A regular electronic publication of the Georgia Bankers Association

www.gabankers.com

 March 3, 2000

 
Board of Directors
Bank/Thrift CEOs
Georgia Banks Online
Associate Members
Bank Counsel Members
 Volunteer Committees

 

Demarest Nominated
The GBA Associate Membership will vote beginning this week on its representative to the GBA Board of Directors for the 2000-2002 term.  From a field of qualified candidates nominated, the Nominating Committee unanimously chose Elaine Demarest, a 26-year banking veteran, as its recommendation to their associate member colleagues.  The nominating committee was composed of Chairman, Paul Holmes of Life of the South, Steve Powell of Steve H. Powell & Company, Michael Flores of Bretton Woods, Inc. and the current Associate Member representative Walt Moeling of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer and Murphy.  

Elaine founded her firm, Elaine Demarest, CPA, P.C. in 1984.  Her firm has provided a wide variety of audit and consulting services to Georgia community banks exclusively.  The list of her contributions to the industry and the GBA is lengthy and includes expert presentations at numerous high level industry functions over the past several years.  Associate members are asked to return the Associate Member Election Ballot to the GBA by March 15, 2000.  Based on the outcome of the Associate Membership vote, Elaine will begin her term at the GBA Annual Convention in Québec City.

Federal Legislative Issues
State Legislative Issues
Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia State Senate
U.S. Congress
Bank Regulators

 

Legislative Update
for March 3, 2000

 

 Have You Commented?
The Federal banking agencies have published a joint Privacy Rule in the Federal Register and comments are due by March 31.  The proposed rule implements the privacy provisions in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act regarding the disclosure of information that is considered private to third parties not affiliated with the financial institution.  Generally, under the proposal, before disclosing nonpublic personal information to a nonaffiliated third party, a financial institution must provide a description of its privacy policies and practices and give an opportunity for consumers to opt out of the disclosure except where the disclosure is necessary to service or process consumer transactions.  Links to the regulation are available on GBA's Privacy Issues page. Also see GBA’s suggested Privacy Policy guidelines.

Calendar of Events
Schools
Conferences
Seminars
Georgia AIB
Professional Development Guide
Internet Training

 

 

Expo Exhibits Near Sellout
At the printing of this Bulletin, 97 of GBA’s Expo 2000 booths were sold.  Included among the 97 are: Internet banking providers, core processing companies, imaging companies, a host of providers with credit products, insurance products, teller training programs, voice communication systems, CPA firms, bank architects and builders, bank security firms, compensation specialists and correspondent bankers. Forty of these exhibitors are new.  We are pleased that the exhibitors have responded this well largely due to the word-of-mouth reputation for the GBA’s unique Expo format. But now we need your support to make the show a real success. We have designed the show for our primary audience:  community bank officers and employees.  The leading-edge information sessions along with the excellent collection of exhibitors makes this a great value and an event that you should not miss.  You receive a discount for sending four or more people and we know from past comments that you need to bring a group to be able to attend all eight education sessions and gather all the good information.  Please register yourself and your officers today by calling GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 or Alan Van Tuyl at (404) 420-2033.  The investment of time is more than justified with such a wealth of information, resources, ideas and contacts packed into two days.

 

Annual Convention Deadlines

Air Transportation – March 28
Options B and G are still available. Mail the Transportation Request Form to Monumental Meetings.

Ground Transportation – April 28
If you make your air travel arrangements through Age of Travel/Monumental Meetings, secure your round trip transfer from airport to hotel by mailing form and check to Monumental Meetings.

Hotel Reservations – April 28
Call (800) 441-1414.

Tours – April 28
All tours are still available. Mail the Tour & Activity Registration Form with check to Monumental Meetings.

GBA Registration – May 5
Send Convention Registration and golf registration with check to the Georgia Bankers Association.

Can’t find your convention brochure and registration material?  Copies are available on GBA’s convention page. Or call GBA’s June Somers at (404) 420-2012.

Barrickman Teaches CEOs
The sixth session of the CEO Academy will take place on March 27 at Macon’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.  The instructor for the all-day session on Risk Management is John Barrickman, President of New Horizons Financial Group in Roswell.  A former Georgia banker and well-respected national speaker/instructor, John will focus on the CEO’s role in providing the bank with a healthy risk management program.  He will review the six major categories of risk, including credit, interest rate, liquidity, operations, compliance and reputation and will cover the methods for measuring and managing each within the CEO purview.  With small classes, each session includes good interaction, discussion, and plenty of community bank management insight. The Risk Management class is open for registration to any CEO of a GBA member bank.  Call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-4032 for more information and registration materials.

GBA and AIB Seminars Meet Needs
Over the past six months, GBA and AIB seminar enrollments have been escalating and evaluation scores have been the highest in years. Our programs are designed and planned primarily with the community banker in mind.  The oversight committee for our education program is the GBA Community Bankers Committee. Many of our programs are produced at the suggestion of our GBA and AIB committee members whose roles are to help us determine the needs and topics.

For support of your bank’s credit function, here are some current seminars:

March 21-22 

Analyzing Commercial Financial Statements

March 29

Bankruptcy, Garnishment, Liens & Levies

April 4

Intermediate Consumer Lending

For support of your frontline/platform training needs, here’s what’s currently being offered:

March 7

Advanced Teller Operations

March 14

Safe Deposit Legal Issues

April 11/12

Legal Issues of Account Documentation

In addition to classroom seminars, GBA and AIB offer courses and self-paced programs that you can take in your office or home. For details, see the GBA Professional Development Guide, the AIB Advantage and the professional development section of the GBA website.  For more information about any of the GBA’s comprehensive training, call GBA’s June Somers at (404) 420-2012 or Alan Van Tuyl at (404) 420-2033.  Call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 for more information about specific seminars.

Blue Ribbon Risk Management Conference
Hats off to the GBA Asset/Liability Committee chaired by Eddie Ariail, President, Habersham Bank, Clarkesville, for their Risk Management Conference held last month. Bankers attending found new information about capital funding which answered many questions about growing pressure on adding bank deposits.  Georgia State University’s Dr. Donald Ratajczak gave his annual economic forecast.  Our thanks to Morgan Keegan & Company for sponsoring his presentation.

FHLB Removes Membership Test
One of the significant community bank provisions in the Financial Modernization Bill, S. 900, was the elimination of the 10 percent membership asset test.  Banks with assets under $500 million will no longer be required to have at least 10 percent of their assets in residential mortgage assets to join the system.  We are pleased to announce that Karl Nelson, Senior Vice President of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, will be speaking at one of the breakout sessions at the Annual Convention in Québec City.  Karl will discuss this new membership opportunity as well as some other significant new lending products available from the bank.  Call GBA’s June Somers at (404) 420-2012 with questions about the convention.

Be a Leader by Teaching AIB
Here’s what Georgia AIB offers instructors:

  • Extra income and fun

  • Leadership experience

  • Industry service & visible contribution

  • Public speaking/teaching experience

Here’s what you need:

  • Degree or 18+ year’s experience

  • 2-5 year’s banking experience

  • Job proficiency, preferably officer

  • Excellent communication skills

  • Participation in AIB 1 day instructor training program

Call GBA’s Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.
Insurance Trust, Inc.
Retirement Services, Inc.
GBA Services, Inc.

 

UCC Forms Online
Bankers can now go to the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority’s website and print out UCC 1, 2, 3 and 11 forms at no cost.  Interactive versions coming soon.

 

 Maximize Fee Income With Club Checking Programs
The professionals at MarketTrust have designed, implemented and administered successful club checking programs for over a quarter of a century.  They provide tailored account packages for middle and mature markets, offering insurance and a wide range of high quality enhancements.  MarketTrust provides training and on-going services to ensure maximized fee income for the financial institution, attracting new customers, rewarding existing customers, utilizing the club program to ‘cross sell’ other products including loans, savings and retirement accounts.  These income generating benefits, plus superior savings, make MarketTrust the preferred option for both new club accounts and re-promotion of existing clubs.  To receive additional information please call GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

 
More Banks Linked
Welcome to North Atlanta National Bank,  Alpharetta, McIntosh State Bank, Jackson, and Rivoli Bank & Trust, Macon.  They are the latest banks to link to GBA’s website.  Call GBA’s Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039 when your bank is ready to be linked.

Atlanta, BANC Financial Group
Al Sagle joined the bank as Vice President of Marketing and Bonnie Reid, CRCM, as Compliance Consultant.  Leslie Greer has been promoted to Manager of Compliance.

 Atlanta, NetBank
Michael Fitzgerald has been named President.

Senoia, Farmers and Merchants Community Bank
Pamela J. Strickland joined the bank as Branch Manager of the Newnan office and Cindy Wilson as Mortgage Banker.

For more information, send an e-mail to the Webmaster.

GBA Staff e-mail and direct phone numbers, snail mail addresses, fax and phone numbers