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Banking Expo Set for March 25-26
Plans are well under way for Banking Expo 2003: Securing Your Financial Institution.  The biennial event will be held on March 25-26 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.  Exhibitors are registering daily and we plan to offer many resources, products and services that will benefit all areas of your bank under one roof. The Operations/Technology Committee has also prepared an outstanding educational program that will address hot topics such as identity theft, funding alternatives, small business development, and data security and confidentiality. Our keynote speaker and panel moderator, Harold Brewer of Brintech, Inc. in New Smyrna Beach, FL, will discuss how to use technology to gain strategic advantage in your marketplace.  If you have questions, please call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010, Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 or Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.  Remember, this will be your only chance to experience this event until 2005!

GAFLA Amendments Being Introduced
In back-to-back press conferences, the Senate and House leadership announced their support for legislation being introduced at their request on Monday to amend the Georgia Fair Lending Act (GAFLA).  House Banks and Banking Committee Chairman Rep. Johnny Floyd of Cordele said, “The Act passed last year was well-intended, but the end result was a number of unintended consequences that the General Assembly must repair.  We will introduce a bill to address the concerns of so many of our citizens who have been unable to get mortgage loans as a direct result of the Act.”  In the Senate, Majority Caucus Chairman Sen. Tom Price said, “We have to restore the dream of home ownership to first time homebuyers and veterans, and we are committed to act quickly to enact the legislation.”  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Casey Cagle indicated he would be sponsoring the Senate version of the bill and expressed his appreciation to the Georgia Bankers Association, Community Bankers Association and the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates for their help in suggesting changes.  Don Cheeks, Chairman of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, announced he would be introducing a bill on his own that would solely address concerns raised by Standard & Poors (S&P) last week.  S&P announced that as of February 1, they would no longer rate securitized transactions if those transactions contained any mortgages covered by GAFLA.  The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the secondary market and a number of investors began pulling out of Georgia giving the legislature yet another reason to act.  Governor Sonny Perdue issued a statement supporting the General Assembly’s effort and encouraged quick action on the legislation.  The House and Senate leadership are reviewing the S&P action and their draft legislation to determine if it sufficiently addresses S&P’s primary concerns about assignee liability.  The draft legislation tracks the federal HOEPA law that applies assignee liability to high-cost home loans.  S&P has asked that assignee liability be eliminated from the Act entirely.  GBA President Joe Brannen stated, “While the S&P announcement is a serious matter, so are all the other unintended consequences caused by the Act that our members have to face every day with the mortgage loans they do not sell in the secondary market.  Those concerns must be equally addressed and we appreciate the General Assembly’s efforts to take action so early in the session.”  In a related move, the Office of Thrift Supervision, which supervises the 22 thrift institutions chartered in Georgia and the dozens of others operating in our state, announced that federal law preempts many of the GAFLA provisions and these institutions do not have to comply with the Act. Earlier the National Credit Union Administration issued a similar preemption letter for federally chartered credit unions.  A provision in the Leaderships’ draft bills would restore parity to similar state and federal institutions if the federal regulator preempts the law.  The first meeting on the bill will be 3:00 p.m. Monday in the House.

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

• Adopt the federal Truth in Lending Act definition of ‘annual percentage rate’ as it applies to variable rate loans
• Eliminate references to ‘covered home loan’
• Exempt ‘bridge loans’, loans to acquire land and tax-advantaged consumer loans
• Exempt funding fees for government-sponsored loans such as VA, FHA and GHFA
• Clarify that a loan can contain more than one ‘late payment’ fee during the life of the loan
• Clarify meaning of ‘flipping’
• Move assignee liability to ‘high-cost’ home loans 
• Give parity to state- and federally-chartered financial institutions 
• Give Banking Department authority to issue rules and regulations

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

Bank Director Seminars in March
Due to increased challenges and regulatory scrutiny in the banking industry, Outside Bank Directors are required to play a larger role in understanding the business operations and strategic direction of their banks. In response to those challenges, GBA will host a seminar entitled  “Understanding Your Roles and Responsibilities: What Every Bank Director Must Know” on March 5 in Macon and March 6 in Gainesville.  The seminar is designed to educate Outside Bank Directors in the areas of financial analysis, risk management, asset quality, capital management, strategic planning and succession planning. Geri Forehand, Regional Manager with Alex Sheshunoff Management Services and a former banker, is the seminar presenter.  If you have questions or need further assistance, call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.

Executive Management Academy: A Peer-to-Peer Roundtable
The second session of the Executive Management Academy will be held February 10 at the Crowne Plaza in Macon and will focus on Credit Risk Management. John Barrickman, President of New Horizons Financial Group, will facilitate the session. Discussions will be centered around comprehensive credit risk management, your institution’s tolerance for risk, and identifying, quantifying, managing and mitigating portfolio risk. The Executive Management 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 details, call GBA’s June Somers at (404) 420-2012.

Hotel Reservation Deadline Quickly Approaching for the Financial Risk Management Conference
The block of rooms reserved for bankers attending the Financial Risk Management Conference on March 13-14 at the Renaissance Waverly will be released on February 10.  To take advantage of GBA’s special rate, call the hotel directly at (770) 953-4500 for reservations before February 10. For more information, contact GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032.

Georgia Banking School
Twenty-nine bankers took advantage of the Early Bird registration and enrolled in the 2003 freshman class in Athens. Having broken recent total enrollment figures for the past three years, another sellout at 70 is expected. We recommend each bank make its Georgia Banking School registration decisions soon.  Call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 with questions.

Welcome New Participant
The Board of Directors of the GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. welcomes to the Trust Empire Financial Services, Inc., Milledgeville, J. David Dyer, Jr., CEO.  This firm joins 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.

Financial Directories
The Winter 2003 Financial Directory has arrived!  The directory provides you with quick access to information on all commercial banks and thrifts in the state of Georgia as well as providing you with information about our GBA standing committees.  If you are on our standing order list, you should have already received your copy.  If you need additional copies or would like to place an order, you may contact GBA’s Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 or Kenyetta Parks at (404) 420-2035.

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 Employment Law Compliance has developed to cost-effectively prepare and update bank affirmative action plans. They use bank-specific narrative language reflecting the significant changes to OFCCP regulations.  They 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 at (404) 420-2036 or ELC’s Steve Greene at (866) 801-6302.

Albany, HeritageBank of the South
Carol Slappey has been promoted to President and Robin Glass to Chief Operations Officer.

Alpharetta, North Atlanta National Bank
Kimberly Bryant has been promoted to Vice President.

Atlanta, Nexity Bank
Shaw Lokey has joined the bank as Senior Vice President.

Atlanta, Porter, Keadle, Moore, LLP
Patrick Tuley has been appointed Principal of Tax Services.

Augusta, Georgia Bank & Trust Co.
Larry O. Sides has been promoted to Vice President and Carolyn L. Johnson to Assistant Vice President.  Pamela K. Brooks has been elected Banking Officer; Deirdre B. Clements, Trust Officer, Client Services; Michelle A. LaBorde, Operations Officer, Electronic Banking; and Donna M. Moody, Mortgage Loan Officer, Post-Closing.

Canton, Cherokee Bank
Congratulations to Becky Richey and Cindy Poole on being selected STAR students for the Fall 2002 AIB semester.

Claxton, Tippins Bank & Trust Co.
David Tippins has been named President and Chairman to replace Robert Tippins, III, who passed away in December.  Nancy Tippins has been named Chair of the holding company.  Our sympathies also to the family, friends and colleagues of Vice President of Operations, Wanda Alexander, who passed recently.  

Cornelia, Community Bank & Trust
Cliff Cape and Jud Trapnell have been promoted to Assistant Vice President, and Richard York has been elected a Banking Officer.

Macon, New Southern Bank
Tammy Blann has been promoted to Vice President of Retail and Small Business Banking and Bethany Miller to Branch Manager.  Kay S. Veal has joined the bank as Vice President of Commercial Lending.

Latest Banks Linked
Welcome to United National Bank, Cairo, Mike Chastain, President, and Southern Community Bank, Fayetteville, Gary McGaha, President, as the latest banks to link to GBA’s website. Call GBA’s Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039 when your bank is ready to link.

Join Our Email Distribution List
A bonus of getting the e-Bulletin and e-Legislative Update is the number of links included that puts more information at your fingerprints. 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.