A regular electronic publication of the Georgia Bankers Association

www.gabankers.com

 April 4, 2003

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

Welcome New Board Members
At the GBA Convention, both the outgoing and incoming members of the Board of Directors will be recognized.  Each year, the incoming Chairman has the opportunity to appoint two members to the new Board to serve along with the 10 members elected at the Group level, the four members elected by the membership as a whole and the two members appointed by the previous Chairman.  This year, incoming Chairman Ed Milligan, Chairman and CEO of Main Street Banks, Inc., has appointed to two year terms on the board:  Brian R. Foster, President and CEO of First Chatham Bank, Savannah, and Kessel D. Stelling, President and CEO of Riverside Bank, Marietta.  Please join us in welcoming these two new members to the Board of Directors.

 

Nominating Committee Reports
The GBA Nominating Committee makes their report to the membership on their recommendations for association-wide officers for the 2003-2004 year.  For the position of Chairman-elect, the committee nominates R. Daniel Blanton, President and CEO of Georgia Bank and Trust of Augusta. Dan currently serves as GBA Vice Chairman.  For the position of Vice Chairman, the committee nominates J. Thomas Wiley, Jr., President and CEO of Flag Bank, Atlanta. Tom has been a Group Chair and currently serves on the GBA Public Affairs Committee.  “We are delighted to be able to attract these two talented bankers to GBA leadership positions,” said Nominating Committee Chair, E.J. “Jimmy” Burnsed, Chairman and CEO of Bryan Bank and Trust in Richmond Hill.  “They have proven themselves to be excellent bankers and we are confident they will do a terrific job for the association in the years ahead,” he concluded.  The Nominating Committee is composed of the 10 Group Chairs and the three immediate past GBA Chairmen.  The election for GBA officers occurs at the annual convention in Tucson May 13, 2003.

2003 State Legislative Issues
Governor Sonny Perdue
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor
Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia State Senate
Federal Legislative Issues
U.S. Congress
Legislative Updates
Legal Issues

Business Checking
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would let banks offer interest-bearing corporate checking accounts in 2005. The bill would also allow banks to sweep funds into interest-bearing accounts 24 times a month and let the Federal Reserve System pay banks interest on mandatory reserves.  Similar provisions in this bill have been considered for several years in Congress, but never enacted. While some bankers have expressed concern about increased costs to serve corporate customers, others– primarily community bankers– have expressed frustration at not being able to provide essentially the same level of service to their corporate customers that larger banks have been able to give. The National Federation of Independent Business and other associations have advocated the bill. The bill goes to the U.S. Senate; Banking Committee chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) has expressed support for the concept.

Legislature to Reconvene
The Georgia General Assembly will reconvene on Monday, April 7, for the nine remaining days of the 2003 session.  As the Bulletin was going to press, the Appropriations Committees were still struggling with budget cuts so a balanced budget can be presented to the House on Monday. There are three bills of significant interest to bankers that are still pending.  On the House Rules calendar also for Monday is H.B. 777, legislation introduced at GBA’s request which would allow Federal Home Loan Bank letters of credit to be used to pledge as collateral for public deposits. The bill was introduced by House Banks and Banking Committee Chairman Johnny Floyd (D-Cordele).  Another bill of interest to bankers is H.B. 506 which provides a method to convert manufactured homes to real property and vice versa.  Several of our members report difficulty in selling manufactured housing loans to Freddie Mac, and this legislation addresses Freddie Mac’s concerns.  The bill passed the House last Friday and is pending in the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee.  The Committee is chaired by Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg).  The Banking Department's annual housekeeping bill, S.B. 78, is pending in the House Rules Committee.  It is expected to be brought to the full House soon.  Please call GBA’s Elizabeth Chandler at (404) 420-2027 with questions.

FDIC Reform Bill Passes House
H.R. 522, legislation to reform the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, passed the House this week.  Several amendments to weaken the bill were defeated.  The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate where action is expected later this year.  Among the major provisions in the bill:

  • Merge BIF and SAIF

  • Raise coverage to $130,000 and index future coverage limits to inflation

  • Increase coverage limits for municipal deposits

  • Double coverage limits for individual retirement accounts

  • Even out bank premiums to avoid sharp increases during times of recession

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

Banking Expo a Success
GBA’s Banking Expo 2003 held on March 25-26 proved to be a huge success.  A large number of bankers across the state of Georgia met with exhibitors and attended educational sessions at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.  See the list of those who won prizes at the Expo.  We would like to give a special thanks to Chair Susan Bly with Georgia Bank and Trust Company of Augusta and the Operations/Technology Committee for planning such a great program.  Keynote speaker, Harold Brewer, provided timely information on how you can use technology to gain strategic advantage in your marketplace.  The educational sessions also supplied attendees with tips on hot issues such as identity theft, funding alternatives, small business development and data security and confidentiality.  And last but not least, a HUGE thanks to our vendors that exhibited at the Expo.  We certainly appreciate their attendance as well as their generous hospitality.  If you missed the Expo, be sure to check GBA’s website in the next few weeks to visit our Expo Online. Congratulations to Patti Faglier with the Peoples Bank in Winder for being the Grand Prize Winner of a two-night/three day stay at Marriott Grand Hotel Resort in Pointe Clear, Alabama.  We hope to see you at our next Banking Expo on March 29-30, 2005!

Revised GAFLA Toolkits Now Available
As you know, on March 7, Governor Perdue signed S.B. 53, making the amendments to the Georgia Fair Lending Act (GAFLA) effective immediately.   The GAFLA Compliance Toolkit has now been revised to assist your bank in complying with this amended act. Don Lampe, of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, is principal author of the revised Toolkit and assisted the legislature in drafting the 2003 GAFLA amendments. If you previously purchased the original toolkit, updates are available for $75 each, plus tax, shipping and handling.   For those who have not purchased a toolkit, revised toolkits are available for $235 each plus tax, shipping and handling. If you have any questions, please call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.  Remember, if your bank makes mortgage loans or consumer loans taking the borrower’s principal residence as collateral, your bank must comply with this law.

Special Training CD for Bank Security Conference Attendees
The program topics for the Bank Security Conference on April 24-25 in Macon were specifically chosen by GBA-member security officers who were asked to select issues most relevant to their activities. As a result, the program represents current “hot topics” and the speakers selected are a team of high profile experts in each area. A unique feature of this conference is the “Train the Trainer” approach. Each attendee will receive an individual PowerPoint presentation on CD for each topic, which will enable them to enhance their own training program back at the bank. A highlight of the conference will be a reception and dinner at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Thanks to Steve Cross, Committee Chair and Georgia Security Manager for SunTrust Banks, Inc., and the Security Committee for their expertise in planning this event. You may call the Crowne Plaza for room reservations at (478) 746-1461 or GBA’s Marybeth Jones for more details.

Insurance Trust, Inc.
Retirement Services, Inc.
GBA Services, Inc.

Welcome New Participants
The Board of Directors of the GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. welcomes to the Trust Georgia Commerce Bank, Atlanta, Mark Tipton, CEO, and The N.O. Williams Company, Inc., Alpharetta, Ted Williams, III, CEO.  These firms join more than 275 community banks and associate members in this unmatched member benefit.  Please call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 for more information.

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 Associate Members
Congratulations to the following companies for being approved for Associate Membership at the March 25 Board Meeting:

Associate Members have played an important part of the GBA during most of our 110 years.  Today, more than 130 businesses are enjoying increased visibility and expanded marketing opportunities while banks are receiving more options for top quality, cost-effective products and services. Company descriptions and contact information have been added to our webpage or contact Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036.

Hiring the right person...for the right job is not an easy task.
The Georgia Bankers Association has teamed up with ComputerPsychologist.com to provide financial industry specific, online psychological assessments to aid in your successful hiring decisions.  This internet-based product measures core personality traits and provides you with valuable, immediate feedback about the candidate you are considering.   We are excited to be able to provide discounted psychological assessments to be used in the hiring process and targeted to the banking industry.  For more information, contact GBA's Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 or Jon Naphin at (404) 455-4510.

Alpharetta, Bank of North Georgia
Brian Whelan has been named Senior Vice President and Community Executive.

Augusta, Georgia Bank & Trust Co.
Thomas J. (Jeff) Dorn has been elected Vice President and Business Development Officer.

Calhoun, North Georgia National Bank
Victor Parker has joined the bank as Senior Vice President/Commercial Lender; Larry Gaines as Vice President/Consumer Lender; and Rita Lacey as Assistant Vice President/Consumer Lender.

Dallas, First National Bank West Metro
John F. Hall has been named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President.

Pine Mountain, First Peoples Bank
Mark Kearsley has joined the bank as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Richmond Hill, Bryan Bank & Trust
Dell Keith has joined the bank as Executive Vice President.

Wrens, First State Bank
Mike Irby has been promoted to Vice President and Senior Lending Officer; Doreatha (Dee) White to Vice President and Retail Banking Manager; and Dell Smith to Assistant Vice President and Louisville Office Manager.

Join Our Email Distribution List
A bonus of getting the e-Bulletin and e-Legislative Update is the number of links that are included. This is a great way to keep your key employees informed of significant industry information, trends and events. We do not disclose email addresses and only use them for internal communication purposes. Bankers from any member bank can be added to the email 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.

GBA Staff e-mail and direct phone numbers, snail mail addresses, fax and phone numbers