A regular electronic publication of the Georgia Bankers Association

www.gabankers.com

 August 24,  2001

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Help Needed on Real Estate Issue
The banking industry is engaged in a major grassroots effort to contact Congress right now in an effort to ensure that banks stay competitive and your help is needed.  The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act gave the regulators the authority to make sure banks could adapt to changes in technology and the marketplace.  The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have proposed to allow banks to engage in real estate brokerage and management – services that most of our industry’s competitors are already permitted to offer.  Although your bank may not be interested in the real estate brokerage or management business right now, it is important to preserve this right remembering that some real estate firms are already offering banking and insurance services.  We have a chance to level the playing field.

The National Association of Realtors and the Georgia Association of Realtors are pressing Congress hard, with tens of thousands of individual agents urging Senators and Representatives to  pass legislation to prohibit banks from offering these services.  If successful, they would not only block you from real estate-related businesses, but a precedent would be established to have Congress block other new activities.  To prevent this from happening, it’s up to our members to tell Congress how important this issue is to our industry.

To counter the realtors’ aggressive anti-competitive efforts, the American Bankers Association has set up a service that any banker can use to generate letters, free-of-charge, to Senators and Representatives.  You do not have to be an ABA member to participate.  The flyer will tell you everything you need to know to use this system.  It is easy to do, and will only take a few moments.  Over 800 contacts have already been made from Georgia, but we must keep working.  Please call GBA’s Elizabeth Way at (404) 420-2027 if you have any questions.

Groups 5, 10 & 9 Meet Labor Day Week
Bankers in the Atlanta area and northeast Georgia will meet September 5 and 6 to kick off the 2001 round of annual GBA Group Meetings.  GBA Chairman, Jimmy Burnsed, Chairman and CEO of Bryan Bank & Trust in Richmond Hill said, “Excitement is building about the first major events of the Fall for GBA.  The 10 Group Meetings give the GBA officers and staff the chance to meet with over a thousand bankers from across Georgia in an informal setting.  Not only do we learn an awful lot from our members, we also get to report on our initiatives for the rest of the year and into the 2002 legislative session.  I hope we exceed all records in attendance this year.”  Our thanks to the Group Chairs who are coordinating each of these three meetings:

On tap the following week are meetings in Carrollton, Albany, Perry and Cartersville.  A new feature added at this year’s meetings will be an upbeat presentation by Georgia’s own Swayne Cochran.  Bring a crowd from your bank for an evening of fun and fellowship and to recharge your batteries for the Fall.  Registration material has been mailed to your bank. For further information, call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.

New School Directors Appointed
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Bill Loyd, Executive Vice President, Community Bankshares, Inc., Cornelia, as director of the Georgia Banking School.  This 3-year school provides a well-balanced general banking curriculum and is a must for career bankers.   Congratulations also to Sandy Robinson, Senior Vice President and Senior Auditor, ABC Bancorp, Inc., Moultrie, who was recently named director of the GBA’s Southern Operations and Technology School.  This 2-year school provides non-credit bankers exposure to important issues that operations and technology personnel deal with in today’s banks.

2001 State Legislative Issues
Governor Roy Barnes
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor
Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia State Senate
Federal Legislative Issues
U.S. Congress
Legislative Updates
Legal Issues

GBA BankPAC Update
Since the last Bulletin, the following banks, their officers and directors have participated in the Georgia BankPAC 2001 campaign by contributing to the GBA StatePAC:

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

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

 

 Court Says “No” to DeKalb
The Superior Court of DeKalb County has issued an interlocutory injunction against the county prohibiting the implementation of an ordinance  regulating banks making mortgage loans.  The injunction will stay in place until a hearing is held on the suit which was filed against the county by a national association representing subprime lenders.  The ruling is especially significant in that it stated one of the reasons the injunction was granted was that the court felt the plaintiff was likely to succeed on the merits of the case.  The GBA opposed the ordinance and cautioned the county against adopting it as not only would most of its provisions be preempted by state law, its reach was far too broad.  For example, virtually every home equity or variable rate loan made by a bank in DeKalb County would have been labeled as predatory.

Deposit Insurance Reform
When Congress returns from their August recess, many expect deposit insurance reform to once again gain some momentum.  Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) chairs the senate subcommittee and in a recent meeting with representatives of the South Dakota Bankers Association committed to do everything in his power to get a bill moving.  In a conversation GBA President Joe Brannen had with his South Dakota counterpart, he learned that high on Sen. Johnson’s priority list is increasing the level of deposit insurance by either outright raising it or indexing future increases to inflation or both.  He mentioned his concern about both the Fed and Treasury opposing any increase in insurance levels.  Sen. Johnson also told his constituents in South Dakota that he wanted to approach reform in a comprehensive way rather than piece-meal.  Many GBA members have told us of their support for increasing insurance levels as a way to attract more core deposits to their banks.

Let’s Tee it up!!

Leadership GBA
Georgia BankPAC Classic
October 17
Oakview Golf & Country Club, Macon

Join fellow bankers and help raise money for BankPAC!  
$100 per person 
(greens fees, cart, range balls, lunch & awards reception)

Click here for details.

Calendar of Events
Schools
Conferences
Seminars
Events
Georgia AIB
Leadership GBA
Personal Economics Program (PEP)
Internet Training

AIB Fall Quarter begins Sept. 10
The GBA Advantage has been mailed out to over 32,000 bankers.  The Fall Quarter starts September 10 and we anticipate a busy term.  Encourage your employees to sign up for classes as soon as possible.  This Fall’s schedule covers a wide range of courses designed for entry level to mid-level bankers.  Courses are offered in locations across the state in the evenings, or for the technology-minded student, courses are offered online – take them when they are most convenient to you.  We are also offering some new online courses and these are described in the eLearning section of the GBA Advantage.  These short courses cover subjects from basic banking to compliance issues.  We also offer Saturday PC training in a classroom setting or you can now get this training over the Internet with eLearning.  If you need additional information, assistance or to have a copy of the GBA Advantage mailed to you, please call GBA’s Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.

Georgia Banking School Special!
The annual “Early Bird Special” is now available to first year students who register for the Georgia Banking School before January 1, 2002 to save $125.  Call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 for details.

CEO Academy: A Peer-to-Peer Roundtable for Executive Management
The sixth session of the CEO Academy will be held September 10 at the City Club of Macon and will focus on Marketing/Relationship Management.  Jim Verbrugge, Department of Banking and Finance, University of Georgia, will facilitate the session.  Discussion will include managing the relationship with the Board of Directors, dealing effectively with the senior management team, managing relationships with shareholders and the community at large, and becoming proactive in preparing the bank for the dramatic changes underway in the marketplace as well as the risks and opportunities imposed by competition and technology.  The CEO Academy is designed in a peer-to-peer roundtable format and addresses issues of importance to CEOs, presidents and executive management. You may attend all six sessions or select individual sessions to attend based on the content.  For more information call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2012.
Insurance Trust, Inc.
Retirement Services, Inc.
GBA Services, Inc.

 

 

Some Of The Services Available Through GBA Services, Inc.

GBA Services, Inc. is governed by a board composed primarily of community bank presidents who look for the best products and services available.  They do the due diligence for you and you can rely on their efforts.  For more information on any of these services, please contact Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

Welcome New Participants
The Board of the GBA Insurance Trust welcomes to the Trust New South Bank, i.o., Macon, Mark Stevens, CEO.  They join more than 300 other community banks and associate members taking advantage of this unmatched member benefit.  Call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 with questions.

Pledging Pool Participation on an Increase
We are pleased to see the participation for the Pledging Pool Program increasing among our member institutions and excited to be a part of this Program.  The Pledging Pool Program, administered exclusively through GBA Services Inc., has seen a dramatic increase in awareness throughout the public sector since it began operation January 1, 1999. 

GBASI was selected by the State as administrator of the Pledging Pool based primarily on our long history of providing exceptional administrative services to member institutions.  We have established a sophisticated administration process and data processing system to track pooled collateral activity associated with each participating public depository institution.  Each participating financial institution may establish its own collateral pool based on public depositors that select the pooled approach in lieu of the current dedicated method.  Using the pooled method, financial institutions are able to pledge a pool of securities against all public deposits, allowing for better control of the 110% collateral requirement.   This simplified process reduces safekeeping and administrative costs without disrupting day-to-day operations and allows you, the bank to better maintain your excess collateral. 

Currently Participating?
For those banks who are currently participating in the Georgia State Pledging Pool, please forward all audits pertaining to the securitization of your public depositors’ deposits.  Audits are responded to through our office which is an additional benefit with your participation.  To learn more about this program or for audit information, please call GBA’s Renee Valdez (404) 420-2036. 

Atlanta, Citizens Trust Bank
Congratulations to James Young, President, the directors and staff on the celebration of the bank’s 80th anniversary.  

Glennville, First Citizens Bank
The bank announces the following promotions:  Sherrie Wasson to Senior Vice President and Controller; Terry Barnard to Vice President and Branch Manager; Verna Lamb to Assistant Vice President and Loan Operations Officer; Gina Cammack to Assistant Vice President and Information Technology Officer; Faith Freeman to Assistant Vice President; Jamey Durrence to Banking Officer; and Mark Thompson to Banking Officer and Compliance and Bank Secrecy Officer.

Peachtree City, Peachtree National Bank
Tommy Whaley, Jr. has joined the bank as Vice President and Commercial Lender.

Sardis, Southern Bank
Congratulations to J. Preston Conner, CEO, who was installed as Chairman of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia at their annual convention last week in Seattle.

GBA's e-Bulletin List
Our e-Bulletin subscriber list continues to grow with each edition.  Bankers from any member bank can be added to the email-distributed version of the Bulletin.  A bonus of getting the e-Bulletin is the number of links we include, which puts even more information at your fingerprints. This is a great way to keep your key employees informed of significant industry information, trends and events. To add yourself or others in your bank to the list, send an email containing the name and email address of each individual to GBA’s Lydia Thomas.

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