Our annual Bank President/CEO and Bank Counsel Conferences wrapped up Tuesday after two days that were chock-full of the latest industry insights. More than 70 bankers and 25 Bank Counsel Section members attended this year. “As the leaders of our respective banks and firms, we are all focused on leading our industry forward,” said GBA Chairman Andy Williams, president, United Community Bank, Blairsville. “This year’s conference reflected that forward looking attitude and gave us all vital information and resources we can put to use immediately.” New this year was combined programming because the information in the sessions was of specific value to all attendees. In particular, the Bank Counsel Section Board, led by James Stevens, Kilpatrick Stockton, organized extremely timely panel discussion about bank board issues and general liability exposure/D&O insurance. RBC Bank Economist Joe Keating noted that while the recession has technically ended, the strength of any recovery will depend heavily on job creation and a self-sustaining rise in consumer and business spending.

As usual, our regulatory panel at the President/CEO and Bank Counsel Conference was a don’t-miss session that delivered important news. First and foremost, Doreen Eberley, acting regional director – Atlanta Region, FDIC, said the FDIC is issuing some limited brokered deposit waivers. The bar remains extremely high, she emphasized, but it is possible to receive a waiver. She said she’d approved several since she began her assignment in Atlanta in May. The broad test is that waivers may be approved for institutions that are clearly on the path to health through actions such as their ability to raise capital, shrink their balance sheets and manage a specific plan to reduce reliance on brokered deposit levels over the long term, among other factors. Another key learning from Eberley was that the FDIC will work with the GBA to coordinate an information session to discuss forthcoming guidance about how to apply for exemptions to the new deposit rate cap rules for less-than-well-capitalized institutions that take effect Jan. 1.

There’s a key deadline coming up for those of you participating in the FDIC’s Transaction Account Guarantee (TAG) program to fully insure certain noninterest-bearing accounts over $250,000. Back in August, the FDIC extended the program until June 30, 2010, but provided an opt-out provision for banks that want to end participation at the end of this calendar year. The opt-out deadline is Nov. 2. Please see the FDIC’s FIL-48-2009 issued Aug. 27 for full instructions about how to opt out. Any institution that opts out will continue in the TAG program through Dec. 31, 2009, and must continue to report its TAG deposits accordingly.

Legislative efforts to extend the net-operating-loss carryback timeframe from two to five years continues to gain traction. This week John Lewis (D-Ga.) joined three other House members in signing on as co-sponsors of Rep. Richard Neal’s (D-Mass.) bill (H.R. 2452) to enact the extension. Similar legislation in the Senate (S. 823) has 42 co-sponsors. There are now 135 House members co-sponsoring the legislation.

Important: Federal Home Loan Bank Atlanta Election of Independent Directors

• Public Interest Director: Robert L. Strickland, Jr., Executive Director, Alabama Housing Finance Authority, Montgomery, AL

• Independent Director: William C. Handorf, Professor of Finance, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.

The Bank must receive your ballot by Oct. 26, 2009. Mail the ballot you’ve received in the postage-paid envelope provided by the bank to Stella Lang, FHLBank Atlanta, P.O. Box 105565, Atlanta, GA 30348-9954. With questions, contact Lang at 404.888.5583.

• Increase the interest rates consumers pay by at least 160 basis points

• Reduce consumer borrowing by at least 2.1 percent

• Reduce the net new jobs created in the economy by 4.3 percent.

Here’s a link to the published study for future reference. The American Bankers Association funded the survey, but the conclusions are the independent thoughts of the authors, professors David Evans and Joshua Wright. Evans is lecturer, University of Chicago Law School, Executive Director, Jevons Institute for Competition Law and Economics, and visiting professor, University College London. Wright is assistant professor, George Mason University Law School and Department of Economics.

• Century Bank of Georgia, Cartersville, Rick Drews, CEO

• Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, Milton Gray, CEO

The officers, directors and staff of the following banks have contributed to the GBA FedPAC:

• Bank of Hiawassee, Keith Caudell, CEO

• Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, Milton Gray, CEO

Thank you for your support. Please see the BankPAC Update for year to date contributions by group. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Chandler at 404.420.2027. The 2009 BankPAC contribution forms can be downloaded here.

The proceeds will be donated to the GBA StatePAC. With questions, please contact GBA’s Susie McGehee at 404.420.2010. Help fund the State PAC today; your contribution CAN make a difference!

• One week in each of three consecutive years on campus

• Graded assignments by mail between campus sessions

• Carefully revised curriculum annually, based on evaluations and current trends

• Designed by GBS Committee with guidance by Dr. James Verbrugge

• All materials are designed specifically for the Georgia Banking School

• Intensive, rigorous coursework

• Objectives - Provide a thorough understanding of critical banking functions such as asset-liability management, lending, human resource management, sales and marketing and many others.

Career Development:

• Well-earned Georgia Banking School diploma awarded at graduation

• Intensive curriculum design provides superior preparation for Graduate Banking Schools. Our Georgia Banking School graduates are renowned at LSU Graduate School of Banking for their excellent preparation.

• Opportunity to win a scholarship for one year at the LSU Graduate School of Banking if named Graduate of Distinction.

• Networking opportunities with bankers and industry experts from around the state can result in immediate and long-term benefits for student and bank

Tuition

• $1,650 covers all tuition, materials, instruction, and room and board for the week of school

• All instruction and materials for bank simulation exercises and home assignments are included in tuition

• Students study and live at the Center for Continuing Education at the University of Georgia in Athens during each annual week-long session

The Georgia Banking School is the highest-quality banking education offered in Georgia
The 49^th annual school will be held May 2-7, 2010 at the University of Georgia in Athens. For more details or to register, please call GBA’s Marybeth Jones at 404.420.2032.

Check those calendars and make the necessary adjustments. We’ve re-scheduled our Loan Documentation and Advanced Loan Documentation seminars for Nov. 3 and Dec. 9. The seminars are at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon.

Designed for credit analysts, branch managers, consumer lenders and entry-level commercial lenders the GBA’s Analyzing Personal Financial Statements seminar will be Thursday, Nov.4, at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon. This course will be led by Mike Allen, President & CEO of Georgia Trust Bank in Buford. Topics covered at this one-day seminar include how to:

• Identify new cross-selling opportunities

• Develop a pattern of logical, analytical thinking

• Examine a personal tax return for hidden information

• Develop an adjusted net worth

• Make valid credit decisions based on careful analysis

• Identify if income is continuing, verifiable, and recurrent.

The registration fee is $225 for members. With questions, please contact GBA’s Courtenay Pope at 404.420.2015.

This one-day continuing education workshop is devoted to security topics of most concern to financial institutions. The presenter will be Charles Williams of Marketing Advertising Consulting Services out of Eastman. Topics to be covered are:

• Bank Robbery: Robbery trends, robbery response before, during & after the bank robbery and the Employee Assistance Program

• Physical Security:  Alarms & cameras, vaults & safes, card access, biometrics, bandit barriers & dye packs, ATMs (lighting & landscaping) and facility risk assessment will be covered

• Employee Safety:  Developing a workplace nonviolence program, identifying threats and dealing with problem employees and customers, plus much more.

For more information or to register, please call Courtenay Pope at 404.420.2015.

Sign up now for the Advanced Consumer Lending seminar on Nov. 17 at Idle Hour Country Club in Macon. Designed for lenders with one year of experience in consumer lending, this advanced class will tackle more complicated credits that require an analysis of the customer’s cash position from tax returns. 

Just Two More Weeks Until Bank Trainer Peer Group Meets, Please Join Us

Introduction to Mortgage Lending Highlight Upcoming AIB Courses

• Consumer Lending, 16 weeks, $405

• Principles of Banking, 16 weeks, $405

• A New Day in Washington: Sweeping Changes for Employers – Oct. 9

• IRA Audit and Compliance – Oct. 15

• RESPA, Part 1: Implementing the New Rules – Overview – Oct. 15

• ACH 201 – Oct. 19 & 21

• Asset Custody (corporate cash sweep & institutional money market fund portal, DTC and non-DTC security custody & accounting services)

• Investment Management (equity/fixed income separate account management, mutual funds, asset allocation)

• Personal Trust Services (revocable/irrevocable, ILITs, charitable trusts, special needs trusts, estate settlement)

• Retirement Plan Services (pension/profit sharing plans, 401(k), defined benefit, ESOP, directed/discretionary trustee, institutional custody)

• Insurance (life, health, disability, deferred compensation, annuities, long term care, retirement/estate planning strategies)

• Estate/Financial Planning, Securities Brokerage (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, LPs),

• Family Office / Comprehensive Wealth Management services, and

• Trust/RIA Operations Outsourcing

Reliance works closely with the bank’s assigned relationship management personnel, supporting their end client relationship in a direct or indirect capacity as needed. Through a selling agreement, the bank is able to receive ongoing non-interest income revenues from those relationships being jointly serviced by Reliance affiliates. For more information contact Mark Teichner directly at 404.965.7239, or GBA’s Levi Crabtree directly at 404.420.2022.

NuVox delivers customized managed communications services, information technology, data, security and voice solutions designed specifically for banking customers whose data must remain secure. Banks know that nothing is more important than maintaining the trust of their customers. In today’s fast-changing technological marketplace, banks must operate with top-of-the-line, hacker-proof technology while reducing cost of ownership along the way. NuVox delivers hacker-proof technology through lading Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based wide area private IP network while reducing the cost of ownership.

Please remember to include the Georgia Bankers Association on the list of recipients for announcements about promotions, new employees and special recognition your bank has received.

Newsmakers

Ringgold - Northwest Georgia Bank
Congratulations to Assistant Vice President Carolyn Spurgeon who recently celebrated 30 years of service.

Savannah - The Savannah Bank
Toby Browne and Travis Thomas have been promoted to Assistant Vice Presidents and Lisa Tomlin to Banking Officer. Lora Jex has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of the bank's holding company, The Savannah Bancorp.

Thomaston - United Bank
Congratulations to CEO Jim Edwards, Thomaston President Scott Swafford, the officers, directors and staff on the recent completion of renovations to the bank's historical structure and the addition of a four-lane drive-thru. GBA Associate Member Howe Construction, Inc., Stan Howe, President, partnered in the project.

Valdosta - The Park Avenue Bank
The bank announces the following promotions: R. Wesley Fuller to Chief Administration Officer and Treasurer, David H. Hammond to Chief Credit Officer, George D. Henderson to Chief Banking Officer, Judy S. Kelly to Chief Operations Officer, and Nicole S. Stokes to Chief Financial Officer.
 

Home  I  GBA University  I  Member Services  I  Volunteers  I  Government Relations I Calendar of Events

Georgia Bankers Association • 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1050, Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone 404.522.1501 • Fax 404.522.9848 • www.gabankers.com