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Group Meetings Approach Final Week
Bankers in east, middle and southeast Georgia will be meeting next week for their annual Group Meeting.  Group 10 bankers will meet Tuesday at Athens Country Club; Group 6 bankers will meet at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon and Group 1 bankers will meet at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro.  All meetings begin at 5:00 p.m.  Golf outings are scheduled for the Athens and Statesboro meetings beginning at 10:00 (Golf in Athens will be at the Georgia Club in Statham).  Call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 with questions or to register. More than 400 bankers attended the four group meetings this past week.  Our thanks to our Group officers for making each meeting such a great success:  

• Group 4: Steve Wood, First Nation Bank, Covington

• Group 2: Walter Patten, Colony Bank of Worth, Sylvester and Don Monk, First National Bank of South Georgia, Albany

• Group 8: Ray Chitty, Guardian Bank, Valdosta

• Group 3: Neil Joiner, Bank of Dooly, Vienna

GAFLA Q&A
The Department of Banking and Finance is posting a new version of Questions and Answers on their website to give bankers more guidance on the Georgia Fair Lending Act.  Be sure to take a look.  As we have been reporting at each Group Meeting, GBA is closely monitoring our members’ concerns as you complete your planning for compliance with the new law going into effect October 1.  We are concerned that some of our members have not yet purchased your copy of the GBA’s GAFLA Compliance Toolkit, which was designed to ease your compliance burden.  The 192-page Toolkit contains comprehensive compliance strategies as well as model forms and checklists.  GBA is also asking members to send specific examples of areas you believe need clarification or change by the General Assembly.  Send your suggestions to Elizabeth Way at the GBA office.

2002 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 officers and directors of Farmers & Merchants Bank, Lakeland, Gene Haskins, President, have participated in the GBA BankPAC campaign by contributing to the GBA StatePAC.  The officers and directors of the following companies have also contributed to the GBA FedPAC:

• Farmers & Merchants Bank, Lakeland, Gene Haskins, President

• Southwest Georgia Bank, Moultrie, John Clark, Chairman

• Greater Rome Bank, Rome, Tom Caldwell, President

Georgia Counts Countdown
Many thanks to the more than 30 bankers who have volunteered to assist in the voter education effort that the GBA is coordinating with Secretary of State Cathy Cox.  These banks will have a new electronic voting machine and personnel from the Secretary of State’s office on hand September 30^th to demonstrate the new voting technology that will be in all poll locations for the November 5^th election.  September 30^th has been designated “Bank Day” as part of the statewide voter education project, “Georgia Counts.”  With November just around the corner, the GBA is proud to play a part in this important endeavor the State of Georgia has undertaken to modernize Georgia’s voting system. Should you have questions about this project, please call Elizabeth Way at (404) 420-2027.

Powell Urges Insurance Reform
FDIC Chairman Don Powell spoke to two groups recently making the case for Congress to pass deposit insurance reform legislation that seems to be stalled.  Chairman Powell has long been an advocate of comprehensive reform of the system which would give the agency more discretionary power to set reserves than under current law.  FDIC released the most recent quarterly results last week.  The Bank Insurance Fund’s reserve ratio rose to 1.26 percent at the end of June, up from 1.23 percent at the end of March. The new ratio is just slightly above the mandatory reserve target ratio of 1.25 percent, FDIC said on Thursday. The rise in the BIF reserve ratio in the second quarter resulted from an increase in the BIF balance and a decrease in BIF-insured deposits. The fund grew by 1.6 percent during the quarter, ending at $31.19 billion. FDIC attributed the growth primarily to higher interest income from investments and greater unrealized gains on securities. BIF-insured deposits decreased by 0.1 percent. The agency noted that when the FDIC Board meets to set insurance premiums for the first half of next year, the June 30 numbers may be the most current ratio available. Chairman Powell used the problems with the reserve ratio as one of the reasons Congress needs to pass deposit insurance reform in his speech to a group of large banks. “The statutory reserve ratio would not pass muster with any bank examiner in the land,” Powell said, noting that “over the course of the economic cycle, that number may need to be higher or lower -- depending on the overall health and performance of the industry.”

Peanut Bank Week
Georgia Peanut Bank Week: Health and Nutrition You Can Bank On is the theme for this year’s Peanut Bank Week, sponsored by the GBA’s Agriculture Committee, Chaired by Lonnie McKinney, Vice President of PlantersFIRST in Cordele, and the Georgia Peanut Commission.  Georgia can be proud of its peanut production. There are twenty-five thousand people directly employed in the production of peanuts in Georgia and over $352 million in gross receipts were paid to Georgia peanut producers this past year.  Banks have the opportunity of joining in the promotion and celebrating the success of Georgia’s peanut producers during the week of October 1-5.  To sign up, please contact Marcus Evans at the Georgia Peanut Commission at (229) 386-3999. 

Calendar of Events
Schools
Conferences
Seminars
Events
American Institute of Banking
Leadership GBA
Personal Economics Program (PEP)
Internet Training

Last Call for CEO/Bank Counsel Conferences
Community bank presidents and CEOs and bank attorneys will meet October 6-8 at The Cloister on Sea Island for the annual CEO/President Conference and Bank Counsel Conference.  “We are delighted with the number of people who will be attending both events as these two conferences are among the most popular GBA offers,” said GBA Chairman Larry Kuglar, President of First National Bank of Polk County in Cedartown.  While each is a stand-alone conference, the two groups will meet jointly with state and federal regulators and at receptions, dinners and recreation events.  Call GBA’s June Somers at (404) 420-2012 with questions or to register.

Spanish for Bankers
Partnering with Workplace Spanish, Inc., the GBA is proud to offer Spanish language training for bankers.  Workplace Spanish, Inc. pioneered the development of simplified job-specific language training programs. This seminar is designed to establish a foundation and build confidence in Spanish speaking skills.  The seminar will focus on Spanish pronunciations, cultural tips, and specific phrases for greeting customers and establishing identity.  Spanish banking terminology will cover cashing and depositing checks, opening an account and applying for loans or credit cards. Each participant will receive a textbook and CD or audiocassette.  Please call GBA’s Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034 for details.

Credit Conference Set for December
GBA’s Credit Conference, slated for December 11-12 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, will highlight major topics of interest to bank lenders.  Dr. Joel Naroff, well-known economist of Pennsylvania, will keynote with remarks on the economy, job and income growth, real estate and Federal Reserve policy. Other topics will include calculation of loan and lease losses, problem loans and credit scoring. From the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, George Reynolds, Deputy Commissioner for Supervision, and Leslie Bechtel, Deputy Commissioner of Consumer and Legal Affairs, will discuss the department’s exam process for the Georgia Fair Lending Act and the treatment of violations.  Thanks to Credit Committee Chair Bruce Bartholomew, President of McIntosh State Bank in Jackson, for his leadership and to the committee for planning such an informative agenda.  Please call the Renaissance Waverly Hotel at (770) 953-4500 prior to November 3 for hotel reservations.  For more details, contact Norma Guild at (404) 420-2031.

Do you have 50 or more employees?
Annual Regulatory Report - On September 30, banks with 50 or more employees are required to file updated EEO-1 and VETS 100 surveys with the EEOC. As mandated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these surveys reflect the race, gender, and veteran status of all bank employees.  Banks are also required to prepare annual affirmative action plans and the GBA, through its strategic alliance with Employment Law Compliance, Inc. (ELC), can help you satisfy these requirements. For more information, please call Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 or ELC at (866) 801-6302.

Are You Taking Advantage of your GBA Member Benefits? 
Get the Plans and HR Tools that Employment Regulators Demand:
Affirmative Action Plans
Required for Banks with 50 or More Employees
Take advantage of the system ELC has developed to cost-effectively prepare and update bank affirmative action plans. We use bank-specific narrative language reflecting the significant changes to OFCCP regulations.  We also use automated statistical analysis to reduce the burden of data collection and increase regulator satisfaction.  You will receive Plans for Women and Minorities, Covered Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, and the postings, notices, disclosures and forms necessary to implement the plan terms.

Bankers’ HR Toolkit™
The Toolkit™ provides all the essential human resources components a community bank needs.  You don’t have to think about what is required or whether you have it. It’s all here. With the Toolkit, you get what you need to: achieve effective selection of new employees; maintain appropriate policies; manage performance, record retention and compensation in a compliant manner; and more. When the materials need to be changed to be compliant with new regulations or best practices, we refine them for you.

This is the banking specific program you have been looking for. You’re not just getting documents, you’re getting a complete program, and the reassurance that it has been put together by employment compliance professionals who are highly knowledgeable and experienced in banking.  The Toolkit™ is comprised of various sections.  Each section has all the guidelines, forms, checklists, templates and other tools you need, from drafting a new position description to negotiating a separation agreement. You asked.  We answered!  For more information, please contact GBA’s Renee Valdez (404) 420-2036 or Employment Law Compliance’s Steve Greene (866) 801-6302.

Holidays Are Rapidly Approaching!
The holidays are rapidly approaching and check fraud will inevitably be on the rise!  GBA’s Thumbprint Signature Program was designed to help bank’s lower losses encountered by check fraud. The Thumbprint Signature touch pad is intended to deter counterfeit and stolen check fraud by obtaining a thumbprint signature from non-customers when cashing on-us and not-on-us checks.  The Thumbprint signature is only used by law enforcement agencies in the investigation of fraud claims and the banking industry will not maintain a database of fingerprints. For more information or to order, please call Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

Villa Rica, HomeTown Bank
Jan White has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Alisa Doyal Senior Vice President and Credit Administrator.

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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