April 29 - CBA Today eNewsletter - COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA

John McNair, CBA President & CEO

As a 30-plus year veteran of the financial services industry, I have seen a lot of changes and excellent innovation. The online and digital tools available to the public today are phenomenal. They make basic banking functions very easy to perform and are so advanced and user friendly that they are now adopted by almost every age group and demographic. This “Transactional” model of banking works great for basic functions; however, in challenging times its shortcomings are revealed.

Thousands of small business owners who use larger financial institutions reported major challenges applying for a loan to access the funds available through the PPP program. In fact, it was reported that Wells Fargo urged its small business customers to consider other banks for SBA relief loans. The program was designed to help small business customers weather the storm by providing much needed financial relief while the various Shelter in Place guidelines are in effect; however, the online and digital tools relied upon for basic banking activities can only do so much when it comes to applying for and securing a loan. Incorporate the added complexities associated with a government-backed lending program and it is easy to see why the large banks – which heavily utilize online and digital applications for customer engagement – are so challenged to execute on the PPP program relative to community banks. Read the full article

Tell Congress: PPP Loan System Needs Work
Congress recently passed a second round of PPP funding. The rollout has been slow and riddled with issues. Your members of Congress need to hear directly from you.

Please customize your letter with the specific issues you are experiencing. Remember to include a specific request for your member of Congress: Please reach out to the highest levels of leadership within the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration and urge them to ensure equal and fair access for all community banks to access the Paycheck Protection Program.

You might include:

Issues logging into the E-TRAN or Gateway Lender System,
Issues submitting an application,
Issues with the system crashing mid-submission,
Concern of too-big-to-fail megabank’s potentially gaining unfair and preferential access,
Issue over batch uploading of PPP applications as 5,000 loans (recently reduced from 15,000)
is still too many for community banks,
Lack of guidance or basic information regarding access to the program.

Letters will pre-populate with your members of Congress' title and last name in the salutation (non-editable) and your full name, bank name, city and state in the signature (editable). Assume all letters will be read and made public. Letters not filled out correctly will not be able to be sent. Click here to ACT NOW!

Georgia’s community bankers do great things in their communities every day. Here is the latest on community outreach and news from CBA Members:

Newton Federal Bank, Covington, was recently featured on CardRates.com highlighting the bank's charitable contributions and support of local causes. These include supporting Relay for Life, the Fuzz Run sponsored by Covington Police Department, hosting seasonal events in the downtown square, and supporting Financial Literacy in local public schools through the EverFi program. Read the article.
Greater Community Bank's Rhonda Wallace recently delivered breakfast to the hardworking respiratory therapists at Floyd Medical Center. In addition, Kathy Davis brought donuts to some of the healthcare workers at AdventHealth Gordon to celebrate Volunteer Week!
BankSouth, Greensboro, launched its Paid with Purpose program to support locally owned restaurants in its markets during the pandemic. The program encourages BankSouth customers to use their BankSouth debit cards to pay for meals at locally owned restaurants and BankSouth will donate five percent of a customer’s bill to the restaurant in April and May.

Sympathies
CBA extends our sympathies to Donald Morrison, Embassy National Bank, Lawrenceville,
on the death of his mother Roma Jean Morrison. Read more.

In addition, CBA also extends our sympathies to President Chuck Haley, The Peoples Bank, Eatonton and HR Officer Ame Haley, their family and the extended bank family, on the death of Ame’s mother, Amelia Adams Wilson, on April 21. Read more

Think CBA First for Your Professional Development Needs!
Be sure to think of CBA first when it comes to your training and Professional Development needs. Here are some upcoming CBA events:

Free or Reduced Pricing, Enhanced Services and More
How CBA Preferred Service Providers and Associate Members are Helping During COVID-19
CBA vendor partners continue to stand ready to help your bank during the challenging COVID-19 crisis. Several Preferred Service Providers (PSPs) and Associate Members have shared special offers for CBA member banks during this time. In addition to free services, reduced or waived fees, and extended hours, many providers have included sample policies, advertisements, and training videos. Thank you to these partners for their generosity and willingness to assist. Click here to check it out.

Disputes and Chargebacks: Learn with Your Fellow Bankers
Virtual STREAM Program | Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Your institution will always see transactions disputed by the cardholder, but do you have time to navigate the complicated rules that decide who pays? Understanding the complexity that governs liability can take valuable time. How do disputes get resolved, leaving your institution whole? In CBA’s Bank Operations RAP Session, learn best practices for disputes and chargebacks to take control of the situation. Make sure to submit any questions or topics to CBA by May 5, 2020. Learn more and register.

This May, Celebrate Everyday Heroes for our Public Services
Each month CBA designs promotional items to help member banks celebrate different aspects of Community Banking. We offer themed promotional materials to use for your website and social media channels including banners, profile frames, square overlays, hashtags, quotes and facts.
This May, CBA is celebrating everyday heroes who continue to provide our public services during these hard times. The first full week of May is Public Service Recognition Week, celebrated from Sunday, May 3, until Saturday, May 9, 2020. For the rest of May, CBA will continue celebrating our local heroes to recognize their brave efforts on the front lines for our public services.

During the month of May, we encourage you to celebrate those in the military & law enforcement, as well as first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, and postal workers. Also, don't forget those who work to support our public utilities, telecommunications, public transportation, sanitation, and more.

CBA is providing graphics to promote the campaign, along with useful resources to help you promote those who provide the public services in your community. Be sure to promote the campaign online and on social media. Check out the marketing toolkit.

CBA Welcomes New Associate Members
The Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) would like to welcome new Associate Members which were recently approved by the Board of Directors. Throughout the year, CBA’s Board reviews and approves quality vendors who provide products and services to CBA members. For more information on becoming an associate member,
click here or contact Lindsay Greene.

All Covered
Mr. Dave McOlgan
Gurley, AL
Cyber Security Services

Avertium
Mr. Alex Bulischeck
Knoxville, TN
Cyber Security Services

CE Solutions Group
Mr. Gene Kirby
Greensboro, GA
Consulting

Community Lending Partners
Mr. William Mullally
Atlanta, GA
Financial Services

FINSYNC, Inc.
Mr. Tucker Mathis
Atlanta, GA
Payments

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
Mr. Brad Adler
Atlanta, GA
Legal Services

Haberfeld
Ms. Jamie Orth
Lincoln, NE
Retail Banking Strategies

PPDocs, Inc.
Mr. Shannon Phillips
Arlington, TX
Legal Services

Simon Meyer LLC
Ms. Molly Vincent
Buchanan, GA
Consulting
Thompson Hine LLP
Mr. Sean Gordon
Atlanta, GA
Legal Services

Vision
Mr. Stephen Nikitas
Bolingbrook, IL
Advertising/Marketing

Webinar: Remote Workforce + Data Breach = A Perfect Storm.
What you can do to prepare for it now.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 | 12 noon-12:55 PM ET

Revisiting the Incident Response Plan with your team and
3rd party stakeholders all working remotely
Identifying steps that can be implemented remotely and those that can't;
How the tools discussed in webinar 2 can be deployed in event of a breach
Adjusting your communications plan with 3rd party vendors
Exploring the advantages of attorney-client privilege in event of a breach

Learn more and register.

FREE Webinar: Navigating Uncertainty - Creating a Path Forward
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm EDT
When faced with uncertainty, it’s often difficult to devise a path forward. During this session CBA Associate Member Haberfeld will explore actionable strategies your bank can to take to move forward with certainty, regardless of any environmental or economic challenge that presents itself.
Learn more and register.

Webinar: The End of LIBOR
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 | 11:00 am ET

ICBA Securities and its exclusively-endorsed broker, Vining Sparks, will present a webinar on The End of LIBOR. This webinar is designed to provide the latest information from ARRC and other important constituencies regarding the transition away from LIBOR. Learn more and register.

ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

To learn more, contact David Moore at 202-659-8111 or visit their website.

Here are some of the latest national news stories relevant to community banking and the financial services industry:

APRIL 29, 2020