July 13 - CBA Today eNewsletter - COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA

Message from the CEO, John McNair:
As President/CEO of CBA, one of my top priorities is staff development. I am constantly looking for opportunities for myself to grow and learn, but even more so for my team. This year alone, CBA staff members have traveled to Iowa, San Antonio, Washington D.C, and Memphis for educational opportunities and have attended and enrolled in several of CBA’s own educational programs. Regardless of whether the labor market is tight or not, growing the skill set of internal staff should always be a priority. For Georgia’s community banks, there is no better educational and networking program this year than the CBA CONNECT (Convention) September 14-17.

The Convention Committee, chaired by Mr. Richy Everly, Pres/CEO of The Bank of Wrightsville, has put together a program designed to address the key issues Georgia’s community banks are facing today. Topics such as Fintech, BaaS, Crypto, Branding, Staffing/HR, and Compliance are but a few programs that will be covered. The full program agenda can be viewed on the CBA CONNECT landing page. Considering the times we are in, it has never been more important than now to invest in the future leaders of your respective institutions and companies. CBA CONNECT is nearing full registration capacity, AND there will be a registration fee increase in the coming weeks; therefore, if you are considering the event, register as soon as possible.

Richy Everly
President & CEO
Bank of Wrightsville
CBA Convention Committee Chair

CBA Innovation Committee:
Making Real & Meaningful Progress
In the latest issue of Georgia Communities First, CBA Innovation Committee Chair Chris Stanley, SVP/Fintech Banker, SouthState Bank, Atlanta, shares the initiatives of the Innovation Committee and how the committee has evolved over the past three years. Hear from bankers across the state as they share their innovation challenges, success stories, efficiencies and best practices. Click here for full article.

Get Involved! Make Your Voice Heard!
Watkinsville 7/21 | Valdosta 7/28 | Augusta 8/4 | Milledgeville 8/11
Town Hall Talks are a multi-location Grassroots alternative to a Day at the Dome for you to meet your legislators in person. We are proud to be partnering with NFIB to host these “Town Hall” style events where attendees will have the opportunity to engage with legislators in a Q&A session and hear their perspectives on legislative issues that may impact community banks. Attendees will be presented with CBA & NFIB updates, programs, insights on the upcoming legislative session, and most importantly, meet & greet legislators. In addition, this will be a great opportunity to network with other CBA & NFIB members and affiliates. Bankers, we encourage you to invite any small business clients to join and attend these Town Halls with you.

Nominate Georgia’s Top Lobbyists,
Deadline is Friday, July 15th
It is that time of year to nominate Georgia’s top lobbyists, and CBA needs your help!

Top Governmental Affairs Firms: Non-Law Firm Affiliated (SMALLER): FIVEASH STANLEY
Top Trade or Business Associations: COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
Top Lobbyists: LORI GODFREY

Please note that MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS are ALLOWED. Please forward to others at your bank or company. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! James Magazine Top Lobbyists. DEADLINE IS FRI JULY 15!

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:

Bank of Camilla - Mr. Michael McGahee
The Peoples Bank - Mr. Jonathon Guthrie
Colony Bank, Atlanta - Mr. Josh Osborne
The Commercial Bank, Crawford - Mr. Mike Sale

CBA Welcomes New Associate Members
The Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) would like to welcome new Associate Members who 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.

Alkami Technology
Mr. Chris Spohr
Fintech
Plano, TX

Asset Black
Mr. Mark Weeks
Security Consulting
Savannah, GA

Banker’s Dashboard
Mr. Mark Swanson
Fintech
Rome, GA

Bankers Factoring
Mr. Chris Curtin
Invoice & Purchase Order Fraud Detection
Dalton, GA

Community Sustainability Enterprise
Ms. Deirdra Cox
Compliance
Lawrenceville, GA

Core10
Mr. Tyler Brantley
Financial Software
Franklin, TN

Engage Fi
Ms. Jennifer Addabbo
Consulting
Tampa, FL

Framework Homeownership
Mr. Omar Esposito
Education
Boston, MA

Liberty Technology
Ms. Kaitlyn Kitchens
Cyber Security
Griffin, GA

TripPlanet
Ms. Kim Andreello
Travel
New York, NY

Varci Media
Ms. Shondell Varcianna
Internet Consulting
Douglasville, GA

ICBA’s Top Lenders 2022
Last year, community bank loan producers were faced with both record-low interest rates and a glut of deposits. But as they always do, they came through for individuals and businesses in their communities with a combination of personalized service and prudent risk management practices. Here, we highlight some of last year’s most successful loan producers in the areas of agriculture, commercial, consumer and mortgage lending.

Congratulations to the following Georgia community banks who were recognized in the July issue of Independent Banker magazine as top lenders in the country. Read article.

Agriculture: More than $1B in assets: PrimeSouth Bank, Blackshear
Consumer/Mortgage: More than $1B in assets: Metro City Bank, Doraville
Commercial: Less than $300M in assets: Barwick Banking Company, Barwick
Commercial: Less than $300M in assets: Embassy National Bank, Lawrenceville
Commercial: Less than $300M in assets: Southern Bank, Sardis
Commercial: $300M to $1B in assets: First IC Bank, Doraville

First National Community Bank, Chatsworth, announces the appointment of Charles W. (Chuck) Thornton, Jr., CPA to its Board of Directors. Mr. Thornton also serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the bank.

April Thompson has been promoted to Assistant Branch Manager of Magnolia State Bank’s Milledgeville Branch.

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:

Branch Leadership: Growing the Retail Branch
July 19, 2022 | Macon
This session focuses on the Branch Manager’s role as sales and service leader. Managers learn to plan, motivate, and challenge the team to consistently provide exceptional service and meet the branch’s goals. Register here.

Innovation Exploration Regulatory Series: Implementing Deposit Programs
July 20, 2022 | Live Virtual STREAM
Join Troutman Pepper attorneys James Stevens and Keith Barnett, along with experienced BAAS bankers Chris Stanley, SouthState Bank, and Helen Herring, First Century Bank, for a discussion on the unique features and challenges associated with prepaid and debit card and other deposit programs as well as the establishment of FBO account programs for third parties. The discussion will focus on the impact of the brokered deposit rules, BSA/AML requirements and other regulatory regimes that apply to these programs. Register today!

Whether customers are an undergraduate, graduate, or parent, they can get the money they need to reach their higher education goals. With competitive rates, multiple repayment options, and a customer-friendly experience from application through repayment, we’ll help them find their best college loan in a way they can understand, and we’ll make it fast and easy.

Contact Reid Moehn at 619-865-3395 or visit their website.

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

July 13, 2022