ICBA News, sponsored by WebEquity Solutions—ICBA Leaders Focus on Future

Convention
Gerhart: Let’s Resolve To Protect Our Future
Outgoing ICBA Chairman Jeffrey L. Gerhart capped his year as chairman with a call for community bankers to expand on their advocacy outreach to take on new challenges. While community bankers have done an outstanding job of making their voices heard in Washington and across the nation, the industry must put more time into protecting its communities and livelihood, he said at the 2013 ICBA National Convention and Techworld.

Gerhart urged community bankers to set time aside each week to advocate for the industry, connect with lawmakers to personalize the industry, and maintain communications via letters, phone calls and social media.

“ICBA lifts the voices of thousands of community bankers and their supporters above the ever-present noise in Washington,” Gerhart said. “We are never conflicted in our purpose, never talking out of both sides of our mouth, never mincing words. Community bankers are without a doubt powerful, vocal and connected.”

Gerhart noted that in the past year community bankers have successfully continued the push for regulatory relief and tiered regulation, slowed down the implementation of Basel III, slammed the door shut yet again on the credit union power grab and pushed back on Farm Credit System expansion. But he said issues such as the Plan for Prosperity regulatory-relief platform will require further diligence throughout the industry.

“Each day, let us resolve to protect our future,” he said. “There is strength in numbers, and together we’ll continue to be that voice for community banking.”

Convention
Loving: Regulatory Relief is ICBA’s No. 1 Goal
Incoming ICBA Chairman Bill Loving told community bankers gathered at the 2013 ICBA National Convention and Techworld in Las Vegas that regulatory relief for community banks will be his top priority as ICBA chairman. Loving noted that ICBA’s new Plan for Prosperity contains regulatory relief provisions that will better enable community banks to serve their communities.

“Regulatory relief is job No. 1, and I promise you we will not let up until Congress and the regulators understand that overregulation of community banks will destroy the very economies and jobs we seek to grow,” Loving said.

Loving said that he and ICBA will continue working to find solutions for numerous critical issues important to community bankers, but he also asked community bankers to continue reaching out to Congress and regulators to ensure their voices are heard from every part of the country.

“We must be engaged,” he said. “We must fight for our industry. We must take care of today with an eye to the future.”

Loving also noted that community banks are vital players in the growth and prosperity of their communities. He encouraged bankers to continue to “go local” by supporting and continuing to lend to small businesses.

More Information: Read ICBA's news release.

Convention
OCC’s Curry: Look at Agency as a Resource
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will be distributing a new booklet on the kinds of practices that successful community banks exhibit, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry said. Speaking to community bankers at the 2013 ICBA National Convention and Techworld in Las Vegas, Curry said the booklet highlights three time-tested concepts that all financial institutions should understand and apply to their business.

The booklet encourages community bankers to:

Accurately identify and monitor risks to the institution,
Map out a vision and business plan that includes sufficient capital support, and
Understand how the supervisory process works and how to extract helpful information from that process.

Curry said the OCC’s Risk Assessment System that guides the agency’s exams can help community bankers identify and manage risks. He also called on community bankers to look at their local exam teams as a resource to help them manage risk and work through the difficult economic environment.

More Information: Read Curry’s speech.

ICBA Member Access is sponsored by WebEquity Solutions:
Competing for small business loans, building an appraisal values database and automating your ALLL process are hot issues examiners, auditors and lenders are facing today. Find out how WebEquity Solutions, an ICBA Preferred Service Provider, addresses all these areas. Visit us at Booth #456 at the ICBA National Convention and Techworld or email info@webequitysolutions.com.

Convention
ICBA Announces 2013-14 Executive Committee
ICBA announced the election of its 2013-14 Executive Committee during the 2013 ICBA National Convention and Techworld in Las Vegas. Bill Loving, president and CEO of Pendleton Community Bank in Franklin, W.Va., was elected ICBA chairman.

Joining Loving on the ICBA Executive Committee are:

Chairman-Elect: John H. Buhrmaster, president, 1st National Bank of Scotia, N.Y.
Vice Chairman: Jack Hartings, president, The Peoples Bank Co., Coldwater, Ohio
Secretary: Timothy Zimmerman, president and CEO, Standard Bank, Monroeville, Pa.
Treasurer: Nancy A. Ruyle, president and CEO, Citizens Bank of Rogersville, Mo.
President and CEO: Camden R. Fine, ICBA president and CEO, Washington, D.C.
Immediate Past Chairman: Jeff Gerhart, president and chairman, Bank of Newman Grove, Neb.
Past Chairman: Sal Marranca, president and CEO, Cattaraugus County Bank, Little Valley, N.Y.
Past Chairman: James D. MacPhee, CEO, Kalamazoo County State Bank, Schoolcraft, Mich.
ICBA Consolidated Holding Chairman: Cynthia Blankenship, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Bank of the West, Grapevine, Texas

More Information: Read ICBA’s news release.

Convention
ICBA Honors Three Community Banks for Community Service
ICBA today honored three community banks that have demonstrated outstanding customer service with the 2013 ICBA National Community Bank Service Awards. The awards, presented at the 2013 ICBA National Convention and Techworld, are given annually to community banks that show longstanding commitments to community outreach and development.

The awards went to:
Grand National Award:

The New Washington State Bank, Charlestown, Ind.

National Award:

For banks with assets over $500 million: Two Rivers Bank and Trust, Burlington, Iowa
For banks with assets under $500 million: OakStar Bank, Springfield, Mo.

More Information: Read ICBA’s news release.

Advocacy
Register Now for 2013 Washington Policy Summit
ICBA is encouraging community bankers to join colleagues from across the nation at the 2013 ICBA Washington Policy Summit. At the advocacy conference, scheduled for April 24-25 in Washington, D.C., community bankers will engage their members of Congress on important policy issues and hear firsthand from the nation's top banking and financial leaders.

More Information: Learn more and register.

Regulators
FDIC Announces Community Bank Lending Webinar
The FDIC will host a webinar in April on federal guarantee programs that support community bank export lending to small businesses. Representatives of the Export-Import Bank, the Agriculture Department, the Small Business Administration and a state export finance corporation will provide an overview of their agencies’ export guarantee programs. It is the second in a series highlighting strategies institutions can use to promote community development and expand access to the banking system.

When: 3 p.m. (Eastern time) Thursday, April 18

More Information: Learn more and register.

Products and Services
Read the March Issue of BankInsurance.com News

In the March issue of BankInsurance.com News from Michael White Associates, a parade of bank earnings reports reveal this spring’s “Lions and Lambs.” Plus, find out how, despite gains in insurance fee income at many community banks, overseas losses dragged overall U.S. bank insurance brokerage fee income lower. Also in this issue, what are the Gold Monitor Awards? Who are the winners? And most importantly, what can your bank learn from them?

More Information: Read these stories and many more.

Products and Services
Webinar: Challenges and Solutions in a Difficult Capital-Raising Environment
It's no secret that raising capital in today's markets is a challenge for community banks. Understanding the different options available—and the different market attributes and investor behavior associated with each option— is critical for any community bank faced with having to raise or replace capital in the next few years. Get prepared by joining this webinar hosted by QwickRate, an ICBA Preferred Service Provider, as experts present a broad review of capital-raising alternatives and market conditions (CPE credit eligible).

When: 11 a.m. (Eastern time) Tuesday, March 19, or 2 p.m. (Eastern time) Tuesday, March 26

More Information: Learn more and register.

Education
ICBA Audio Conference Features New Look at Holding Company
ICBA is hosting an upcoming audio conference to help community bank directors and officers take a fresh look at their holding company. The audio conference will feature the need for and benefits of the holding company structure. The presentation will also include a detailed discussion on several specific transactions available to the holding company that will enhance shareholder value.

When: 11 a.m. (Eastern time) Thursday, March 21

More Information: Register online for A New Look at Your Old Bank Holding Company.

Education
Community Bank Marketing Strategies Seminar in May
The Great Recession and financial reform have combined to fundamentally change the landscape in which bank marketers operate. This seminar is designed to provide relevant, timely information, practical and affordable marketing tactics, and best practice examples for bank marketers whose banks need to succeed in today’s challenging environment.

When: May 1-2 in Kansas City, Mo.

More Information: Learn more and register for Community Bank Marketing Strategies.

Education
ICBA Offers NotJustCompliance.com
When you are responsible for all aspects of compliance with your community bank, you can't afford a misstep. Overlook a new amendment or regulatory change and you could seriously expose your institution. Designed for the busy community banker, ICBA's Not Just Compliance website will help you to stay on top of your game. Enroll now and gain access to:

Monitoring checklists, including regulatory hot spots and new amendments
Training and testing agendas for regulations, new amendments and final rules
Prep guides to assist in planning for and implementing regulatory changes
Searchable regulations with simplified explanations on what changed and when
Calendar with effective dates, including a suggested training/testing/monitoring schedule
The latest information from regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Updates on proposals and final rules

More information: Learn more about NotJustCompliance.com.