About the GBA  I  Professional Development  I  Government Relations  I  Services

July 1, 2005

Wiley Installed GBA Chairman
Tom Wiley was installed as GBA’s 2005-2006 Chairman at the Annual Convention last week in Vail, Colorado.  Tom is a graduate of Valdosta State University and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.  He began his banking career in 1975 with the C&S National Bank and several years later joined Bank Corporation of Georgia (BCG) serving as President of its bank in Fort Valley and as President of AmeriBank in Savannah.  After the merger of BCG and Century South Banks in Dahlonega, he became Chief Banking Officer for the combined company.  Following its subsequent merger with BB&T, he joined Flag Financial Corporation in Atlanta where he is Vice Chairman, President and CEO of its subsidiary, Flag Bank.  Tom is a past participant in Leadership Georgia, serves on the board of the Buckhead Coalition and the advisory board for the Valdosta State University Business School.  Governor Sonny Perdue recently appointed him to the board of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  The other officers installed at the Convention were Chairman-elect Bobby Carmichael, Chairman, President and CEO of Commercial Bank & Trust in LaGrange, and Vice Chairman Jim Williams, President and CEO of Citizens Bank & Trust Company in Eastman.  Doug Wren, President and CEO of Quantum National Bank in Suwanee, is beginning the second year of a three year term as Secretary/Treasurer.  Congratulations!

New GBA Board Members
 Congratulations to the following bankers whose terms on the GBA Board of Directors began at the recent annual meeting.  The Group-level members were elected at last fall’s Group Meetings and the two At-Large Members were appointed by GBA Chairman, Tom Wiley:

Regulators Release BSA/AML Manual
The federal banking regulators, through the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, have issued a much-anticipated manual for regulators and bankers to have one, consistent manual for Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-money Laundering examinations.  These exams have been inconsistent across the state, and we hope this new manual will address the concerns many of our members have raised.  Let us know your experience.

 GBA BankPAC Update
 Since the last Bulletin, the following banks have contributed to the GBA StatePAC:

The officers, directors and staff of the following banks have contributed to the GBA FedPAC:

Thanks to all for your support. Please call Elizabeth Chandler at (404) 420-2027 for additional information.

 Thank you, Convention Sponsors
 Many thanks to the members and associate members who helped make this year’s Annual Convention a great success. Please see the list recognizing the firms that so generously sponsored the various events. When you see them, please make a special effort to thank them for their support.

 Congratulations Tournament Winners
 Congratulations to Bill Lumpkin, CEO of First Commerce Community Bank in Douglasville, for winning the Championship Golf Tournament at the 2005 Annual Convention.  Stephen Klein, CEO of Omni National Bank in Atlanta, was the first place, low gross winner.  Danny Johnston of SafeSystems won the closest to the pin contest (and donated his cash prize to the GBA StatePAC!) and Erik Bagwell with the Bankers Bank won the longest drive.  Click here for the complete list of tournament winners. Congratulations to you all!

Welcome New Associate Members
 Congratulations to the following companies who were approved for Associate Membership at the June 19th GBA Board of Directors meeting: 

Associate Members have played an important part of the GBA during most of our 113 years.  Today, more than 150 businesses are enjoying increased visibility and expanded marketing opportunities while banks are receiving more options for top quality, cost-effective products and services. Company descriptions and contact information are on our website or contact Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

 GBARS Welcomes New Member
 GBA Retirement Services, Inc. is pleased to welcome to the Trust Flint Community Bank, Albany, Scott Tomlinson, CEO. The programs offered through the GBA Master Pension and Profit Sharing Trust provide flexibility to meet the needs of any bank or associate member who may be looking at add to or change 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 information.

Welcome New Participant
The GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. Board of Directors welcomes State Bank & Trust Company, Pinehurst, M. Lee Wiley, Jr., CEO.  This company joins more than 290 community banks and associate members in this unmatched member benefit. Please call Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 for details.

 Latest Banks to Link
Welcome to NorthWest Bank & Trust, Acworth, Mike Knowles, CEO, and First Georgia Community Bank, Jackson, Joe Strickland, CEO, as the latest banks to link to GBA’s website. Call Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039 when your bank is ready to link.

 For sale
One 28x76 DCA approved modular bank building, fully equipped. The price is $80,000 and it will be available September 1, 2005.  Please contact Tracy Dixon at First National Bank of Decatur County, Bainbridge, at (229) 246-3131 for complete details.

Want Fries With That?
How applying a fast-food sales model can improve your banks cross-sell opportunities using the SEDOA System.  You’ve been there.  Standing in line at the fast food restaurant staring up at the pictures.  You came in for a sandwich but now the choices seem limitless.  You can have the sandwich with fries, or a side salad, or a cookie.   And then there’s the drink – small or large, sweet or unsweet, diet or regular.  Or you can “biggie” size it – get more food for just a few cents more.  Fast food restaurants have it down pat in up-selling and cross-selling marketing.  They even market to demographics – kids’ meals and salads for the seemingly health conscious consumer.  Why should banks be different in their marketing approach?  Of course, no one is suggesting that banking is a fast-financial consumption enterprise.  Or is it?  Consumers are use to quick service and a choice of products.  Banks adapted to drive-thru windows and ATMs out of consumer demand.  Let’s look at the fast-food model again.  If a customer comes in for a checking account (sandwich), shouldn’t they also have the accompanying cross-sell items like a saving account (fries), a debit card (cookie), and an ATM card (a drink)?  Is marketing bank products so very different from the fast-food model?

The difference in margin in selling a customer only a checking account versus a full-customized portfolio of financial products can be substantial.  Marketing studies show that if a customer only has one product with a bank, the bank is likely to lose that customer within a two-year time period.  If a customer has two products, then they are likely to remain for three years; with four products, they become customers for life. Yet banks are letting customers walk out the door with only the sandwich and not the accompanying menu items.  The SEDOA System changes the way your front-line sales and service personnel approaches the customer.  As the CSR tilts her computer screen to the customer’s view, the customer becomes visually engaged in the bank’s product offerings (remember the menu posters?) from the very beginning of the interview.  Since the bank’s branding is maintained throughout the presentation, the impression remains seamless to the customer - the SEDOA System is part of the bank’s front-line process.

Typical information gathering moves to predictive modeling questions (Do you have children under 5?).  Based on the answers, SEDOA’s powerful back engine matches the appropriate products for the demographics of the customer as well as offering “makes sense” complimentary products.  The presentation is tailored for the customer’s interests without sacrificing opportunities for cross selling.  Within a few minutes, the customer has enjoyed a visual presentation, received a customized print out of the features of each product he purchased, and is ready to complete the transaction.  What about the CSR?  Her process flow has actually been streamlined.  The SEDOA System allows her to capture all the upfront information to open an account.  Throughout the presentation, she uses the screen as visual cues in explaining the features of all the bank’s products, including IRAs.  She can print each product page reducing the need for expensive brochures.  Through SEDOA’s interface with the bank’s back office systems, customer information is pre-populated reducing duplicate key entry.

SEDOA provides one-stop access for credit reports, closed for cause, and OFAC.  There is no need to go to other systems.  If a customer isn’t ready to purchase a product right away, no problem!  SEDOA’s lead functionality allows a CSR to create a lead and refer it to another subject expert, if necessary.  The comments section maintains remarks by everyone who works the leads.  SEDOA’s Reports Module measures any number of success profiles for the bank’s products, CSR productivity and OFAC compliance.  Generating a report takes moments – not hours.  So what does SEDOA’s fast, customized presentation software have to do with banking?  Everything, if the results of your cross selling is a 10% to 30% uplift for less than $2 per CSR a day. The next catch phrase in your bank will be, “Want a Savings Account with that?”  To learn more about SEDOA Systems and what it can do for your bank, please contact Tom Rideout, Senior Vice President, at (770) 447-8767 or to view SEDOA’s demo online.  SEDOA is proud to be a Strategic Partner of the Georgia Bankers Association.

 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 Renee Valdez (404) 420-2036 or Kenyetta Parks (404) 420-2035.

 Newsmakers:

 Acworth - NorthWest Bank & Trust
 Congratulations to Mike Knowles, CEO, on the bank’s selection to Preferred Lender status from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Augusta - Georgia Bank & Trust
Congratulations to Chum Balk on his graduation from the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia where he was also elected a Governor of the Board.

Athens - Athens First Bank & Trust
Alicia Ramfos has joined the bank as Vice President and Commercial Lender. Mike Sale has been promoted to Group Vice President and Neil Glezen and Angela Willis to Vice Presidents.  P. George Benson has been elected to the bank’s Board.

Atlanta - Buckhead Community Bank
Donly Chase has been named President of the bank’s Midtown Community Bank, Atlanta, scheduled to open in October.

Atlanta - Cornerstone Bank
Chris Burnett has joined the bank as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Blairsville - United Community Banks, Inc.
Megan Henry has been promoted to Assistant Vice President.

Claxton - Tippins Bank & Trust Company
C. Paul Eason has been elected President and CEO and Leo F. Thomas to Executive Vice President and Senior Operations Officer.

Dublin - Bank of Dudley
Cathy Nifong has been promoted to Banking Officer and Branch Manager, Carol White to Banking Officer and Lori Cherry to Operations Officer.  Betty McCoy has been named Security Officer.

Lyons - Peoples Bank
Mike Gay has been elected Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President and to the bank’s Board of Directors.  Congratulations to Mike McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, on his recent retirement.

Peachtree City - Peachtree National Bank
Robert S. Morton has been named Senior Vice President – Community Executive.

Social Circle - Georgia Central Bank
Brian Hawkins has been elected to the Board of Directors and Tammy C. Porter has been appointed Vice President and Branch Manager.  Bo Haynes has joined the bank as Vice President and Construction Lender and Brandy Lazenby as Loan Operations and Compliance Officer.

Tifton - South Georgia Banking Company
Lamar Martin has been elected to the Board.

Calendar of Events
Details for July

 

Conferences

 
July 17-20 Leadership Conference Hilton Head Island, SC
Sept. 13-14 Solutions 2005: GACHA Payments Conference Atlanta
Oct. 2-4 President/CEO Conference Lake Oconee
Oct. 2-4 Bank Counsel Conference Lake Oconee
Oct. 27-28 Marketing Conference Atlanta
Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 Credit Conference Atlanta
Feb. 8-10, 2006 HR Professionals Institute Braselton
March 2-3, 2006 Financial Risk Management Conference Atlanta
March 16-17, 2006 Operations and Technology Conference Atlanta
April 6-7, 2006 Security Conference Savannah
May 25-26, 2006 Rural Development and Lending Conference St. Simons Island
     

Conventions/Events

 
Sept. 7-15 Group Meetings Statewide
Oct. 19 BankPAC Golf Classic Big Canoe
     

 

Schools

 
Nov. 6-11 Southern Operations & Technology School Athens
Feb. 20-22, 2006 Southeastern School of Advanced Commercial Lending Nashville, TN
March 5-10, 2006 Southeastern School of Consumer Credit  Nashville, TN
April 30-May 6, 2006 Georgia Banking School Athens
May 21-26, 2006 Southeastern School of Commercial Lending Nashville, TN

 

 

 

 

Seminars

 
July 12 Truth in Lending: Auditing Open-ended Disclosures Telephone
July 14 Robbery Procedures Webinar
July 19 Addressing Current Network & Internet Security Threats Telephone
July 20 BSA, OFAC & Patriot Act Webinar
July 21 Safe Deposit Liability Webinar
July 21 Understanding & Using Tax Returns for Better Credit Evaluation Telephone
July 26 Regulation W: Transactions with Affiliates Telephone
July 27 Overdraft Protection vs. Overdraft Privileges Webinar
July 28 How to Comply with the New FACTA Medical Information Rules Telephone
Aug. 4 Bank Secrecy Act: For Frontline Personnel Telephone
Aug. 9 Analyzing HMDA Data Telephone
Aug. 10 FACT/FCRA/Reg V Webinar
Aug. 16 Employee Termination Webinar
Aug. 17 Compliance Issues for Commercial Lending Webinar
Aug. 23 COBRA Webinar
Aug. 25 Financial Auditing for Internal Affairs Webinar
Sept. 7 Compliance Issues for Front Line Employees Webinar
Sept. 15 Compliance Issues for Marketing & Advertising Webinar
Sept. 22/23 Opening New Accounts, I & II Webinar
   

Board/Committee Meetings

 
July 13

Southern Operations & Technology School Administrative Committee

 Atlanta
July 14 Marketing Committee Atlanta
July 28 GBA Retirement Services Board of Directors St. Simons Island
July 29 GBA Insurance Trust Board of Directors St. Simons Island
Aug. 3 Credit Committee Atlanta
Oct. 23-25 GBA Insurance Trust Board of Directors Young Harris
Oct. 24-25 GBA Retirement Services Board of Directors Young Harris
     

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 About the GBA  I  Professional Development  I  Government Relations  I  Services