www.gabankers.com

About the GBA
Board of Directors
Bank/Thrift CEOs
Georgia Banks Online
Associate Members
Strategic Partners & Products
Bank Counsel Section
Volunteer Committees
Electronic Publications

2001 Leadership Conference
Georgia’s future leaders in the banking industry met on Amelia Island this week for GBA’s 2001 Leadership Conference. Our thanks to Section President, Darron Burnette, Executive Vice President of Eagle Bank & Trust in Statesboro for his thoughtful leadership throughout the year and for helping plan a great conference.  Congratulations to the following officers who were elected at the conference: 

• President:  Dwayne Creamer, Vice President, Bank of Hazlehurst

• President-elect:  Bill Butler, CEO, Futurus Bank, Alpharetta

• Vice President:  D. Copeland, Vice President, Columbus Bank & Trust

Click here for a list of the Group-level and At Large members of the Board.

Associate Members Surveyed
Our thanks to Elaine Demarest of Demarest Strategy Group in Macon who is the Associate Member representative on the GBA Board of Directors.  Elaine recently surveyed all associate members and reported the results at the last GBA board meeting.  “The associate members who responded to the survey gave us great feedback and we appreciate their making the effort,” Elaine said in her presentation.  Among the findings she reported were:

• 83% felt the dues charged were fair

• Strong positive affirmation of the accessibility and responsiveness of GBA staff

• Large number of new volunteers for speaking and teaching at GBA events

• Confirmation of the value of their firms’ listing and link to the GBA website

• Frank assessment of the value of each GBA event attended by associate members

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

Predatory Lending
A committee of the Atlanta City Council met this week to discuss proposed predatory lending ordinances. GBA’s Elizabeth Way told the committee, “If this ordinance is adopted, every bank in the City will have to make a choice:  either continue making traditional mortgage loans or do business with the City – a bank cannot do both.  Under the ordinance, every home equity loan, adjustable rate mortgage loan and home improvement loan under $20,000 is deemed to be a predatory loan.  The proposed ordinance is totally unworkable in the real world.”  The committee is expected to draft a final ordinance for the full City Council to consider in mid-August.  Wednesday’s Atlanta Constitution contained an Op-ed by GBA President, Joe Brannen.  Also, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee held two days of hearings on predatory lending this week.

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:

• Community Bankshares, Inc., Cornelia, Alton Wingate, President

• Bank of Hiawassee, Hiawassee, Elois D. Anderson, President

• Bryan Bank & Trust, Richmond Hill, Jimmy Burnsed, 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

• Community First Bank, Carrollton, Gary Dorminey, President

• West Georgia National Bank, Carrollton, Leighton Alston, President

• Community Bank & Trust, Cornelia, Charles Miller, President

• Main Street Bank, Covington, Ed Milligan, President

• Community Bank and Trust-Troup, LaGrange, John Thompson, President

• Charter Bank and Trust Co., Marietta, Ron Francis, President

• Bryan Bank & Trust, Richmond Hill, Jimmy Burnsed, President  

• Eagle Bank and Trust, Statesboro, Gary Johnson, President

Thanks to all for your support.  If you need additional information or have questions, please contact Elizabeth Way at (404) 420-2027.

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

Bank Counsel CLE Credits Approved
Have fun playing golf, tennis or fishing and still earn a big portion of your Continuing Legal Education Credits at GBA’s Bank Counsel Conference on October 7-9 at The Cloister on Sea Island. The Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency (CCLC) has approved the agenda for 6.5 CLE hours. Held in conjunction with GBA’s CEO Conference, the conference provides an opportunity to meet bank CEOs and learn more about Recent Developments in Commercial Law, Revised Article 9, Non-competition Agreements and Employee Piracy, Predatory Lending as well as the opportunity to hear a panel discussion by senior officials of the Atlanta offices of the financial institution regulatory agencies. Call The Cloister directly at (800) 732-4752 to make your reservations.  The deadline for GBA’s block of rooms is August 24.  Call Norma Guild at (404) 420-2031for more information.

Southern Operations & Technology School
GBA’s Southern Operations and Technology School will be held November 4-9 at the University of Georgia.   As a resource for focused training in banking technology and operations, the School is the premier provider in the Southeast and one of only a few in the country.  The two-year program covers four areas: compliance, risk management, technology and general management.  Please call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 for more information.

Welcome New Participant
The Board of the GBA Insurance Trust welcomes ebank, Atlanta, James Box, CEO, to the Trust.  The company joins 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.

2001 GBA Salary Survey – Deadline Rapidly Approaching!
We appreciate everyone’s attention to this year’s Salary Survey Input Form, and would like to remind those who are still working on their forms that the extended deadline for returning them is July 31, 2001.  With your participation, we will be able to provide a comprehensive Survey that provides salary and benefit data from financial institutions through-out the state of Georgia.  The results will be tallied and made available in mid-August.  Call Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 for more information.

Saving Time and Money Through ExpressClose.com
Through ExpressClose.com and your GBA membership, lenders can now close home equity, second mortgages, and refinance loans within hours with a savings of over 50%. Lenders are able to choose from their full offering of products and services, including Credit Reporting products, Flood Determinations, Automated Property Valuations and Warranted Automated Property Valuations, Appraisals, Mortgage Lien Report Warranty Program, Title Information, Signing/Closing services, Disbursement Services and Recordation Services.  Lenders can order any or all of their products and services through the ExpressClose.com Internet system with one-time data entry or thru EDI connectivity.  For more information on this product please contact GBA’s Renee Valdez (404) 420-2036 or Debra Evans (912) 625-8978.

Some Of The Services Available Through GBA Services, Inc.

• Financial Publications-Georgia Banking Laws, Bank Directories 

• Discounted Check Program

• Internet Loan Closing Program

• Checking Club Programs

• Discounted Long Distance Program

• Accounts Receivable Financing

• Bond and D&O Insurance

• Non-Qualified Executive Benefits

• Trust and Investment Services

ComputerPsychologist.com
Peak Performer Profiles
We are pleased to announce the strategic alliance between GBA and ComputerPsychologist.com. Through this alliance, we are able to provide our members with additional products and services that will not only enhance your hiring practices, but also provide a significant savings. 

ComputerPsychologist.com provides online psychological assessments to aid in successful hiring decisions.  This Internet-based product measures core personality traits and provides you with valuable, immediate feedback about the candidate you are considering.  To customize the results of the assessments, ComputerPsychologist.com utilizes Peak Performer Profiles within specific positions.  In order to create a Peak Performer Profile for a position, 8-15 top performers need to be identified within the specific position. 

We are asking assistance from our member banks to build financial industry specific profiles.   What we are asking of our select GBA members is that you identify 1-2 top performers within the following positions:  Teller, Customer Service Representative, Loan Processor, Network Administrator, Consumer Lending Officer and Commercial Lending Officer.  We ask that those employees complete the ComputerPsychologist.com assessment, free of charge, in order to help develop Peak Performer Profiles for the use of all GBA member banks.

Once these Peak Performer Profiles have been developed for the above mentioned positions, all GBA members will be informed that the Profiles are available for their use at a discounted cost of $100 per assessment for the CPpro assessment and $20 per assessment for the CPbasic assessment.  This is a cost savings of $20-$50 dollars per assessment offered only to GBA member banks through this exciting strategic alliance.

If you would like to participate in this program or would like to further discuss this unique opportunity you may contact GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 or Jon Naphin, ComputerPsychologist.com, (770) 455-4510.

Congratulations Top Performers
Three Georgia community banks were among the top 100 banks across the country recognized in the ABA Banking Journal for posting the highest returns on equity for the past five years:  Citizens Bank of Americus, Scott Ivey, President; Henry County Bankshares, Stockbridge (First State Bank), David Gill, President; and Queensborough Company, Louisville (First National Bank), Bill Easterlin, President.  David and Bill are GBA Board members.  Congratulations all!

Alpharetta, Bank of North Georgia
Jim Yarbrough has joined their Canton office as Vice President and Community Lender and Mary Kathryn Holtzclaw as Loan Administrator.

Alpharetta, Integrity Bank
Congratulations to Steve Skow, President, and the officers, directors and staff on the bank’s recent opening.

Alpharetta, North Atlanta National Bank
Our sympathies to the family and colleagues of Sandy Crawford, Senior Vice President, who died on Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.  Sandy was a member of GBA’s Marketing Committee.

Commerce, nBank, N.A.
Patricia M. Pass has been named Vice President, Chief Technology Officer.

Darien, Sapelo National Bank
Congratulations to Andy Rogers, R.Ph., Director, for being elected President of the Georgia Pharmacy Association for 2001-2002.

Subscribe to GBA's e-Bulletin
The e-Bulletin is a great way to keep key employees informed of significant industry information, trends and events, and the subscriber list continues to grow.  The e-Bulletin includes many links that put even more information at your fingertips.  Bankers from any member bank can be added to the distribution list by sending an email containing the name and email address of each individual to GBA’s Lydia Thomas.

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