May 11 - CBA Today eNewsletter - COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA

Georgia’s community banking industry was well represented at the ICBA Capital Summit held last week in Washington, DC. John McNair, CBA President & CEO, and Lori Godfrey, CBA’s Executive Vice President, Government and Regulatory Relations, along with a team of Georgia community bankers and representatives, met with the offices of both of Georgia's Senators, several House members, and participated in meetings featuring the FDIC, CFPB, FED, and OCC.

“Advocacy is the core mission of both CBA and ICBA,” stated Mr. McNair. “We must be engaged and present in order to preserve Georgia’s community banking industry. Senator Mike Rounds commented to our group the need to tell our story in person versus having others tell the story for us. The delegation’s efforts went a long way to advancing Georgia’s community banking initiatives, and I am extremely grateful to this group for their efforts.”

Bankers attending were Ron Quinn, Peach State Bank & Trust, Gainesville; Mike Sale, The Commercial Bank, Watkinsville; Neil Stevens, Oconee State Bank, Watkinsville; and Derek Williams, Century Bank & Trust, Milledgeville.

Special thanks to the following for their participation and sponsorship: Jim Reber, ICBA Securities; Danny Capitel, IntraFi; Michael White, James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP; and JR Llewellyn and Charlie Hicks, Newcleus. Thank you also to Kevin Wyckoff and Sam Mahler, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, for hosting dinner for Georgia attendees.

Welcome Oconee Federal Savings & Loan
CBA’s Board of Directors, along with CBA’s Membership Committee, welcomes Curtis Evatt, President & CEO, Oconee Federal Savings & Loan, Seneca, SC, as new members.

“We are delighted to have Curtis and his team in our membership,” said John McNair, President & CEO, Community Bankers Association of Georgia. “We look forward to serving the bank and assisting them in utilizing the many professional development programs and benefits membership with CBA offers."

Leverage Niche Markets for Next-Level Loan Growth
With excess funds on the books, Georgia’s community bankers are looking for ways to drive loan growth.

CBA stands ready to assist, and in the May-June issue of Georgia Communities First magazine, we showcase a few vendor partners to help your bank reach new markets, meet customer needs more efficiently and automate the process. Hear from several providers on a variety of products—SBA, college, medical, mortgage, USDA and digital lending. Chris Cochran, Affinity Bank, Atlanta, starts off the article by sharing how his bank continues to grow by serving select business communities as well as offering new banking models to match customer lifestyles.

Georgia Community Banks Recognized in
Independent Banker Top-Performing Banks of 2021
Congratulations to three Georgia community banks who were recognized in Independent Banker magazine’s annual listing of top-performing community banks of 2021.

Banks less than $300 million: Douglas National Bank, Douglas
Banks over $1 billion: BankSouth, Greensboro & Metro City Bank, Doraville

The article featured “3 Minutes with … Harold Reynolds, Chairman & CEO, BankSouth, Greensboro.”

For BankSouth, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021 came with some icing on the cake: It was also one of the community bank’s top performance years to date. Climbing to just under $1.2 billion in assets, BankSouth attributes its growth to a hot housing market, its focus on builder and home mortgage lending, and the economic success in its markets.

“We just saw huge growth in homebuying; we originated and put in homes for about 6,000 families last year,” says Mr. Reynolds. “We were very instrumental in developing this area, and to see the change and the opportunities it’s generated for so many people and businesses, and to know you’re a part of that… that’s community banking.”

But this success doesn’t stem from happenstance. Reynolds points to BankSouth’s focus on innovation as a contributing factor. The bank has run a program for more than five years where employees submit ideas for addressing pain points, and those suggestions make their way to executive management and subject-matter experts for consideration and, frequently, implementation. “I don’t pass an opportunity to make a pitch for innovative ideas,” Reynolds says. “We’ve had some huge wins coming out of that. We’re not afraid to try things that we haven’t done before.” Read entire article.

Hester Scholarship Judging—Winners to Be Announced Soon
CBA would like to thank all of the participating banks in the 2022 Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship. The dedicated panel of judges, comprised of bankers, Preferred Service Providers and a college professor, reviewed the applications for several hours before determining the top four applicants. This week, banks are notifying the winners, and the group of four winners will be announced in next week’s e Newsletter. CBA would also like to thank the panel of judges pictured above: (top l-r): Kristy Brown, Greater Community Bank, Rome; Trudy Eller, American Commerce Bank, Bremen; (bottom l – r): Brian Reed, College Avenue, Wilmington, DE; Drew Kessler–Genesys Technology Group, Norcross; and Dr. Marguerite Brickman, University of Georgia, Athens.

Winspire—Your Best Self
We invite our ladies in community banking to join us for a day to relax, learn, be encouraged, and gain tools for personal wellness. We will be at the brand new hotel in Macon, Hotel 45, for a hot breakfast, sit-down lunch, networking, and a fitness class for all levels. Come dressed in your yoga pants.

Sessions Include:

IceBreakers & Networking
Two sessions with dynamic speakers who are preparing to encourage us to be our best self
Banker Panel: The Many Hats of Women in Community Banking, Wellness, Self-Care Best Practices, and Tips that make your life easier
Wellness Activity—Strength & Stretch Circut for all levels of fitness
And much more!

CBA PAC Fund: Thank You!
At CBA, we must constantly build and renew relationships with
legislators that understand and support community banking.

Thank you to the following banks for their generous
contributions to CBA’s PAC Fund:

Colony Bank, Atlanta--Mr. Josh Osborne
South Georgia Bank, Glennville--Mr. Lee Dubberly

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

First Chatham Bank, Savannah, celebrated Community Banking Month with a candy giveaway. According to Brian Hunt, First Chatham Bank, “We think Community Banking is a Smart idea!” Customers and friends received Smarties and other goodies, and bank employees sported their community banking t-shirts.

Derek Shelnutt has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer at Colony Bank, Fitzgerald.

Eugene James has joined Quantum National Bank, Suwanee, as a Construction Lender.

Azhar Farooqui has joined Quantum National Bank, Suwanee, as an SBA Lender.

Christian Ngo has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Middle Market and Asset Based Lending Relationship Manager at United Community Bank, Atlanta.

Amanda Peeples has joined First Port City Bank, Bainbridge, as Loan Data & Systems Analyst.

Cassie Cox has been promoted to Assistant Vice President & Loan Administrator at First Port City Bank, Bainbridge.

Tina McBeth has joined First Port City Bank, Bainbridge, as a Loan Processor.

Mitch Belton has joined First Port City Bank, Bainbridge, as SBA Loan Officer.

Primary Bancshares Corporation, the parent company of Georgia Primary Bank, Atlanta, announces that Kristin Adams has been elected to its Board of Directors. Ms. Adams is Executive Vice President of Aon in Atlanta.

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:

Consumer Lending Bootcamp
May 16—18, 2022 | Macon or STREAM
Topics Include:

Consumer Lending Regulations Overview
Importance of Compliance through the Lens of an Auditor
Consumer Credit Policy
Driving Success in a Changing Environment
Banking and Consumer Lending Trends Nationally and Local
Loan Application and the Interview Process
Consumer Credit Investigation – Reading and Analyzing the Credit Report
Consumer Evaluations and Decision Making
Consumer Case Study
Lending to the Self-Employed Borrower
Small Business Lending Principles and Case Studies
Consumer Loan Documentation

WEBINAR: BOLI—The Time Tested Asset
on Community Banks’ Balance Sheets
May 25, 2022 | 11 AM
Bank Compensation Consulting is pleased to present an educational webinar that dives into the various uses of BOLI and how it can be a useful tool for community banks. With the continued excess liquidity on banks’ balance sheets and its effect on profitability, banks are looking for yield in a still-low interest rate environment. Additionally, an integral component of community banks is their human capital and the ability to recruit and retain key employees, but there is a cost that is associated with providing benefits to those select employees.

Topics to be discussed include:

What is Bank-Owned Life Insurance (BOLI) and what are its benefits?
BOLI’s strategic uses in the current market environment
The current BOLI marketplace and the incremental value it can add to community banks’ bottom lines
Comparison of income produced by BOLI to alternative investments
How BOLI can be used to offset existing and new employee benefit expenses
Clarification of misconceptions surrounding BOLI

Learn more and register.

ACG is Atlanta-based and has proudly served Georgia community banks for more than 30 years. We believe in a “Better Customer Experience” and ensure complete satisfaction. ACG has been a CBA Preferred Service Provider for over 15 years!

ACG offers branch solutions and so much more. In addition to being the largest ATM re-manufacturer in the world, ACG is also the US Master Distributor for ATEC TCRs. We offer anti-skimming security solutions, and you’ll find our field service technicians are on time, thorough and friendly. Contact us and find out how we “Make It Easy!”

Contact Phil Winn at 678-458-9899 or visit their website.

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

May 11, 2022