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September 9, 2005 |
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Bankers Respond to Katrina Disaster In an email we sent to our member bank Chief Executive Officers earlier this week, we told you about the requests from our colleagues at the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama Bankers Associations to contribute to the American Red Cross. As is typical of bankers, the response has been significant. For example, we know of three of our members who are matching employee donations: Pin Pin Chau, Summit National Bank, Atlanta; Bob Voyles, BankSouth, Greensboro, and Tom Wiley, Flag Bank, Atlanta; and we are confident there are many more examples. Flag Bank has also joined with a local charity to replace toys lost by children in the disaster area. We have also heard of various individual bankers who have volunteered at evacuee shelters and with other local relief efforts. Thank you all for your overwhelming response. The American Bankers Association has created a page on their website containing federal and private resources as well as other extensive data at http://www.aba.com/Solutions/Recovery.htm. And finally, our colleagues at the Louisiana Bankers Association have sent us a list of contact names for each of their banks in the stricken area should you have inquiries from customers of those banks. Special Request from the Louisiana Bankers Association We have been in touch today with our colleagues at the Louisiana Bankers Association (LBA) and they have one specific request for assistance and asked that we pass it along to our members. One third of the Louisiana banks (45) were affected by the storm and many have not been able to actually reopen in either Orleans or Jefferson Parrish; limited service has been available through electronic means. In the Orleans Parrish, the bankers there are also unsure what is left of some of their facilities since that area is totally evacuated. On Monday, the Jefferson Parrish President is going to allow 16 branches to open and the 31 banks operating in that Parrish will be sharing these branches. There may be a need in the next few days or weeks for additional backup generators and mobile branch facilities, and the LBA is trying to locate these for their banks. If your bank has either a backup generator or a mobile facility that you are not using or which will soon become available, will you please let us know. Renee Valdez of our staff is coordinating the list and she can be reached at (404) 420-2036. Again, at this point, we are just trying to get a list of resources together and appreciate your help in that process. Group Meetings Off to a Great Start Thanks to our members who came in large numbers to the first four of 10 annual GBA Group Meetings this past week in Athens, Braselton, Rome and Atlanta. Our thanks to the Group Chairs for their help in hosting the meetings: Bill Cabaniss, The Commercial Bank, Crawford; Tim Perry, The Citizens Bank of Forsyth County, Cumming; Steve Chatham, First Horizon Bank, Dallas; and Chris Burnett, Cornerstone Bank, Atlanta. The Group Meetings will resume next week on September 13. The remaining six Group Meetings scheduled are:
If you have
questions about your Group Meeting, please call GBA’s
Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010. Click
here to register online.
BankPAC Contributions Going Well Status of Important Banking Cases The “Status of Important Banking Cases” is made available monthly to members of the Bank Counsel Section as an enhanced value to your membership. Check out the benefits of joining if your bank’s counsel is not yet a member or call GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036. Get Smart About Credit Day–October 20 Credit is a fact of life for most Americans. It helps you purchase a home, car or a college education and can also lend a hand in an emergency. Yet, the choices you make about how you use your first credit card or handle your first loan can affect your life for years to come. That's why bankers will be going into high school classrooms, connecting with youth groups, and visiting college campuses across America on Get Smart About Credit Day on Thursday, October 20. At this ABA Education Foundation-sponsored event, bankers will help young people get smart about credit now so they can make smart financial choices later. As a community leader, you can help young people learn the dos and don’ts of credit now so they can make smart financial choices later. Participation is easy. Just contact your local high school, youth groups, or college and schedule a credit presentation for October 20–Get Smart About Credit Day. The ABA Education Foundation has created an excellent resource kit that contains everything you need for your presentation. Included in the kit are a video, lesson plans, hands-on activities and worksheets that youth can relate to. You may order your resource kit online or call the ABA at 1-800-BANKERS. If you have any questions about the kit or the program, call GBA’s Fran Williams at (404) 420-2015 or Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010. Plan today to make a difference in the future of your community’s young people. Welcome, New Colleagues The GBA is pleased to welcome two new people to our staff. As mentioned earlier in this Bulletin,
Alison Moreau has joined us to coordinate our AIB
classroom courses. When Alison was a banker, she took a number
of AIB courses and recently has been one of our most respected
instructors. To schedule classes in your bank or area, please
call her at (404) 420-2034. We also welcome
Jennifer Stevens to GBA’s Professional Development
department. Jennifer joins us with extensive experience in
event planning, management and sales. Jennifer will be working
in all areas of the department and can be reached at (404)
420-2024. Please join us in welcoming our new colleagues.Welcome New Participant The GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. Board of Directors welcomes to the Trust Bank of Ellijay, Britt Henderson, CEO. This company joins more than 290 community banks and associate members in this unmatched member benefit. Please call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 for details. 2005 GBA Salary Survey Completed We appreciate our members’ participation in this year’s Salary Survey and the completed survey has been sent to those banks participating in the compilation. We are pleased with this year’s survey as we have added a number of new features including trend reports requested by this year’s Human Resource Subcommittee. If you were unable to participate but would still like to receive a copy, please call GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036. Pricing is based on the asset size of your bank so everyone can take advantage of the survey. Gladiator Technology Delivers CoreDEFENSE Flagship Offering to Protect Financial Institutions in New Regulatory Environment In response to recommendations set forth in recent federal legislation, Gladiator Technology Services, Inc. is reintroducing CoreDEFENSE, its integrated, comprehensive 24x7x365 intrusion prevention and detection security service, specifically designed and developed for financial institutions. More… 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. Did You Miss Last Week’s e-Bulletin? A reminder to those of you who are only on the mailing list to receive the printed version of our Bulletin: on alternating Fridays, we publish an abbreviated electronic version of our Bulletin that covers regulatory issues, hot topics and breaking news stories that have occurred during the week. This version of the Bulletin is sent only via email so if we do not have your email address, you are missing out on some key information. To receive our e-Bulletin, please send an email with your address to Lydia Thomas. We do not disclose email addresses. Newsmakers: Athens - Bank of Athens Bob Boswell has been appointed to the bank’s Advisory Board of Directors. Atlanta - Porter Keadle Moore, LLP Congratulations to Tim Keadle, Partner, and staff on recently earning Practical Accountant’s Practice Innovation Award. Darien - Sapelo National Bank Randy Hicks has joined the bank as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Gainesville - Gainesville Bank & Trust Linda Duke Ingle has been promoted to Senior Vice President. Jonesboro - Heritage Bank Judge Stephen Boswell has joined the bank’s Board of Directors. Congratulations, also, to Jim Floyd, CEO, officers, directors and staff on celebrating the bank’s 50th year. Smyrna - Community Bank of the South Jason Waters has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President and Commercial Lender and Ryan B. Tucker has been promoted to Assistant Vice President and Construction Lender. Thomasville - Bank of Thomas County Ronald K. Bell has joined the bank as President and Chief Executive Officer. |
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www.gabankers.com |