Senate on what should be funded in the supplemental budget.  The Senate is taking the position that the supplemental budget should be used to fund emergency needs such as shortfalls in the PeachCare program and education.  The House is following a long-standing tradition of pre-funding programs that could also be funded in the regular fiscal year budget.  We expect the two sides to get together quickly to resolve their differences.  As far as banking issues are concerned, our major emphasis will be on getting H.B. 441 through the Senate.  This is the legislation introduced at GBA’s request to repeal a new tax increase some of our members have experienced from legislation passed in 2005 dealing with income from U.S. Government obligations.  The bill is pending in the Senate Rules Committee which controls the flow of legislation to the full Senate.  The only other major bill still of concern is the Banking Department’s housekeeping bill.  That bill, S.B. 70, is pending before the House Rules Committee.  The House Banks and Banking Committee amended the bill so it will have to go back to the Senate for further consideration after it passes the House.

Congress Gearing Up on Housing Issues
 For the last couple of years, several members of Congress have been working on draft legislation to reform the real estate settlement procedures for home buyers.  With the huge number of mortgage defaults, especially in the subprime mortgage lending area, Congress will continue holding hearings with the possibility of reform legislation being passed.  House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has also been pressing to pass a nationwide anti-predatory lending statute.  That bill could also quickly gain momentum because of the defaults in the subprime markets.  The federal banking regulators are not sitting on the sidelines.  These regulators issued a joint request for public comment last month on a proposed statement on subprime mortgage lending to address certain risks and emerging issues relating to subprime mortgage lending practices, specifically, particular adjustable-rate mortgage lending products.  The proposal addresses concerns that subprime borrowers may not fully understand the risks and consequences of obtaining these products, and that the products may pose an elevated credit risk to financial institutions. In particular, the proposed guidance focuses on loans that involve repayment terms that exceed the borrower’s ability to service the debt without refinancing or selling the property.  We expect these issues to continue to receive spotlight attention in Congress.

We will miss...
Russell A. Blanchard, one of the icons in Georgia banking, died last Saturday at age 99.  Mr. Blanchard was a retired president of Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, the bank he worked with his entire career.  Mr. Blanchard was President of the Georgia Bankers Association from 1960-1961 and spent thousands of hours in service to the industry.  Perhaps his greatest legacy to the industry was his passion for educating bankers.  He was the founding dean of GBA’s Georgia Banking School at the University of Georgia and served in that role for over two decades.  “Mr. Blanchard was one of the first people to welcome me to the staff of the GBA back in 1980 and we stayed in contact throughout the years,” said GBA President Joe Brannen.  “There was no finer example of a true gentleman, committed and caring banker and community leader than Russell Blanchard.  He set the standard for not only his generation but those generations of bankers who followed him,” Joe concluded.

Still Time to Register for Op/Tech Conference
The 2007 Operations and Technology Conference will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 17^th and 18^th, in Atlanta at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel.  The 2006-2007 Operations/Technology Committee has carefully planned this conference to feature those subjects that are pertinent to you and your bank:  Emerging Payments Trends, A Phased Approach to Product Profitability, Using Technology to Deliver Services and Secure Data, Fraud Detection, Remote Merchant Capture, Branch Capture and Teller Capture, Peer Discussions and an IT Cost Savings Panel Discussion.  For room reservations, please call the Renaissance Waverly directly at (770) 953-4500.  Please click here to register online or you may call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 with questions.

50-year Bankers to be Recognized
GBA is proud to recognize Georgia bankers who have devoted 50 years or more of service to the banking industry.  These bankers will be honored at the 2007 Annual Convention in June.  Please help us properly recognize the bankers who have reached this important milestone by sending a letter to GBA’s Susie McGehee with the following information:  

• Banker’s name and current title

• Bank name

• His/her years of service

• Brief work history

• Photograph of banker nominated

• Name of the nominating banker

In order for us to give these bankers proper recognition at the annual meeting, this information must be received in the GBA office by Friday, May 18.  If you have any questions, please contact Susie at (404) 420-2010. 

Calling All PEP Report Cards!
Leadership GBA’s  2006-2007 PEP goal is to make at least 65,000 contacts.  To date, only  9,600 contacts have been reported to the GBA office.  The PEP reporting deadline date is May 31 and we need your help to achieve our goal!  It’s easy to report your PEP contacts.  Each time you return from a visit to a school or other group presentation, simply complete a PEP Report Card.  Please click here to access an online report card.  Remember that your National Teach Children to Save Day presentations can be reported as PEP contacts.  If you have any questions or need assistance, please call GBA’s Jennifer Stevens at (404) 420-4024.  Send those PEP Report Cards to GBA today!

Bankruptcy, Garnishment, Liens, and Levies Seminar Scheduled for April 10
Recent legislation has created changes and modifications in Federal Bankruptcy Law.  In response to a rise in questions surrounding these issues, the Georgia Bankers Association will host its Bankruptcy, Garnishment, Liens, and Levies seminar on Tuesday, April 10 at the Macon Ramada Plaza (formerly Crowne Plaza, Macon).  The registration fee is $195 per person and Gary Moser with Moser, Rose & Cox, in Valdosta, will instruct this course.  Designed for CEOs, bank attorneys, collection officers, compliance officers and operation officers, this workshop is timely, comprehensive, relevant and applicable for every bank and thrift in Georgia.  Major topics to be covered include Georgia Garnishment Law - Bank liability for wrongful compliance; Garnishments filed on the bank by third parties; Georgia Lien/Levy Law - Bank’s responsibility & liability; and Georgia Bankruptcy Law.  Please click here to register online.  With questions, please contact GBA’s Courtenay Pope at (404) 420-2015 or Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.

Chris Low to Provide Economic Update at Leadership Conference
Registrations are coming in at a steady pace for Leadership GBA’s 47^th annual Leadership Conference.  Bankers across Georgia will convene on July 15-18 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra, Florida.  But no conference would be complete without an economic update.  The housing correction began in early 2006, but entered a new phase in the first quarter of this year when subprime foreclosure rates started climbing and dozens of mortgage lenders closed their doors.  Credit standards are tightening, the economy is slowing, but the Fed continues to fight last year’s rise in inflation.  Chris Low, Chief Economist with FTN Financial in New York, NY, will show how the changing credit landscape affects the outlook for the economy, inflation, the Fed and the markets.  The conference will also provide excellent networking opportunities for bankers from around the state to share ideas.  For additional information, please call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 or Jennifer Stevens at (404) 420-2024.

Spring 2007 AIB Classroom Course
AIB classes meet three hours each week for two to 15 weeks and are held at a local financial institution.  If you would like to see a specific AIB course offered in your area or if you have any questions about AIB classroom courses, please contact GBA’s Alison Moreau at (404) 420-2034.  We have one final AIB classroom course for this spring starting next week.  Commercial Lending will be taught by Steve McFarland of Gwinnett Community Bank, Duluth beginning April 12 for 10 weeks.  The cost of the course is only $195 and the textbook is an additional $90.

Register Today for AIB Online Courses
Just a reminder that the following AIB Online classes begin on April 30.  Please register two weeks in advance to secure a seat in the class.  These courses are instructor-facilitated with weekly assignments and can be taken from the comfort of your home or the convenience of your office. All you need is a computer, printer and Internet access. (Classes with an asterisk * require Microsoft Excel.)

• ABA Online Review Course for the CTFA Exam (open enrollment), 12 weeks, $795

• Fundamentals of Consumer Lending, 5 weeks, $230

• Marketing Financial Services, 16 weeks, $385

• Today's Teller: Developing Basic Skills* (open enrollment), 8 weeks, $285

• Trust Basics, 16 weeks, $385

There is still LIMITED availability in the following AIB Online classes beginning the week of April 23.  Please register as soon as possible to secure a seat in the class.

• Commercial Lending, 16 weeks, $385

• General Accounting, 16 weeks, $485

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $385

• Trust Operations, 15 weeks, $385

Please see the AIB Online Course Schedule at www.gabankers.com for a complete listing or call GBA’s Alison Moreau at (404) 420-2034 with questions.

Annual Convention Website Pages Can Help Plan Your Trip
The 2007 Annual Convention at the fabulous Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands promises to be an educational and memorable event you won’t want to miss!  This year's agenda includes nationally known speakers discussing many of the hot issues facing bankers today.  A special session for directors is also planned.  Networking opportunities abound in the breakout sessions, social and sporting events. Golf with us at The Blue Tip Golf Resort, view beautiful aquatic life on a genuine submarine, tour Seven Mile Beach in a glass bottom boat, enjoy the thrill of scuba diving among the Cayman's legendary marine life, or play among the Southern Stingrays at Stingray City.  GBA has reserved a block of rooms at the Ritz Carlton at a reduced rate of $279 single or double per night.  Reservations may be made by calling The Ritz-Carlton directly at (800) 241-3333 or (345) 943-9000.   Be sure to say you are with the GBA to receive this special rate.  The cut-off date for reservations is May 15, 2007.  After this date, all reservations will be subject to prevailing rate and space availability.  Please click here to register online or contact GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 with questions about the Convention.  If you have already registered and want to begin making plans for your trip while you're on the island, GBA's convention website is full of information to help.

Rural Development and Lending Conference on May 17-18
The Rural Development and Lending Conference will be held on May 17-18 at the King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island.  This year's agenda will include topics such as market trends and the economy, analyzing Ag credits, FSA Guaranteed Lending, current legal issues, commodity hedging, and GPS potential savings.  A block of rooms has been reserved until April 16 so call (912) 638-3631 as soon as possible to make your reservations.  Please click here to register online or contact GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 with questions.

GBARS Welcomes New Member
GBA Retirement Services, Inc. is pleased to welcome to the Trust FTRANS Corp., Atlanta, John Hayes, CEO.  The programs offered through the GBA Master Pension and 401(k) Profit Sharing Trust provide flexibility to meet the needs of any bank or associate member who may be looking at adding or changing their qualified retirement plan.  The Master Trust provides high quality, affordable pension, profit sharing, and Section 401(k) programs for banks and associate members of all sizes.  Please contact Mandy Richards at (404) 420-2025 for more information on how GBA can help design a retirement plan for your bank

Status of Important Banking Cases
Our thanks to the Office of the General Counsel of the American Bankers Association for making available the newest edition of the Status of Important Banking Cases to the members of our Bank Counsel Section.  This monthly report gives bank attorneys up to date information on litigation involving banks across the country.  This report is another member benefit for the attorneys in GBA's Bank Counsel Section.  With questions about how your bank's attorney can participate, please call GBA's Kenyetta Parks at (404) 420-2035.

Banks Gain CRA Credit for Loans or Investment in the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation
The Georgia Bankers Association is proud to recognize the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation as a new Strategic Partner.  The Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Memphis that offers banks a measurable, no-risk, high-yielding avenue for gaining CRA credit. By making a loan or an investment with a guaranteed return, banks receive credit for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) requirements.  The foundation uses the funds to set up Senior Crimestoppers programs for nursing homes and senior HUD housing units in the bank’s direct CRA assessment areas.  Banks also may reposition or recycle existing bonds in their portfolios to capture the same effect, and in doing so create a new annual CRA credit from bonds in the existing portfolios. Banks may elect to invest or lend funds to the foundation and will qualify for CRA credits either way.  All dollars invested in or loaned to the foundation are fully collateralized with investment-grade bonds, which are selected with the bank’s input depending on the degree of risk it wants to take.  Banks are guaranteed a return on the coupon value of the bonds minus moderate basis-points spread to cover the cost of the Crimestoppers program. For more information, please contact Tom Fehrmann at (877) 232-0859 or Josh Latina at (404) 420-2022.

Solutions for Talent Management and Consulting in your Bank
TalentQuest is an online talent management system and a Strategic Partner of the Georgia Bankers Association.  TalentQuest specializes in consulting services to assist banks in selecting, managing, developing and retaining the best employees at all levels of the organization. For more information, please contact Jon Naphin at (404) 965-5221 or Josh Latina at (404) 420-2022.

GBA Job Bank
The Georgia Bankers Association offers free job posting resources for our member banks.  These listings can be viewed online or through our bi-weekly publication included in the GBA Bulletin.  Resume postings are also available.  For more information, please contact GBA’s Kenyetta Parks at (404) 420-2035.

Some of the Services Available Through GBA Services, Inc.

Bond and D&O Insurance	Internet Loan Closing Program
Checking Club Programs	Job Bank
Discounted Check Program	Non-Qualified Executive Benefits (BOLI)
Discounted Local & Long Distance Program	Pledging Pool Program
Financial Industry Pre-Employment Assessments	Record Retention Guide
FinCrime	Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation
Georgia Financial Directory	Strunk & Associates
Georgia Laws Code Book	Thumbprint Signature Program
Holiday Decals	Trust and Investment Services
Human Resources Solutions

GBA Services, Inc. is governed by a board composed primarily of community bank presidents who look for the best products and services available.  They do the due diligence for you and you can rely on their efforts.  For more information or to order any of these products or services, please call (404) 522-1501.

Newsmakers:

Alpharetta - Bank of North Georgia Jeff Stewart has joined the Cumming office as Assistant Vice President and Business Banking Relationship Manager and Alix Hillyer has been promoted to Team Leader in the bank’s Private Banking Division in Atlanta. Alpharetta - Providence Bank Jennifer Cupit has joined the bank as Chief Financial Officer. Gainesville - Mountain Valley Community Bank Sherrie Atterholt has joined the bank as Branch Manager of the North Hall Banking Center. Smyrna - Community Bank of the South Rodney Hughes has joined the bank as Vice President, Construction Lending.

Hillyer

Stewart

Serving the needs of Georgia Bankers since 1892 Search I Staff I Contact Us Georgia Bankers Association - 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1050, Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone 404.522.1501 • Fax 404.522.9848