About the GBA
I Professional Development I
Government Relations I
Services
August 27, 2004
Group Meetings Begin September 8
GBA’s
annual series of
Group Meetings
will begin in Cartersville on September 8 and
end in Statesboro on September 23. “At these meetings, bankers
across Georgia have the opportunity to meet locally with their
colleagues, GBA leadership, key staff and associate members. We
also have an excellent program planned, packed with some great
information that will benefit our members,” said GBA Chairman Dan
Blanton, President and CEO of
Georgia Bank & Trust Company in Augusta. Also at this event,
key leaders are chosen for the association for the upcoming year.
Even-numbered Groups elect a member to the GBA Board for a two-year
term and each Group elects three officers to represent their Group
within the GBA. The Group Chair serves on the
Nominating Committee
to select statewide officers and chairs at next year’s meeting. The
Group Vice Chair works with the
Public Affairs Committee
to identify hot legislative and regulatory issues that should be
addressed. The Group Secretary works with the
Community Bankers Committee
to plan GBA’s educational program. Our thanks to the following
volunteers who will be chairing your Groups:
Group 1: Jim Gillis, The Bank of Soperton
Group 2: Ed Hortman,
ABC Bancorp, Inc.,
Moultrie
Group 3: Randy Jones,
Sumter Bank and Trust Company, Americus
Group 4: Tom Dunlap, Farmers and Merchants Community Bank,
Senoia
Group 5: Jorge Forment, United Americas Bank, N.A.,
Atlanta
Group 6: Ken Bibb,
The George D. Warthen Bank, Sandersville
Group 7: Mike McPherson, Unity National Bank,
Cartersville
Group 8: Stan Fillion,
Commercial Banking Company, Hahira
Group 9: Philip Hester,
Chestatee State Bank, Dawsonville
Group 10: Charles Haney, Bank of Madison
Please call GBA’s
Susie McGehee
at (404) 420-2010 if you have questions about your Group Meeting.
Credit Union Letter-writing Campaign
One of
our goals this year has been to get hundreds of letters to Georgia
Congressmen in opposition to
H.R. 3579, the bill that would expand credit union’s
commercial lending limits while reducing their capital
requirements. Walter Bowden, President and CEO of
Darby Bank & Trust in Vidalia, talked about the importance
of this issue to his bank employees and reports 61 took him up on
the challenge of sending letters. GBA has worked with the
American Bankers Association to create a web-based
technology way to quickly generate letters. Click the link in the
News Section on GBA’s website to send your letter.
Agencies Disagree on CRA
Our
readers will recall our disappointment at the
Federal Reserve and the
Office
of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) withdrawing their
proposal to extend the small bank expedited
Community Reinvestment Act provisions to banks with assets
less than $1 billion from the current $250 million asset limit. The
Office of Thrift Supervision extended the limit to $1 billion and
the FDIC has put out for comment a proposal that would also extend
the limit to $1 billion and add ‘community development’ to the
lending test. This would be especially helpful to banks in less
urban areas. The OCC will soon be publishing a proposal to extend
the limit to $1 billion, but the ‘community development’ score would
be separate from the lending score. It is good that the federal
regulators are considering an increase in the asset size for CRA
compliance to help reduce regulatory burden. Hopefully they will
also resolve their differences on the various approaches.
OCC Extends Pilot Program
The
OCC
extended and expanded a pilot program aimed at helping community
banks with national charters continue to provide expanded credit
availability to customers in states that have lending limits higher
than those of federally chartered institutions. In June 2001, the
OCC started a pilot program that allowed national banks with the
highest supervisory ratings to lend up to the state limit–but no
more than 25 percent of capital–to single borrowers for small
business loans and for loans secured by a perfected first-lien
security interest in 1-4 family real estate in an amount that does
not exceed 80 percent of the property’s appraised value. The pilot
program was extended to June 11, 2007, and expanded to include
agricultural loans.
Phishing on the Rise
Several
of our members have reported receiving emails which appeared to be
from banks indicating that their account information was no longer
valid. The recipient was asked to click on a link to update their
personal information. Of course, these emails
are scams and
the sender of the original email clearly intends to get personal
information to sell on the black market. GBA has put some
information in our
Consumer Toolbox about phishing and we recommend our members
familiarize themselves with the practice and help us warn your
customers not to respond to these fraudulent emails.
GBA BankPAC Update
Since our
last report, the following companies have participated by
contributing to the GBA StatePAC:
•
Zach Johnson,
President,
FNB South, Alma
•
Bobby Heath,
CEO,
First American Bank and Trust Company, Athens
•
Tom Bryan,
CEO,
The Bankers Bank, Atlanta
•
Don Baggett,
President, Benefit Resources, Inc., Atlanta
•
Becky Keenum,
President, Benmark, Inc., Atlanta
•
Billy Dobbs,
President, City Capital, Inc., Atlanta
•
Jon Naphin,
Vice President, Corporate Psychology Resources, Atlanta
•
Kirby Thompson,
Vice President, Equifax, Inc., Atlanta
•
Tom Wiley,
CEO,
Flag Bank, Atlanta
•
Chip Conrad,
King & Spalding, Atlanta
•
Barry Cohen,
Partner, Mauldin & Jenkins, Atlanta
•
Jenner Wood,
President,
SunTrust Bank, Inc., Atlanta
•
Butch Wiggins,
President, Bank of Early, Blakely
•
Mike Malcom,
President, Merchants and Farmers Bank of Comer, Georgia
•
Wallace Miller,
CEO,
Farmers & Merchants Bank, Dublin
•
Jack McConnell,
CEO,
Pinnacle Bank, Elberton
•
Gary McGaha,
CEO,
Southern Community Bank, Fayetteville
•
Jim Edwards,
CEO,
United Bank, Griffin
•
Larry Key,
President, Gwinnett Banking Company, Lawrenceville
•
Ray Pearson,
Partner, McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks & Co., Macon
•
Bernard Cooper,
CEO, Security Exchange Bank, Marietta
•
Bucky Kimsey,
CEO,
Newnan Coweta Bank
•
Steven Roberts,
InterCept, Norcross
•
Gordon Teel,
CEO,
Georgian Bank, Powder Springs
•
Doug Harper,
CEO, First Community Bank of Georgia, Roberta
•
Walter Bowden,
President & CEO,
Darby Bank and Trust Company, Vidalia
•
Chuck Williams,
CEO,
North Georgia Bank, Watkinsville
•
Edgar Chapman,
Chairman, Talbot State Bank, Woodland
•
J. D.
Vanlandingham,
CEO, Bank of Wrightsville
In addition, officers and directors of the following companies have
contributed to the GBA FedPAC:
•
Mark Lane,
President & CEO,
Security Bank, Albany
•
Bobby Heath,
President, First American Bank and Trust Company, Athens
•
Tom Wiley,
President & CEO, Flag Bank, Atlanta
•
John Terrell,
Chairman, Merchants and Farmers Bank of Comer, Georgia
•
John Lewis,
CEO, Mountain State Bank, Dawsonville
•
Bill Edwards,
Chairman, United Bank, Griffin
•
Elois Anderson,
CEO,
Bank of Hiawassee
•
Pete Malone,
President & CEO,
McIntosh State Bank, Jackson
•
Jimmy Burnsed,
CEO,
Bryan Bank & Trust, Richmond Hill
•
John Helmken,
CEO,
The Savannah Bank, National Association
•
Walter Bowden,
CEO,
Darby Bank and Trust Company, Vidalia
•
Chuck Williams,
CEO, North Georgia Bank, Watkinsville
Thanks to
all for your support. If you have questions or need additional
information, please contact
Elizabeth Chandler at (404) 420-2027.
Banks to Host Events at President/CEO and Bank
Counsel Conferences
Registrations are coming in at a steady pace for the
President/CEO and
Bank Counsel Conferences. The
Community Bankers Committee and the
Bank Counsel Section have both planned excellent programs
that will provide timely information at a great location. Our
guaranteed room block expires September 3 so make your reservations
today by calling the hotel directly at (912) 201-2000. Also this
year, two hosted events have been scheduled that you won’t want to
miss. Mike Owens, President and CEO, and the officers and
directors of
The Coastal Bank will host a reception at their bank on
historic Johnson Square on Sunday evening, October 3 from 6:30 to
7:30 p.m. On Monday evening, October 4, Tom Wiley, President
and CEO, and the officers and directors of
Flag Bank in Atlanta, will host a Low-Country Boil and
Oyster Roast at Old Fort Jackson from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Please call
GBA’s
Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 with questions about the
Conference. Register now to take advantage of these great
opportunities to network with your colleagues!
Fall AIB Semester Starts Soon
American Institute of Banking
classes start the week of September 13 with sixty courses being
offered in twenty-five locations throughout the state. Courses
range from one week to twelve weeks. GBA welcomes back many of our
most seasoned instructors to teach these classes along with a few
new instructors offering classes in brand new areas. If a class is
not being offered in your area, consider taking the course via the
Internet. The schedule of AIB Internet classes is also listed in
The GBA Advantage. Internet classes are offered
monthly and can help you complete your diploma or certificate if a
classroom course is not available. For more information, please
check The GBA Advantage for the course schedule or call GBA’s
Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.
Marketing Conference Set for October
GBA’s
Marketing Conference is slated for October 21-22 at
the
Savannah Marriott Riverfront. “Marketing Resources for
Peak Performance” is the theme. Please see the enclosed
brochure for this year’s agenda. As in the past, a pre-conference
workshop will be held on October 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and the
topic will be Effective Print and Radio Advertising. A block
of rooms has been reserved at the Savannah Riverfront Marriot and
the deadline for reservations is September 20, 2004. You may call
the hotel directly at (912) 233-7722 to make reservations. For
additional information, please call GBA’s
Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032.
Special Alert for
e-Subscribers
GBA, in partnership
with the
Graduate School of Banking Wisconsin-Madison, is offering
a new
interactive online training course titled
The Fair Pay Act: Revisions To The Fair Labor Standards Act.
The program will discuss the August 23, 2004 revisions to the wage &
hour laws, specifically new guidelines concerning exceptions and
procedures related to exempt employees and will includes topics such
as:
• Revised standard duties tests
•
New
Compensation amounts
•
New categories
•
Methods to
comply
•
Provisions for
docking exempt employees’ pay
•
Disciplinary
issues
•
The Safe Harbor
Policy
•
Practical
applications
The live online seminar is designed for human resource officers,
payroll officers, supervisors and anyone responsible for
compensation and/or payroll functions and will be presented by
Patty
Wise, a principal and co-founder of the law firm
Wise & Dorner, Ltd.
Patty also serves on the faculty of the Graduate School of Banking
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The seminar is scheduled
for September 30 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. and costs $295.
Remember, when you reserve your seat in the GSB Online Classroom,
others in your office can participate and you still pay only one
registration fee. Please contact GBA’s
Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034 for additional information.
Leadership GBA Sponsors 4-H Campers
This
summer,
Leadership GBA,
in partnership with the
Georgia 4-H Camping Program, was able to make the wish of
attending summer camp come true for a few of Georgia’s elementary
and middle schoolers. Thirty students from across Georgia attended
their local 4-H camp during the months of May and June. Many thanks
to Kim Brannen, Vice President of
Sea Island Bank in Statesboro; Steve Culberson,
Executive Vice President of
The Peoples Bank in Eatonton; Jay Forrester, Vice
President of the
Georgia Bank & Trust Company in Augusta; Meredith Malcom,
Vice President at
The National Bank of Walton County in Monroe; Barry
Pollock, Senior Lending Officer of the
United National Bank in Cairo; and Lisa Rowell, Vice
President of
SunTrust Bank in Douglas, for their help in coordinating
local camper sponsorships. A special thank you to the following
banks that sponsored campers in their community:
•
Athens First Bank & Trust Company,
Monroe
•
BB&T,
Statesboro
•
Cairo Banking Company
•
Capital City Bank,
Cairo
•
Citizens Bank,
Cairo
•
Citizens Security Bank,
Douglas
•
Colony Bank,
Douglas
•
Farmers & Merchants Bank,
Statesboro
•
First National Bank,
Statesboro
•
First National Bank of Coffee County,
Douglas
•
First Southern National Bank,
Statesboro
•
Georgia Central Bank,
Monroe
•
Georgia Bank & Trust Company,
Augusta
•
Main Street Bank,
Monroe
• The
National Bank of Walton County,
Monroe
•
PAB Bankshares, Inc.,
Statesboro
•
Park Avenue Bank,
Cairo
• The
Peoples Bank,
Eatonton
• Sea
Island Bank,
Statesboro
•
Southeastern Bank,
Douglas
•
SunTrust Bank,
Douglas
•
United National Bank,
Cairo
•
Wachovia,
Monroe and Statesboro
GBA Job Bank
The Georgia Bankers Association offers free job posting resources
for our member banks. These listings can be viewed
online or
through our bi-weekly publication included in the GBA Bulletin.
Resume postings are also available. For more information please
contact GBA’s
Renee Valdez
(404) 420-2036 or
Kenyetta
Parks (404) 420-2035.
2004 GBA Salary Survey Completed
We
appreciate everyone’s participation in this year’s survey. We are
pleased with this year’s survey and have added quite a few new
features including trend reports requested by this year’s
Human Resource
Committee. The completed survey will be sent early next
week to those banks that participated in the compilation. Pricing
is based on the asset size of your bank so everyone can take
advantage of the survey. If you were unable to participate but
would still like to receive a copy, please call GBA’s
Renee Valdez at
(404) 420-2036.
Telecommunications Discount Program Offered through NationsLink
Communication
NationsLink Communication,
a GBA Strategic Partner since 1997, has been able to provide over
100 Georgia banks with state of the art telecommunications service
with an average cost savings of 25%. Today NationsLink has the
capability to provide not only local and long distance service, but
has branched out to provide:
•
high speed
internet
•
conference
calling
•
PRI & T1s
•
frame relay
& point to point
•
offsite data
storage
•
telephone
systems
NationsLink Communication has extended their discount service
program to the directors and employees of GBA members. If you are
interested in obtaining a free cost analysis, please
email or call NationsLink (800) 546-5875 ext. 203.
Is Check Fraud
Draining Your Income?
Lower
your bank’s check fraud by participating in GBA’s
Thumbprint Signature Program. The device know as 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 can be used by law enforcement agencies in the
investigation of fraud claims made by account holders, and financial
institution’s usage of the program is a natural deterrent. No
database of fingerprints will be kept by the banking industry, and
the signature will be shared with law enforcement officials only in
cases of suspected fraud. This inexpensive program can decrease
your check fraud loss immediately. To order this unique program or
for further information, you may contact GBA’s
Renee Valdez at (404) 420-2036 or
Kenyetta Parks at (404) 420-2035.
Latest Bank to Link
Welcome to
The First State Bank, Stockbridge, David Gill, CEO, as the
latest bank to link to GBA’s website. Call
Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039 when your bank is ready to
link.
Newmakers:
Atlanta -
Atlanta Business Bank
The
bank, formerly United Commercial Bank, announces the election
of Edward J. Cooney, CPA, to the Board of Directors.
Camilla -
Planters & Citizens Bank
David
Sullivan,
who recently joined the bank, has been named Vice President;
Sandi Collins has been named Compliance Officer and Beverly
Carr has been named Banking Officer.
Cornelia -
Community Bankshares, Inc.
Stacye
Morgan
has been promoted to Assistant Vice President and Assistant Loan
Review Officer and Denver Gunn to Corporate Security Officer.
Cornelia -
Community Bank & Trust
Sidney L.
Roland, III
has been
promoted to Clarkesville City President; Shirley D. Duncan to
Senior Vice President; and Scott Roland, Helen Hewell,
Michelle Elder-Gilreath and Melissa Fountain to
Banking Officer.
Cornelia -
Financial Supermarkets, Inc.
Lisa
Harper
has been
promoted to Vice President and Comptroller.
Gainesville -
GB&T Bancshares, Inc.
Ronnie L. Ray
has been elected to the Board of
Community Trust Bank in Hiram, an affiliate of GB&T
Bancshares, Inc.
Louisville -
First National Bank and Trust
Richard H. Peacock
has joined the bank as Chief Lending Officer.
Macon -
Rivoli Bank
Marvin Brooks
as
Senior Vice President has joined the bank as Loan Officer;
John Carswell as Loan Officer; Brent Collins as
Commercial Lender; and Sheryl Breedlove as Construction Loan
Officer, Griffin office.
Richmond Hill -
Bryan Bank & Trust
Dell Keith
has been elected President.
Vidalia -
Altamaha Bank & Trust
Brian Frederick
has been promoted to Vice President and Branch Manager, Westside
branch.