May 19 - CBA Today eNewsletter - Community Bankers Association of Georgia

ICBA and the Community Bankers Association of Georgia urged the FDIC to reject a proposed credit union-community bank merger that would cut regulatory safeguards for low- and moderate-income consumers.

In a joint letter, the groups said the acquisition of Georgia’s Heritage Southeast Bank by Florida’s VyStar Credit Union would roll back Community Reinvestment Act safeguards in affected communities and exacerbate branch consolidation.

ICBA and CBA said VyStar closed half the branches it gained from a previous community bank acquisition, has less incentive to serve low- and moderate-income areas, and will be less stable due to the premium it paid for the acquisition.

Community bankers can use ICBA’s Be Heard grassroots action center to continue urging Congress to hold a hearing on credit unions acquiring community banks and to request a GAO study on credit unions and the NCUA. Contact Congress.

Congratulations to the 2021 Hester Scholarship Winners
The Community Bankers Association of Georgia is pleased to announce and congratulate the winners of the annual Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship. The 2021 scholarships were open to Georgia high school seniors who intend to enter a Georgia college, university or technical school in the fall semester of 2021. Applications were submitted to the association through CBA member community banks. Four $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year.

The scholarship is named for the late Jan Hester, daughter of Lalia and the late Julian Hester, long-time CEO of the CBA. The scholarship program began in 1991 and is based on academic merit, not financial need. To compete, students must write a short essay on the characteristics of a community bank, and the continuing benefits they offer to their communities. In addition to supporting community banking, this scholarship fund is an opportunity to pass on the positive qualities both Julian and Jan Hester exemplified to further the development of tomorrow’s generations. Each winner receives $1,000 to the Georgia college, university or technical school of their choice. Congratulations to the 2021 Hester Scholarship winners and their nominating banks.

CBA would also like to thank the panel of judges, which included Dr. Marguerite Brickman, University of Georgia, Athens; Trudy Eller, American Commerce Bank, Breman; Drew Kessler, Genesys Technology Group, Norcross, Chantaria Mack, STS Group, Atlanta; and Kyle Ray, First Bank of Dalton.

Katherine Ciavola
Georgia Tech
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Eatonton

Manav Patel
Georgia Tech
Waycross Bank & Trust

Joseph Deloach
Georgia Tech
First National Bank of Coffee County
Douglas

Justin Wallace
University of Georgia
Magnolia State Bank
Milledgeville

Q1 2021 Numbers are in – See the Georgia Bank Results
CBA Silver Preferred Service Provider QwickRate®, has shared the QwickAnalytics® Quarterly State Performance Trends Report for Q1. Click here to read key industry trends for Georgia’s community banks.

Get to Know CBA’s 2021 Preferred Service Providers!
It’s our pleasure to showcase CBA’s 2021 Preferred Service Providers (PSPs). Each of the businesses are strong supporters of the community banking industry and can help your bank become more profitable and efficient.

All (PSPs) have been reviewed by CBA’s Member Services Committee which is a committee comprised of bankers from across the state. We invite you to take a look at these companies if you are not already doing business with them! Learn about these companies!

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:

FITECH, Ft. Worth, TX – Mr. Matt Mingenback
Peach State Bank & Trust, Gainesville – Mr. Mike Underwood
Vinings Bank, Smyrna – Mr. Chris Cochran

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

A small, yet mighty team from Signature Bank of Georgia participated in the Leadership Sandy Springs Volunteer for a Better Sandy Springs Morgan Falls Trail clean up on Saturday.
Oconee State Bank is officially operating in their new Corporate Headquarters in downtown Watkinsville. Congratulations!

Brian Hunt was promoted to Senior Vice President in his role as Risk Management Officer at First Chatham Bank, Savannah.

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:

HR is Essential!
Community bank human resource professionals gathered on Jekyll Island May 13-14 to increase their knowledge, refresh their skills, network and gain beneficial tools to support the strategic success of our banks. The HR function is essential for any organization! The conference was jam packed full of topics to continue supporting our banks including: talent management, succession planning, performance improvement, documentation, compensation, policies, diversity & inclusion, talent pipeline, and unemployment fraud. We wrapped up the conference with a keynote address from Caitlin Shetter, a People Operations executive and attorney with experience at SPANX, Walt Disney World, and Starbucks. Caitlin encouraged all of to continue growing and strive to become a world class chief human resources officer.

If you want to be a part of our HR & Talent Development League – contact us today.
Our next R.A.P. session is July 16.

What is FINTECH Compliance?
CBA was the first to provide a FINTECH Compliance Officer bootcamp on May 13-14 on Jekyll Island and virtually. Why? To learn more about what it takes to run an effective FINTECH program. The Community bankers association provides knowledge, training, and resources to support effective change management including the evolution of technology. The FINTECH Compliance Officer Bootcamp covered compliance risk management, regulatory requirements, risk management, creating policies and more to help compliance officers partner with their digital strategists. The information shared coupled with the take home materials provided a great foundation that will allow the participants to build or enhance their institution’s digital strategies. If you missed it and are interested, let us know.

Webinar: How to Conduct a Compliance Risk Assessment
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | 11:00AM – 12:00PM EST
A robust and comprehensive Compliance Risk Assessment process is an essential component of an effective Enterprise Compliance Management System. An effective risk assessment process helps the board and management address emerging risks at an early stage and allows them to proactively develop and implement appropriate strategies to mitigate the risks before the risks have an adverse effect on the bank’s condition or risk profile. Learn more and register.

With increased regulatory enforcement, cyber threats, and board of director litigation, the banking industry faces significant exposures. Managing risk through best practices and insurance are key factors to safeguard you and your customer’s assets. CBIZ risk consultants leverage their financial institution knowledge to provide comprehensive risk solutions designed to safeguard your institution. CBIZ is a leader in bank services including insurance, insurance reviews, payroll, outsourced credit analysis, accounting, tax, audit, cyber risk consulting, retirement plans, employee benefits and valuation.

To learn more, contact Kris St. Martin at 763-549-2267 or visit their website.

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

May 19, 2021