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Annual Convention

Group Meetings Conclude
Our thanks to the bankers in Group 6 and Group 1 who came to the last of GBA’s 10 Group Meetings last week in Milledgeville and Statesboro.  Group Chairman, Bill Easterlin, President of First National Bank & Trust Co., in Louisville and Kirk Rocker, President, Regions Bank, Millen, did an excellent job in hosting the meetings.  “The bankers who attended each of our meetings heard me say how much I was looking forward to attending all 10 of them.  I want to express my personal thanks to the warm welcome the bankers across Georgia gave the GBA staff and me.  I was impressed with the number of bankers I met and was delighted to renew some old friendships,” said GBA Chairman, E.J. “Jud” Vann, IV, President of Planters & Citizens Bank in Camilla. “Our state and our industry are truly blessed to have the kind of bankers leading our institutions we have today.  We are more highly motivated, better trained and more enthusiastic about the future than I’ve ever seen in my career.  One of the great things about being involved with GBA and going to meetings like these is the chance to get to talk with other bankers, both within and outside our own markets," Jud concluded. 

Five Bankers Elected to Board
At the even-numbered Group Meetings, which were recently concluded, five well-known bank leaders were elected by their peers to a two-year term on the Board of Directors.  The bankers elected were:

Group 2:  Jeff E. Hanson, President, First Community Bank of Southwest Georgia, Bainbridge

Group 4:  Robert L. Carmichael, Jr., President, Commercial Bank & Trust Company of Troup County, LaGrange

Group 6:  William F. Easterlin, III, President, First National Bank & Trust Co., Louisville

Group 8:  Leonard H. Bateman, II, President, The Patterson Bank, Waycross

Group 10:  R. Daniel Blanton, President, Georgia Bank & Trust Company, Augusta

Their terms will begin at the end of next year’s Annual Convention at the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California.

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

BankPAC Campaign Update
Since the last Bulletin, the following banks, their officers and directors have participated in the Georgia BankPAC 2000 campaign by contributing to the GBA StatePAC:

• The First National Bank of Polk County, Cedartown, Larry Kuglar, President

• The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, Milton Gray, President 

In addition, officers and directors of the following banks have contributed to the GBA FedPAC:

• First Community Bank of Southwest Georgia, Bainbridge, Jeff Hanson, President

• Dawson County Bank, Dawsonville, Don Gordon, President

• Commercial Bank & Trust Company of Troup County, LaGrange, Bobby Carmichael, President

• The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, Milton Gray, President 

Thanks to all for your support.

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

PEANUT BANK WEEK

OCTOBER 16-20
Georgia Peanuts...A Wholesome Investment!

Group Officers Elected
The Georgia Bankers Association relies on its members at the group level to provide volunteer leadership and 30 bankers were elected to positions of leadership at the recent Group Meetings.  The Group Chair will serve on GBA’s Nominating Committee, which will select our statewide officers next spring; the Group Vice Chair serves as a resource to the Public Affairs Committee, which coordinates GBA’s legislative program; and the Group Secretary serves as a resource to GBA’s Community Bankers Committee, which oversees GBA’s educational program.  As you see issues needing attention in any of these areas, please let your Group’s representative know of your concerns.

Group 1
Chair:  Michael D. Owens, President, The Coastal Bank, Savannah
Vice Chair:  Milton B. Gray, Jr., President, The Citizens Bank of Swainsboro
Secretary:  Gary L. Johnson, President, Eagle Bank and Trust, Statesboro

Group 2
Chair:  John M. Davis, President, First Community Bank of Tifton
Vice Chair:  Walter Patten, President, Bank of Worth, Sylvester
Secretary:  Don Monk, Senior Vice President, SunTrust Bank, Albany

Group 3
Chair:  W. Cole Woodroof, Vice President, PlantersFIRST, Cordele
Vice Chair:  G. Neil Joiner, President, Bank of Dooly, Vienna
Secretary: Ray Nipper, President, Ashburn Bank

Group 4
Chair:  Bruce Bartholomew, President-Jackson, McIntosh State Bank, Jackson
Vice Chair:  Stephen C. Wood, President, First Nation Bank, Covington
Secretary:  David H. Gill, President, The First State Bank, Stockbridge

Group 5
Chair:  Judy Turner, President, Decatur First Bank
Vice Chair:  William L. Daniel, President, Rockdale National Bank, Conyers
Secretary: James A. Walker, Jr., President, North Atlanta National Bank, Alpharetta

Group 6
Chair:  J. Patrick McGoldrick, President, Rivoli Bank & Trust, Macon
Vice Chair:  Harold E. Ward, President, Bank of Dudley, Dublin 
Secretary:  Joseph E. Gore, President, First State Bank, Wrens

Group 7
Chair:  Ken F. Thigpen, President, Georgia State Bank, Mableton
Vice Chair:  Charles Allgood, CEO, Alliance National Bank, Dalton
Secretary:  Gary W. Floyd, President, Bank of Adairsville

Group 8
Chair:  Ralph Rodgers, President, The Merchants & Citizens Bank, McRae
Vice Chair:  Ray Chitty, Executive Vice President, The Park Avenue Bank, Valdosta
Secretary:  Larry Paulk, Senior Vice President, Waycross Bank & Trust

Group 9
Chair:  Randy M. Harvey, President, Lumpkin County Bank, Dahlonega
Vice Chair:  Edward Ariail, President, Habersham Bank, Clarkesville
Secretary:  Richard A. Hunt, President, Gainesville Bank & Trust

Group 10
Chair:  Chuck Williams, President, North Georgia Bank, Watkinsville
Vice Chair:  Victor C. Parker, President, Citizens Bank, Warrenton
Secretary:  Thomas L. Jackson, First Vice President, SunTrust Bank, Athens

Welcome New Participants
The Board of the GBA Insurance Trust welcomes the officers and staff of The Bank of Georgia, Fayetteville, Pat Shepherd, CEO; First Capital Bank, Norcross, Bill Blanton, CEO; and First National Bank of Chattooga County, Summerville, William Hurley, CEO, to the Trust.  They join more than 275 other community banks and associate members taking advantage of this unmatched member service.  Call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 for more information.

GBA’s 2000 Salary Survey
The salary survey results have been tallied and will be released early next week.   If you participated, you should expect to receive your copy within the next week.  If you were unable to participate but would still like to purchase a salary survey, please call GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

Retirement Plan Administration & Investments Seminar
GBA Retirement Services, Inc. will be having the Retirement Plan Administration Seminar on Wednesday, November 8 for all participating banks in the GBA Master 401(k) and Pension Plans.  Spaces are still available for this informative seminar that will cover a wide range of topics, including 401(k) testing, year-end data collections and investment reviews.  It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest changes and regulations in retirement plans.  Registration forms have been sent to all member banks of the Trust.  The GBA Master Trust provides high quality, affordable pension, profit sharing, and Section 401(k) programs for community banks.  Let us tell you more about the GBA Master Pension and Profit Sharing Trust.  Please contact GBA’s Mandy Richards at (404) 420-2025 or Bruce Shaw at (770) 642-2150 to get information on how GBA can help you with your retirement plan design. Also, Mandy can assist your bank in getting registered for the seminar.

We will miss . . .
James B. (Jimmy) Forbes passed away recently at the age of 92.  Jimmy was a fixture at GBA events for over 40 years.  He retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and joined DataPlex where he worked an additional 26 years.  Jimmy was in the first graduating class of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU and a former president of the Atlanta AIB Chapter.

Swainsboro, Citizens Bank of Swainsboro
Larry J. (Butch) Parrish has been elected to the Board of Directors.

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