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Annual Convention

The Georgia Bankers Association is about to begin the committee appointment process and GBA Chairman-elect Jimmy Burnsed, Chairman/CEO of Bryan Bank & Trust in Richmond Hill, is looking for bankers who are willing to volunteer their time and services to the banking industry and their association.  GBA’s 16 standing committees provide an excellent opportunity for you to share your expertise and network with fellow bankers.  Included in this edition is Chairman-elect Burnsed’s letter encouraging bankers to participate and join the efforts of this association. (Click here for the Committee Fact Sheet describing the various committees and their roles.)  Please use the enclosed volunteer form to recommend someone for a committee or volunteer yourself. Contact Norma Guild at (404) 420-2031 for more information.

Credit Union Studies Released
The Treasury Department released two reports on credit unions, “Credit Union Membership Business Lending” and “Comparing Credit Unions with Other Depository Institutions.”  Both reports were written in response to the 1998 Credit Union Membership Access Act.  The information contained in the studies should come as no surprise to bankers.  The studies reported that with the exception of credit unions’ business lending limits, CRA exemption, and tax subsidy, credit unions share the same powers as banks.  The studies also document the extent of the credit unions’ tax subsidy:  $16 billion.  One thing the studies did not do was to suggest Congress do anything about the growth of these taxpayer subsidized institutions.

Agencies Adopt Information Security Guidelines
The federal banking agencies have issued guidelines for evaluating how well financial institutions protect their customers’ confidential information from misuse, theft and fraud.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley required these standards, along with provisions on customer privacy.  Under the guidelines, a bank’s board of directors bears the ultimate responsibility for protecting customer information.  With the oversight of their boards, financial institutions must identify and assess all risks to customer information.  Institutions must develop a written plan for managing and controlling these risks; implement and test the plan; and adjust the plan continuously for changes in technology, customer sensitivity, and external threats.  Financial institutions that use outside service providers must conduct due diligence reviews before hiring an outside provider and must oversee the service providers’ security arrangements, reviewing audits and test results periodically. The OCC has issued an advisory letter and questionnaire to help banks prepare and perform a self-assessment.  The agency also said that during this year’s quarterly reviews, the bank portfolio manager or the examiner-in-charge will include a discussion of the OCC’s advisory, provide the results of the bank’s self-assessment, and describe the bank’s progress toward full compliance with the privacy requirements.  The new guidelines take effect on July 1.

ID Theft On The Rise
Consumers filed more complaints about identity theft with the federal government last year than about any other type of fraud, press reports said. Reports on stolen Social Security numbers or credit card accounts made up 23 percent of the total 80,000 complaints filed last year, the federal government’s Consumer Sentinel web site showed.  The multi-agency web site educates consumers on the more common types of fraud and allows them to file their complaints with law enforcement officials worldwide. For a free sample of an ABA consumer education statement stuffer brochure on identity theft, call 1-800-886-3346.

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

Bankruptcy Reform Could Move Early Next Week
The Congressional Senate Republican Leadership is tentatively planning to take bankruptcy reform legislation to the Senate floor as soon as the Cabinet nominations are finished, which could occur early-to-mid next week.  We understand the plan would be to use the conference report language from last year, the bill President Clinton pocket-vetoed.  There is a procedure in place within Senate rules for the bill to be taken directly to the floor without consideration by the Judiciary Committee.

The GBA will be lobbying for this bill, and will work to keep it clean of negative amendments.  Both Senators Cleland and Miller supported us last year and it is important that they hear again from our members to support this new effort.  Please send GBA a copy of your letters. 

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

Fraud Prevention Seminars
GBA, in conjunction with Profit Protection, Inc., will be hosting a Fraud Prevention seminar in two locations:  February 21 at the Holiday Inn Macon Conference Center and February 22 at the Holiday Inn in Cartersville. Designed for security officers, operations managers and training officers, this one-day seminar will cover topics such as identity theft, check fraud investigations and recovery, counterfeit checks, and internal fraud prevention.  Participants will receive a certificate of fraud prevention training and a comprehensive procedural guide.  For more information or to register, call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032.

Banking Expo 2001
Be sure to mark your calendar for GBA’s Banking Expo 2001: Your Portal to Success.  This biennial event will be held on March 27-28 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.  The exhibit hall is filling up daily with vendors that offer a host of products such as Internet banking, imaging, insurance, training, and voice communications.  Also scheduled are eight great educational sessions that will provide valuable information on hot issues such as portal technology, marketing, human resources, and network security.  Brochures have been mailed and we hope you will take advantage of the registration discount by bringing at least four of your staff members to this event.  If you would need another brochure or have any questions, please contact GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010, Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 or Edie Canales (404) 420-2034.  This is your last chance to attend this event until 2003 and there are no other banking association-sponsored trade shows scheduled! 

Make Sure your MCIF/CRM solution includes . . .

• Activity Based Costing
• Browser Access
• Cross-sell Messages at the Teller Window
• Next Product Model
• Product Profitability Tied to Your Operating Statement

Harte-Hanks has been offering Customer Information Systems since 1969.  In fact, most of the largest banks in the country utilize a Harte-Hanks solution and we’ve worked with them to make the product work for our community bank members.  Before you replace or purchase a new MCIF, you should take the time to see the best-selling customer relationship marketing solution on the market.    

Both the American Bankers Association and the Georgia Bankers Association agree that the Harte-Hanks custom-built and open-equation profit model is what makes them the best.  The GBA endorses a product that will read your raw transaction files and calculate a cost per transaction.  Now our members can not only see the delivery channels that their customers use, but also the costs they incur per customer.  The Harte-Hanks profit model uses your  costs, margins, fees, etc. and they will tie back to your operating statement. Now your programs and projects can be based upon true Return On Investments and not just response rates. 

As an added benefit, the system includes a predictive model that will determine (with an 80% accuracy rate) the next most likely profitable product your customers will purchase.  This information is available to your tellers and new accounts managers via a browser on their desktop.  From profit ranking, account detail to cross-sell messages, GBA community bank members will get targeted messages with the Harte-Hanks customer relationship management solution. 

Welcome New Participants
The Board of the GBA Insurance Trust welcomes NBOG Corporation, Gainesville, Gary Anderson, CEO; Heritage First Bank, Trion, Barry Hurley, CEO; and The Savannah Bank, Archie Davis, CEO, to the Trust.  They join more than 275 other community banks and associate members taking advantage of this unmatched member benefit.  Call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 with questions.

Returns for Retirement Trust
The year ending December 31, 2000 was a year of disappointment in the overall stock market.  However, both investment managers of the GBA Master Pension and Profit Sharing Trust outperformed most of their relative benchmark funds in the market.  The proprietary investments of Atlanta Capital Management and the blended mutual fund portfolios managed by Reliance Trust Company continue to surpass most of their competitors and maintain impressive long-term returns.

Atlanta Capital Management:

Reliance Trust Company:

IRS Dollar Limits for Retirement Plans in 2001:

Opportunities to Market our Plans
In addition to participating in the GBA Pension and Profit Sharing Plans, banks will soon be able to offer this service to their commercial customers and earn a commission in the process.  Look for upcoming information in the near future!  Please contact GBA’s Mandy Richards at (404) 420-2025 for further information.

Some Of The Services Available Through GBA Services, Inc.

• Financial Publications-Georgia Banking Laws, Bank Directories 

• Discounted Check Program

• Internet Loan Closing Program

• Commercial Loan Underwriting and Total Relationship Pricing

• Checking Club Programs

• Discounted Long Distance Program

• Accounts Receivable Financing

• Bond and D&O Insurance

• Non-Qualified Executive Benefits

• Trust and Investment Services

• Payroll Deduct Home and Auto Insurance

Alpharetta, First Colony Bank
Russ Donaldson and John King have joined the bank as Senior Loan Officers-Mortgage Division.

Augusta, Georgia Bank and Trust Company
The bank announces the following promotions:  Denise Bargeron, Bert H. Bentley, Wayne Bissell, Pam Tankersley, and Don Jolley to Vice President; William Baxley Chew to Commercial Loan Officer; Marjorie Ruth Faircloth to Banking Officer; and Winston Delano Handcock to Credit Officer.

Jackson, McIntosh State Bank
Dana Yielding has been promoted to Assistant Banking Officer.

Norcross, Atlantic States Bank
Congratulations to the bank, Jim Pope, President, and the officers, directors and staff on the recent opening of the bank’s new Roswell branch.

Pelham, Pelham Banking Company
Suzanne T. Anderson has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Sandersville, Geo. D. Warthen Bank
Chris F. Irwin, III, has been named Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board; Ken Bibb has joined the bank as President; and Jennifer Wright as Vice President of Commercial Lending and Public Relations.

Savannah, The Savannah Bancorp
G. Mike Odom, Jr. has been elected Executive Vice President

Savannah, The Savannah Bank
John C. Helmken, II, has been elected Executive Vice President and Pamela J. Snelling Senior Vice President—Trust.

GBA’s e-Bulletin List
Almost 500 bankers are on GBA’s email distribution list to receive the e-Bulletin as well as the e-versions of our Legislative Update and warnings about bank scams.  We don’t share or sell our email list and don’t send frivolous information to our recipients.  We’ll continue sending the paper version, and we don’t limit the number of bankers from any one bank on the list.  Send an email to GBA’s Lydia Thomas to get added.

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