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November 19, 2004
 

GBA Named “Most Influential”
The Georgia Bankers Association has been named the Most Influential association in Georgia in a survey taken among lobbyists, legislators and other state elected officials.  The survey was conducted by James magazine, a publication of InsiderAdvantage, the highly-respected, bipartisan political organization run by former legislator Matt Towery and former Lt. Gov. Pierre Howard.  InsiderAdvantage also owns Bill Shipp’s Georgia, a political commentary publication begun many years ago by the well-known former Atlanta Constitution writer.  “This recognition should come as no surprise to our membership as our lobbying team has always produced results,” said GBA Chairman Dan Blanton, President of Georgia Bank and Trust Company in Augusta.  “It was gratifying for me to learn how well-respected our association is among the elected officials and other lobbying organizations and I hope our membership will join me in congratulating our fine staff on this accomplishment. Our competent staff, record-level PAC fundraising and strong grassroots network result in a winning combination,” Dan concluded.  The next four associations recognized in order of number of votes received were:  National Rifle Association, Medical Association of Georgia, Georgia Nursing Home Association and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.  Earlier this year, GBA President Joe Brannen was recognized by the lobbying corps at the Capitol with the Golden Pigeon Award, the highest recognition given a lobbyist by his peers for his work on the most significant piece of legislation passed in the previous session of the General Assembly.

Nominating Committee Solicits Names
The GBA Nominating Committee will soon select a banker to move through the GBA chairs to eventually become GBA Chairman.  The Committee is comprised of the ten Group Chairs and the three immediate past GBA Chairman.  Contact any committee member to recommend someone:

Ed Milligan, Main Street Bank, Atlanta, Chair
Larry Kuglar, First National Bank of Polk County, Cedartown
Jimmy Burnsed, Bryan Bank & Trust, Richmond Hill
Darron Burnette, Sea Island Bank, Statesboro, Group 1
Glenn Willis, South Georgia Banking Company, Tifton, Group 2
Rick Whaley, Citizens Bank of Americus, Group 3
Chuck Copeland, First National Bank of Griffin, Group 4
Chris Burnett, Horizon Bank, Duluth, Group 5
Steve Jordan, Bank of Monticello, Group 6
Steve Chatham, First National Bank of West Metro, Dallas, Group 7
Stuart Smith, Douglas National Bank, Douglas, Group 8
Tim Perry, Citizens Bank of Forsyth County, Cumming, Group 9
Bill Cabaniss, The Commercial Bank, Crawford, Group 10

FDIC Issues Software Guidance
The FDIC is issuing guidance to financial institutions on performing proper due diligence when selecting computer software or a service provider. This due diligence includes making sure that the software or service provider is compliant with applicable laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act, which includes the USA PATRIOT Act.  In making the announcement this week, FDIC noted that some of the commercially available off-the-shelf software programs do not comply with some of the federal laws.  FDIC reminds banks that management is responsible for ensuring their software is compliant and recommends vendor contracts contain a provision requiring compliance certification with both state and federal laws.  The FDIC further stated that the due diligence process must be performed on an on-going basis to ensure that technical software solutions remain compliant if the applicable regulation changes over time.

Legislators to Gather for Orientation
Newly elected members of the Georgia General Assembly will gather in Athens December 12-14 for the biennial session to prepare new legislators for their duties when the 2005 session convenes January 10.  “With the huge number of first-time legislators, GBA plans to be visible at this event and available to help new legislators understand the banking issues which may come before them next session,” said GBA Government Relations Director, Elizabeth Chandler.  “We will be hosting events on behalf of our members during the meeting for both returning and newly-elected legislators, and we look forward to helping the 2005 class get off to a good start,” Elizabeth concluded.

GBA BankPAC Update
Since our last report, the following companies have participated by contributing to the GBA StatePAC:

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

Legislative Reception Scheduled
The GBA’s annual Legislative Reception honoring the members of the General Assembly, the Constitutional Offices, the statewide Judiciary and other dignitaries, is one of the best-attended events by policy makers of all events held in their honor.  This premiere event will be held on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. “It is always important that we as bankers thank the incumbent members of the Legislature for their service,” said GBA Chairman Dan Blanton, President and CEO of Georgia Bank & Trust Company in Augusta.  “This year, it is especially important to show the newly elected members that our interest in the legislative process is strong and to educate them about the issues facing our industry.”  If you have questions, please call GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.

Honor Graduates Recognized
The 2004 session of the Southern Operations and Technology School was held November 7-12 at the University of Georgia. The school’s two-year curriculum includes classes that expand and strengthen the student’s knowledge of key operations areas, new technologies, current regulatory issues, and management skills. Students are required to submit a home study project between the first and second year and a passing grade is mandatory for graduation. The two students with the highest grades on their home study projects are honored at graduation each year. Congratulations to this year’s Graduate of Distinction–the student with the highest grade–Eve Faircloth of Morris State Bank in Dublin and this year’s Honor Graduate–the student with the second highest grade–Carla Boulineau of First National Bank & Trust Company in Louisville.

Congratulations also to the following Georgia bankers who also graduated:

Register for GBA’s Credit Conference
GBA’s Credit Conference, slated for December 1-2 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, will highlight major topics of interest to bank lenders.  Fred Green with Synovus in Columbus will deliver the keynote address and economist Dr. Roger Tutterow of Kennesaw State University will conclude the conference with remarks on the state of the economy.  Other topics include effective appraisal review practices, metro Atlanta market study analysis, peer discussions, and an interview with regulators on loan compliance.  Thanks to GBA’s 2004-2005 Credit Committee Chair Chuck Copeland, President and CEO of First National Bank of Griffin, for his leadership and to the committee for their expertise in planning an informative and dynamic agenda.  For more conference details and to register, please contact GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032.

Live Online Seminars
GBA and the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are offering the following seminars in November and December:

The seminars are divided in two to three 90 minute sessions each and you pay only one site registration fee for as many participants as you wish.  The convenience of the short sessions and the economical site fee are just a few of the reasons these programs continue to gain popularity with our members.  For details and to register, please contact GBA’s Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.

Teller Training
AIB Today’s Teller: Developing Basic Skills is an online course that is designed to get your new tellers the training they need when you want it.  The course has open enrollment so new hires can begin their training right away.  Today’s Teller focuses on the skills new tellers need in today’s banking industry.  The course reflects the changing responsibility of today’s teller and includes the most relevant compliance regulatory information.  Students will learn basic functions of the banking industry, a teller’s responsibilities, explain and perform a variety of daily transaction procedures, demonstrate quality customer service, identify counterfeit currency and recognize the tricks used by con artists, and complete CTR and SAR reports.  The course is 8 weeks long and is member priced at $300.  For further information or to register, please call GBA’s Edie Canales at (404) 420-2034.

Welcome New Participants
The Board of Directors of the GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. welcomes to the Trust State Bank of Cochran, Ernie Tripp, CEO. This company joins more than 290 community banks and associate members in this unmatched member benefit. Please call GBA’s Susan Kelley at (404) 420-2017 for details.

Positive Cash Plus™, GBA’s Newest Strategic Partner
FTRANS Corp., an Atlanta-based financial transaction systems company, has introduced Positive Cash Plus, a commercial loan program for small and medium businesses that may be second only to residential real estate in lending potential for Georgia banks.  The program works by providing outsourced management and credit guarantees on the operating assets of the business, enabling the bank to make a revolving commercial loan with the certainty, simplicity, and safety of real estate lending.  The program works for business-to-business sellers in a manner very similar to the way the credit card system works for businesses selling to consumers.  FTRANS also offers the alternative of the bank keeping the deposit accounts and cross-selling opportunities while outsourcing the underwriting and risk of the actual loan to another lender.  GBA Services, Inc. has endorsed the Positive Cash Plus service and recommends its use to banks in Georgia.  Positive Cash Plus provides the bank with the opportunity of safely increasing its commercial lending while offering the bank’s client the advantages of outsourcing the burden and risk of granting trade credit.  The program is primarily designed for the nearly two million businesses in the United States each with sales to other businesses and governments of over $500,000 annually.  FTRANS estimates that there are more than 75,000 of these businesses in Georgia with a total lending opportunity exceeding $50 billion.

During the past 30 years, most of the self-funded consumer credit offered by retailers has become a bank-based system in the form of the consumer credit card.  FTRANS is offering banks a way to assume a similar role in the self-funded trade credit system (business to business sales), which is currently 40% to 50% larger than the consumer credit system.  The result is a lending opportunity second only to residential real estate.  According to the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board, at June 30, 2004, the amount of trade credit funded by businesses themselves, and not funded by banks or other financial institutions, was $2.42 trillion, more than the $2.16 trillion in residential real estate loans held by banks as of the same date.  FTRANS believes that a significant portion of this $1.42 trillion of self-funded lending can safely move to banks, just as the consumer credit market moved to banks through the credit card system.  The Positive Cash Plus program provides banks with an easy to use, online system that simplifies loan administration and makes the program very efficient to use.  The strength of collateral offered by Positive Cash Plus allows the bank to lend in situations where it might not have been able to otherwise, due to a lack of real estate or other collateral.  The alternative of outsourcing the loan itself creates a program that should work within the credit culture of every bank in Georgia.  For more information, please contact GBA’s Renee Valdez (404) 420-2036 or John Hayes, CEO of FTRANS, at (678) 268-4040.

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.

Newsmakers:

Atlanta - Miller, Hamilton, Snider & Odom
Congratulations to John C.H. Miller, Jr. and Ronald A. Snider for their recent selection to be included in the 2005-2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Darien - Southeastern Bank
Millie J. Ray has been promoted to Audit Director.

Jackson - McIntosh State Bank
Georgine Pitcher has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager/Retail Lender at the McDonough office.

Peachtree City - Peachtree National Bank
Richard V. Spink has been named President and Chief Executive Officer and Jennifer Fritz has joined the bank as Vice President-Commercial Relationship Manager at the Fayetteville office.

Villa Rica - Community Bank of West Georgia
Mark Walker has joined the bank as Senior Vice President and Mark Schrews has been named Director.

Professional Development Calendar
for November 2004

Calendar of Other Events

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About the GBA  I  Professional Development  I  Government Relations  I  Services