Be Prepared for Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) will begin earlier and end later in 2007 than in years past. When the President signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the beginning of DST was moved from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March.  DST will now end the first Sunday in November instead of the last Sunday in October.  According to a recent bulletin from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, “The impact of the change in DST may not cause systems failures, but without remediation and preparation, banks could experience logging errors, monitoring difficulties, degraded system performance, or disruptions of some services. In addition, malfunctioning systems could result in compliance errors (e.g., incorrect ATM disclosures) and securities issues (e.g., malfunctioning security systems).”  Our thanks to the American Bankers Association for providing a checklist giving a number of areas any bank should check.  If you would like a copy faxed to you, please call GBA’s Lydia Thomas at (404) 420-2039.

Tim Pannell to Speak on Branding
Bankers across Georgia will convene at the 2007 Annual Convention on June 17-20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.  A great program has been planned that you won’t want to miss.  Scheduled to speak at Monday’s General Session is Tim Pannell, President of Financial Marketing Solutions in Franklin, Tennessee.  Tim will explore the idea of corporate branding, its meaning and its value to your bottom line.  Banks that focus on building brand, have a higher key employee retention rate and a greater return on assets than banks that do not.   Tim will also provide those necessary steps you need to transform your bank from a mere commodity to a brand that ignites employee energy and generates positive response from your customer.  With questions about the convention, contact GBA’s Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010.

Another Busy Week in the General Assembly
A number of bills of interest to the banking industry received action this week in the Georgia General Assembly.  Please click here to view this week's Legislative Update where we discuss:

• GBA-requested Tax Bill Assigned to Subcommittee

• Bill to Abolish Certain Retraining Tax Credits Heard in Subcommittee

• REIT Bill Introduced

• Tax Data Match Bill to be Revised

• Payday Lending Bill Reported - Moving Regulation to Banking Department

• Credit Report File Freeze Meeting Called

• Bid & Performance Bonds Bill Passes House

• Congress Urged to Penalize Banks with Resolution on Stopping Automatic Drafts

• Legislature in Session Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Next Week

With questions about any of these bills or for clarification on any of these issues, please contact GBA's Elizabeth Chandler at (404) 420-2027.

Two Georgians Cosponsor ILC Legislation
  Our thanks to two of Georgia’s Members of Congress, Nathan Deal (R-Gainesville) and Sanford Bishop (D-Columbus) for cosponsoring H.R. 698 which was recently introduced by Rep. Barney Frank and Rep. Paul Gillmor.  This bill would effectively close the ILC loophole by banning commercial firms from chartering or acquiring ILCs.  The GBA has written to all members of the Georgia House Congressional Delegation asking for their support of this important legislation.  We are also encouraging our members to write your member of Congress to cosponsor the Gillmor-Frank bill.  Thanks to the American Bankers Association, you may click on a link from their website to automatically send a letter to your Congressman.  Although the FDIC has extended the moratorium on commercial companies from getting an ILC charter, it is important that our Congressional delegation hear from the membership.

Still Time to Register for Financial Risk Management Conference
At GBA’s Financial Risk Management Conference on March 8-9 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, well-known Economist Chris Low of FTN Financial in New York will address the national economy and discuss the outlook for interest rates.  Dr. Roger Tutterow from Mercer University will analyze the regional economic climate.  Other topics include: Strategies for Investment Portfolio Management, Relationship Pricing, and Balance Sheet Strategies.  Also on the agenda is an ALCO panel discussion.  Mike Odom with Great Oaks Advisors, LLC in Richmond Hill will moderate.  The panel consists of Dennis Zember, CFO of Ameris Bancorp, Moultrie, Jim Doyle, CFO of McIntosh State Bank, Jackson, and Archie Bransford with Bransford & Associates, Alpharetta.  There will also be an Asset/Liability for Community Banks workshop prior to the conference.  The workshop is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 8th.  Call the Renaissance Waverly directly at (770) 953-4500 to reserve your hotel room.  Register online or call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 with questions.

Advanced Teller Operations Seminar Set for March 7
GBA will host its Advanced Teller Operations seminar on Wednesday, March 7^th, at the Ramada Plaza, Macon.  The registration fee is $195 per person and former banker, Judy Preston, will lead the workshop.  Designed for experienced teller supervisors, branch managers and training personnel, this one-day seminar will provide information on reducing teller turnover, creating an atmosphere of better morale, and improving customer service.  Some of the highlights of the seminar include:

• Daily responsibilities: Vault, negotiable items, compliance, handling difficult customers

• Security:  Opening, closing, robbery procedures

• Supervision:  New tellers, teller windows, monthly meetings, overages and shortages, disciplinary action

•  Motivation:  Supplying tellers with adequate and appropriate incentives and motivators

Register online or call GBA’s Courtenay Pope at (404) 420-2015 or Susie McGehee at (404) 420-2010 with questions.

Bank Security Conference Scheduled
This year’s Bank Security Conference is scheduled for April 4-5 at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront.  A special thank you to Committee Chair Brian Frederick, Vice President/Security Officer with Altamaha Bank and Trust Company in Vidalia, and the entire Security Committee for planning yet another exciting and informative agenda.  New this year is a “What Would You Do?” roundtable discussion session.  Participants will be presented with real life scenarios.  After discussion, you will learn how the issues were actually resolved and the outcome of the actions taken.  A block of rooms has been reserved until March 3^rd.  To make your reservation, please call the hotel directly at (800) 285-0398.  For more information or to register, please call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032.

Register Today for AIB Online Courses
Just a reminder that the following AIB Online classes begin on March 12.  Please register two weeks in advance to secure a seat in the class.  These courses are instructor-facilitated with weekly assignments.  They can be taken from the comfort of your home or the convenience of your office.  All you need is a computer, printer and Internet access. (Classes with an asterisk * require Microsoft Excel Software.)

• ABA Online Review Course for the CTFA Exam (open enrollment), 12 weeks, $795

• Commercial Lending, 16 weeks, $385

• Financial Accounting*, 16 weeks, $485

• Principles of Banking (2 credits), 10 weeks, $315

• Retirement Plan Services – Plan Type & Design, 6 weeks, $795

• Today's Teller: Developing Basic Skills* (open enrollment), 8 weeks, $285

There is still availability in the following AIB online classes beginning the week of March 12.  Please register as soon as possible to secure a seat in the class.

• Analyzing Financial Statements*, 16 weeks, $485

• Law & Banking:  Applications, 16 weeks, $435

• Managing Interest Rate Risk*, 8 weeks, $695

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $385

Please see the AIB Online Schedule for a complete listing or call GBA’s Alison Moreau at (404) 420-2034 with questions.

Operations and Technology Conference Announced
The Operations and Technology Committee has planned an excellent program for this year’s Conference which is scheduled for April 17-18 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta.  The Operations/Technology Conference is designed to address issues pertinent to you and your bank.  Topics include:

• Emerging Payment Trends

• Product Profitability

• Using Technology to Deliver Service and Secure Data

• Fraud Detection

• Remote Merchant Capture, Branch Capture, and Teller Capture

• IT Cost Savings

The conference agenda also allows participants the opportunity to interact with colleagues during roundtable discussions.  Our guaranteed room block expires March 19 so make your reservations today by calling the hotel directly at (770) 953-4500.  Please call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at (404) 420-2032 with questions or to register.

Comment Letters to Farm Credit Administration Needed
Please see our suggested comment letter for you to send to the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) on their proposal to expand the entities that are eligible for financing from the Farm Credit Service (FCS) lenders as processing and marketing operations.  This far-reaching proposal would eliminate any real limitation on the ability of an FCS entity to finance a borrower and replaces it with the subjective and definitive opinion of the FCA.  Your letter should either be mailed to the address on the suggested letter or sent via e-mail to reg-comm@fca.gov by February 26, 2007.  Another option is to click through on the Action Alert the American Bankers Association has developed for this purpose.  Just click on the link on the icon on the right and follow the simple instructions.  Your letter will be sent immediately.  Please call GBA’s Elizabeth Chandler with questions at (404) 420-2027.

Roundtable Groups Starting Soon
We were pleased to announce earlier this year the organization of President/CEO Roundtables around the state.  Initial response has been terrific and we expect to have several groups beginning their meetings soon.  GBA had received a number of requests from bank presidents and CEOs to provide a forum where they can meet in small groups to talk confidentially with their peers about the myriad issues facing community bank leaders.  The best way we have found to do that is through a facilitated peer group.  We are especially pleased that the Roundtables are being facilitated by longtime Georgia banker, Mike Odom.  Mike is well-known in banking circles and has been active in GBA over the years, most recently chairing our Community Bankers Committee.  Mike brings 20 years of broad-based bank management to the Roundtables.  He began his banking career as a teller during high school in his hometown of Jesup.  After graduating from Georgia Southern University with a degree in accounting, he spent 10 years with what was then Trust Company Bank of Southeast Georgia, Brunswick, as a Commercial Lender and Lending Group Manager.  He joined Bryan Bank & Trust in Richmond Hill as Executive Vice President and Senior Credit Officer, and was later named President and Chief Operating Officer.  He served in a similar capacity at the holding company, The Savannah Bancorp, Inc., before being named CEO.  “I have had the opportunity to participate in several peer groups during my career and have found them to be invaluable in helping my bank prosper and me grow professionally,” Mike said.  “Working with GBA and facilitating a number of President/CEO Roundtables will be a wonderfully rewarding experience,” he concluded.  The Roundtables will meet three times a year and the agenda will be set by the participants.  With questions or to let us know of your interest, please call GBA’s Chad Wilson at (404) 420-2031.

Leadership Conference on Tap
Our thanks to the Leadership GBA Executive Committee for planning an outstanding agenda for their upcoming Leadership Conference July 15-18 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra, Florida.  Sponsored by the Leadership Development Section, the annual Leadership Conference is an event not to be missed.  The conference is designed to provide a forum through which younger career bankers from around the state of Georgia can meet and learn from each other and hear presentations from industry experts, regulatory representatives, and professional speakers.  Please put the date on your calendar and be looking for a full brochure which will be mailed soon.

Welcome New Participant
The GBA Insurance Trust, Inc. Board of Directors welcomes to the Trust Omni National Bank, Atlanta, Stephen Klein, Chairman, President and 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.

Trust & Investment Management Services
Reliance Trust Company, a subsidiary of the privately held Reliance Financial Corporation, is one of the largest independent trust companies in the country with more than $30 billion in assets under management. Headquartered in Atlanta and a longtime Strategic Partner of the GBA, Reliance is a leading provider of financial services to individuals, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide.  Reliance offers a full array of personalized financial services that can benefit your bank by adding fee based revenues through financial advisory services. This includes directors and bank employees as well as its individual and business customers. Services include:

• Wealth Management and Personal Advisory Services

• Separate Account Management

• Money Manager Consulting

• Trust and Fiduciary Services

• Financial, Estate, and Tax Planning

• Retirement Plans and Investments

• Outsourcing Services to Financial Intermediaries

For more information, contact Reliance’s Mark Teichner at (404) 965-7239 or GBA’s Chad Wilson at (404) 420-2022.

Stored Value Card Program
PRE Holdings, a GBA Strategic Partner, is a leading provider of prepaid products such as wireless, long distance, gift cards, music and gaming, and the best in class prepaid debit card, the Mio Money Prepaid MasterCard.  The Mio Money Prepaid MasterCard is a re-loadable card that works just like a bank debit or credit card, the only difference is that it is prepaid.  No bank account or credit check is needed, and the consumer can only spend the amount they load on their card.  The Mio Card was designed based on extensive consumer research with more product features than any other stored value card in the market.  GBA member banks have the opportunity to gain increased revenue from the initial sale and load of the card in addition to the repeat cash loads with no investment required.  For more information, contact PRE Holding’s Mike Wells at (770) 289-6547 or GBA’s Chad Wilson at (404) 420-2022.

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 Kenyetta Parks at (404) 420-2035.

Some of the Services Available Through GBA Services, Inc.

Pledging Pool Program	Thumbprint Signature Program
Georgia Laws Code Book	Georgia Financial Directory
Discounted Check Program	Internet Loan Closing Program
Human Resources Solutions	Checking Club Programs
Discounted Local & Long Distance Program	Bond and D&O Insurance
Non-Qualified Executive Benefits (BOLI)	Trust and Investment Services
Record Retention Guide	Holiday Decals
FinCrime	Financial Industry Pre-Employment Assessments
Job Bank

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 or to order any of these products or services, please call (404) 522-1501.

Newsmakers:

Alpharetta - Alpha Bank & Trust Congratulations to CEO Joe Briner, officers, directors and staff on the recent opening of the bank’s Marietta financial center. Madison - Bank of Madison Mary Lee Thompson has been promoted to Vice President, Human Resources; Jane Astin and Debbie Conner to Assistant Vice President, Branch Managers; Chad Nelson to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lender; and Cameron Coody to Assistant Vice President, Information Technology. Marietta - Highland Commercial Bank Patricia Joyner has joined the bank as Loan Administration Specialist and Eva Oliveras as Personal Banker. Savannah - Darby Bank & Trust Company Cathy Benton has been promoted to Banking Officer.   Alpha Bank & Trust Grand Opening   Joyner and Oliveras Benton

Serving the needs of Georgia Bankers since 1892 Search I Staff I Contact Us Georgia Bankers Association - 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1050, Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone 404.522.1501 • Fax 404.522.9848