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The Georgia Bankers Association relies on its membership to identify bankers who will lead the association in key positions elected at the annual convention each year. This year, the Nominating Committee will be recommending a banker to serve a one-year term as GBA Vice Chairman. The Vice Chairman works with the Community Bankers Committee to oversee the association’s education program and ordinarily begins a three-year rotation into the chairman’s position. The Nominating Committee is chaired by the immediate GBA past chairman. Serving with him are two additional past chairmen as well as the 10 bankers elected in September as Group Chairs. The Nominating Committee will be meeting soon to consider their recommendations to the full membership at the annual business meeting in Quebec City scheduled for May 30. Bankers interested in being considered for this position should write a letter to the chair of the committee and send a copy to your Group’s committee member. The Nominating Committee members are:
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Chair: Wes Smith, President, Northwest Georgia Bank, Ringgold
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Ron Francis, President, Charter Bank & Trust, Marietta
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Ray Fisher, President, Regions Bank, Atlanta
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Group 1: Kirk Rocker, President, Regions Bank, Millen
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Group 2: Jeff Hanson, President, First Community Bank of Southwest Georgia, Bainbridge
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Group 3: Butch Estes, President, Rochelle State Bank
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Group 4: Bobby Carmichael, President, Commercial Bank & Trust of Troup County, LaGrange
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Group 5: Marvin Cosgray, President, Buckhead Community Bank, Atlanta
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Group 6: Bill Easterlin, President, First National Bank & Trust, Louisville
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Group 7: Roger Smith, President, Citizens First Bank, Rome
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Group 8: Leonard Bateman, President, Empire Banking Co., Homerville
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Group 9: Kip Herring, President, Liberty Bank & Trust, Toccoa
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Group 10: Frank Christa, President, Athens First Bank & Trust, Watkinsville
Welcome New
Associate Members
At last week’s Board of Directors
meeting, the following firms were admitted into associate membership. Please join us in welcoming them: AUDITFORCE,
Atlanta, Mike Harris, CEO; Cornelius
& Associates, Columbia, SC, Edwin T. Cornelius,
President; and INLIGHTEN, Lancaster, NY, Kelly Steinhilper,
Client Relations. See GBA’s website
for more information.
More Banks Linked
Since our last issue, twenty-two banks have linked their banks’ website
to the GBA site at www.gabankers.com.
Welcome to Security Bank
& Trust, Albany; Bank
of North Georgia, Alpharetta; Sumter
Bank & Trust, Americus; Athens
First Bank & Trust Company; Bank
of Blairsville; Coastal
Bank of Georgia, Brunswick; Cohutta
Banking Company, Chatsworth; The
Citizens Bank of Cochran; Citizens
and Merchants Bank, Douglasville; Farmers
State Bank, Dublin, The Citizens
Bank of Ft. Valley; Bank
of Hazlehurst; Commerical
Bank & Trust, LaGrange; Bank
of Coweta, Newnan; Peachtree
National Bank, Peachtree City; Citizens
First Bank, Rome; Sea
Island Bank, Statesboro; Commercial
Bank of Thomasville; First
Community Bank, Tifton; First
State Bank & Trust Company, Valdosta; and CB&T
Bank of Middle Georgia, Warner Robins.
They join over 100 other Georgia banks with an Internet presence. Call GBA’s Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039 when your bank is ready to be linked.
Federal
Legislative Issues
State Legislative
Issues
Georgia
House of Representatives
Georgia State Senate
U.S.
Congress
Bank Regulators
Cleland
Key
Bankruptcy Vote Soon
The House passed a version of
Bankruptcy Reform last year, and the Senate came close in passing their
version, S.
625. The next key
vote in the Senate is January 25 when a cloture vote is scheduled.
The vote is shaping up to be almost totally partisan with the
Republicans supporting cloture (our position) and the Democrats opposing
it. If cloture is invoked,
non-germane amendments which have derailed the bill in the past will not
be considered. It takes 60
votes to invoke closure, so some Democrats will have to support it. It is essential that bankers let Senator
Max Cleland know how important bankruptcy reform is.
Call his office at (202) 224-3521, fax him a letter at (202)
224-0072 or e-mail him.
Your contacts could be crucial to force a compromise and thereby
avoid a cloture vote altogether.
Calendar
of Events
Schools
Conferences
Seminars
Georgia AIB
Professional Development Guide
Internet
Training
Banks In
Insurance – Wednesday in Macon!
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Highlights |
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January/February |
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CEO
Academy |
Financial Risk Management
Conference Offers Timely Agenda
The Asset/Liability Management
Committee, under the leadership of Eddie
Ariail of Habersham Bank in Cornelia, has planned an outstanding conference
program this year. Eddie says “This conference is not just for CFOs, but
any banker who wants to learn more about the outlook for interest rates,
the economy in 2000, innovative investment products or what’s ahead in
the banking industry.” The
program features:
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Dr. Donald Ratajczak, one of the leading econometric forecasters in the country. He will discuss current economic conditions and share his 2000 forecast.
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Bob Colvin, President of Risk Analytics in Denver, Colorado. His session will focus on managing capital and managing funding resources. Much of the value of his presentation will center on his evaluation of the many funding sources and his observations about which funding strategies are most effective for specific solutions. This workshop is planned for the entire afternoon to allow time for discussion and working through various strategies.
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A panel of bankers will share funding, investment and hedging strategies that have proven successful recently in Georgia community banks.
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John B. Moore, Senior Vice President – Equity Research with Wachovia Securities, will talk about the expected impact of the new Financial Modernization Bill upon the banking industry.
The Conference begins after lunch on Thursday, February 17. A 5:00 reception precedes a night on your own in Atlanta and an 8:30 start on Friday morning. The conference concludes at 11:45 a.m. Friday, February 18. For more information call GBA’s Norma Guild at (404) 420-2031.
Banking Expo 2000
Announced
GBA’s trade show brings you exhibitors and informational sessions all in
one event. Now in its 6th
consecutive year, our tradeshow format provides eight different
strategically oriented information sessions that we call “Strategic
Solutions.” The eight
strategic solutions classes feature information on value-added credit
services, Internet banking, privacy and security compliance relating to
the bank’s online system, how to track customer and product
profitability, how to manage risk with computerized loan pricing, customer
relationship management, and a very informative update on the Financial
Modernization Bill.
Mark your calendar for March 14-15 and plan to join us at the Cobb Galleria. If you are an executive officer, you’ll want to attend the Executive Session on March 14 at 2:00 p.m. to hear the keynote speech followed by a panel of banking experts. The keynote speaker will speak on the Expo theme, “P3 – People, Performance, Profitability.” The theme is attuned to modern technology, people and performance expectations in the community bank. The panel of community bank experts will then discuss how current performance moves to the next step.
Plan to stay for the traditional cocktail reception from 4:00-7:00. The following day is full of classes and more Expo shopping. Exhibitors will bring new wares and new information with their giveaways. The grand prize drawing is at 2:00 and the Expo breakout classes end at 3:30 on March 15.
Look for the Banking Expo 2000 brochure in the next two weeks. The best news is that as the Expo grows and improves, prices are still the same. For the incredibly low price of $25 per person, you get food, trade show, strategic sessions, materials, giveaways and fun.
Coordinators – Great Job!
The major event that we worked and
prayed for happened; the Y2K bug is dead at last.
Our hats are off to every employee who contributed to this major
success, particularly to those technicians who fixed the systems, the
marketers who kept the customers and public calm and the coordinators who
made sure it all happened. Many
bankers made presentations to the public through civic clubs, church
groups, schools and community centers explaining their readiness.
GBA’s Leadership
Development Section would like to know about such presentations
and be able to record these as Personal Economics
Program (PEP) contacts. Julie
Moore, First Bank and Trust in Carnesville, Leadership
GBA’s PEP Chair, reports that “Each year the Section competes
for the most contacts with other Leadership Sections across the country.
With all the contacts that were made concerning Y2K, we certainly could
exceed our goals this year for PEP contacts. Please let us know the good
work you have done.” A PEP
report card is enclosed with this Bulletin.
Please make all the copies you need, record your presentations and
fax them to Susie
McGehee at (404) 522-9848.
Retirement Services, Inc.
GBA Services, Inc.
The Board of Directors of the GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. is pleased to welcome First Bank of Gwinnett, Glenn White, President, to the Trust. The bank joins more than 275 other community banks in this unmatched member benefit. Please call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 with questions.
