Access
the testimony video here.
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Legislature Nearing
Adjournment
The Georgia General Assembly has two days remaining in its
2023 legislative session. Legislators were in session three
days this week and committees were busy reporting the final
bills that will receive action this year. Bills GBA is
monitoring on behalf our members were among those receiving
attention this week. Those bills range from regulating
telephone solicitations to venue for prosecuting elder abuse
cases to authorizing Commercial Property Assessed Clean
Energy loans. Be looking for our Legislative Update being
published Friday with more details. With questions, contact
GBA’s EVP for Government Relations & Advocacy,
Elizabeth Chandler, 404.420.2027.
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David Oliver on
WSB-TV |
GBA in the News
Sending a Message about
Georgia Banking Stability
We’ve appreciated the opportunity to be an advocate for the
industry by serving as a resource for journalists covering
the latest industry news during the past week. It’s helped
inform consumers and policymakers with factual information
about the industry’s strength, liquidity and stability to
ease concerns. Last Friday GBA’s David Oliver did a
segment with WSB-TV’s Justin Farmer again emphasizing that
the state’s banks are operating from a position of strength
right now. And, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also
called on GBA as an additional source for
its reporting on the detailed and helpful Senate Banking and
Financial Institutions Committee testimony this week by
Bo Fears, Deputy Commissioner of Legal Affairs for
the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. With
questions, contact
David Oliver, 404.420.2036, or
Joe Brannen, 404.4202026.
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Senator Warnock
Weighs in on Overdrafts Related to Recent Bank Closures
U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Cory Booker
(D-NJ) sent a letter this week to the CEOs of 10 banks
urging them to pause overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees
for those affected by recent bank closures.
They also sent
letters to regulators on the same topic.
“We urge you
to take action to assist Americans whose payments were
delayed or missing in recent days as a result of the bank
failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank,”
the senators wrote. Read more about the letters
here.
This is not the first time Senator Warnock has
spoken
out
on these programs. With questions, please call GBA’s
Elizabeth Chandler
at 404.372.7893.
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A Look in on the HR
Professionals Institute
and Marketing Conference
A capacity crowd of bank human
resources and marketing professionals as well as Associate
Members are soaking up the details of all the latest trends
in workforce management and bank marketing at our concurrent
conferences this week. Here are a few scenes
from the week so far. We’ll share a full debrief and more
photos in next week’s issue. Thanks to
GBA’s HR Committee
led by Chair Terry Kennedy, Exchange Bank, and
Vice Chair Lance Whitley, Colony Bank, as well
as the
GBA Marketing Committee,
led by Chair Anna Grant Jones, Pinnacle Bank,
and Vice Chair Haley Barnes, BankSouth Mortgage,
for planning these great conferences. And, a huge thanks to
SentryHealth for supporting the HR Professionals Institute through
sponsorship.
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Farm Bank Lending in the
South Increased by 12%
The 137 farm banks
in the South region increased farm loans by 11.98% or $903
million from a year ago, rising to $8.5 billion in 2022,
according to the annual ABA 2022 Farm Bank Performance
Report. Agricultural production loans across the South rose
14.87% from a year ago, to $2.2 billion, while farmland
loans rose by 11.00% to $6.3 billion. Nationally, farm loans
were up by 8.1%.
Access the full report here.
Georgia
Ag Week Celebrates State’s Largest Industry
The Georgia Department of
Agriculture designated March 20-26, 2023, as Georgia
Agriculture Awareness Week. The week-long annual celebration
highlights the people, communities and products that make
Georgia nature's favorite state. The department commemorated
the week with an Ag Week photo
contest (submission deadline is March 26), Hands-On Garden Day, Lead the Way Tuesday, Ag Hero Day, Ag Literacy Day, Fork in the Road Friday, Buy Georgia Grown Day
and Sip & Shop Local Sunday. Follow all of the Georgia Ag
Week news with #GaAgWeek2023, #AgHero and #GeorgiaGrown,
and there’s still time to participate in many of the
celebrations and activities.
Learn more here.
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Tyler Harper |
Related:
Rural Development & Lending Conference, May 18-19
Register Today – Rural
Development & Lending Conference
We’re honored that Georgia’s
Agriculture Commissioner, Tyler Harper, will kick off
this year’s Rural Development and Lending Conference May
18-19 at the King & Prince, St. Simons. Harper is a
seventh-generation farmer, small business owner and former
state senator. Additional agenda sessions will include: a
livestock update, ag regulatory update, crop insurance,
peanuts, a farm bill update and a cotton update. Thanks to
the GBA
Agricultural Committee,
led by its Chair Rachel Thompson, Bank of
Newington, and Vice Chair Matt Rushton, AB&T,
for their work on the agenda. Plan to get registered and
secure your hotel reservation today. For more information
about hotel and to register,
click here.
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Mike Allen |
Lenders,
Credit Analysts, & Underwriters – Don’t miss out!
Fan-Favorite
Cash Flow and Loan Doc Seminars Coming Up Soon
Mike Allen, a faculty
member of the Georgia Banking School with more than 40 years
of industry experience, is presenting two fan-favorite
seminars this spring. Get more info and register today for
these seminars at Middle Georgia State University in Macon:
-
Last Call!
Personal Cash Flow Seminar - March
29
Back by popular demand, Allen will cover
the A-Zs of how to analyze personal cash flow and
personal tax returns. This training will assist
those bankers who originate loans as well as credit
analysts and underwriters who want to get a clear
picture of a guarantor’s cash flow to support loan
requests.
With questions
about either seminar, contact Aimee
Corcoran, 404.420.2035.
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Nominations
Sought for 2023-2024 Leadership GBA Board of Directors
The
Leadership GBA Board of
Directors will have three positions that will
be open July 1. If you’re an active supporter and/or
participant in Leadership GBA-related efforts and events,
such as the annual Leadership Conference (participation
required), our Leadership Roundtables, BankPAC Golf Classic
and BankPAC Clay Shoot, and the Georgia Banking School, we
invite you to nominate someone or self-nominate for one of
these positions. The positions will be for a three-year
term, July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026. The three (3) board
openings will be one representative each from the North,
Central and South regions.
Click here
to see the GBA map identifying which towns/counties these
groups include. To be eligible for consideration, candidates
must:
A slate will be prepared by the
Leadership GBA Board, and new Board members will be elected
at the Leadership Conference, July 10-12, in Ponte Vedra,
FL. Forms will be accepted through April 11.
Click here
for the nomination form. Contact GBA’s
Kathy Friestad
with questions.
Here’s a reminder of
Leadership GBA's mission: Leadership GBA supports the
advancement of career bankers by providing leadership
development training, serving as a forum through which
career bankers can network and exchange ideas, and assisting
bankers in educating the public about banking, personal
finance and careers in banking.
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Bank Security Conference - April 12-14 at The Westin, Jekyll
Island
Join us on Jekyll Island for our
annual
Bank Security
Conference. Planned by
GBA’s Security
Committee, this year’s agenda is packed with
the tools and knowledge needed to sharpen your skills as
your bank’s security professional. Programming covers the
full spectrum of skills, best practices, latest trends, and
good ideas for practitioners. Content includes security
officer roles and responsibilities, cybersecurity and
technology trends, fraud and ATM security. This conference
is planned for bank security officers and staff at all
levels as well as anyone with security responsibilities at
the bank. Conference speakers include:
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Pete
Stuart
Security Officer
Morris Bank |
Mark Fellowes
Financial Forensic
Specialist |
Keith Speers
U.S. Postal
Inspector |
Josh Floyd
FBI Special Agent
|
Click here
for details and to register. With questions, contact
Aimee Corcoran,
404.420.2035.
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Coming Soon:
Data Collection for 2023 Compensation Survey
Our annual data collection period for the new edition of the
Georgia Bank Compensation Survey will start April 1. The
2023 survey, to be conducted in partnership with Pearl
Meyer, will provide the most detailed data on banking
compensation and pay practices available today. The survey
annually provides compensation data for over 280 positions
broken out by asset size and geographical region. We
encourage all member banks to participate by submitting data
to build the most comprehensive report possible.
Participants get a 60% discount off the full price for those
who don’t share information. The survey report will be
available beginning Aug. 14, in time for most banks’ budget
season. A participation email will be sent the first week of
April for returning participants. If you’ve not participated
previously and would like to, please email Rhonda Snyder at
rhonda.snyder@pearlmeyer.com.
Read more details here.
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Registration Opening Soon!
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Call Report Seminar - April 19 in Macon
Sign up for our next Call
Report Seminar April 19 at Middle Georgia
State University, which will be
presented by Mauldin & Jenkins’ experts, Michael
Gordon, Nicole Cunningham and Bill Curtis.
These experts will equip you with practical techniques and
resources to improve your overall call reporting process.
With questions, contact Aimee
Corcoran, 404.420.2035.
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Michael Gordon |
Nicole
Cunningham |
Bill Curtis |
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GBA
Partner Dart Appraisal Offers the Best Custom Appraisal
Management Solutions
Longtime partner
Dart Appraisal
is the GBA’s recommended independent Appraisal Management
Company (AMC) for a number of reasons. Dart employs a dual
approach to appraisal management - superior client service
and advanced technology. They have designed both process and
infrastructure to ensure strict compliance to all state and
federal regulatory requirements as well as appraiser
independence. Dart also utilizes innovative technology to
manage appraisal orders in real-time while centralizing all
appraisal communication. This commitment to sound appraisal
management through the perfect blend of people and
technology is unsurpassed, and is what continues to set Dart
Appraisal apart from other AMCs. Let Dart get your bank’s
appraisal management process on target. Visit
www.dartappraisal.com
to learn more, or contact Dart’s
Michael Dresden.
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Information Security Officer Seminar - April 27 in Macon
The regulatory mandate for the
Information Security Officer can be exhausting…where to
begin? Join us for the
Information Security
Officer Seminar on April 27 at Middle Georgia
State University to get
your questions answered! IT security experts Josh Dasher and Emily
Strickland, Safe Systems, will explore the exam
expectations for information security and the skills an ISO
needs for success. Thank you to our sponsor, Safe Systems.
With questions, contact Aimee
Corcoran, 404.420.2035.
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Josh Dasher |
Emily Strickland |
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Compliance
Alliance Question of The Week
Q: Are banks required to
provide a monthly statement to customers for DDAs even if
there is no activity occurring?
A: Internal policy may require a
monthly statement regardless of activity level, but Reg E
requires a periodic statement for accounts to or from which
electronic funds transfers can be made for each monthly
cycle in which an electronic funds transfer has occurred. If
there is no activity in a month then a statement is not
required but a statement must be sent at least quarterly, so
at least every three (3) months even if there is no account
activity.
Read more here.
For more timely compliance
updates and resources,
subscribe to Compliance
Alliance’s email newsletters. To learn more,
sign up for one of the live Compliance Alliance demos on
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
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GBA
Schools
Act Fast: Limited Seats Available for First-Year Registrants
Our two major professional
schools for bankers are proving as popular as ever this
year. We’re approaching capacity, so don’t delay in
registering if you want to attend. Here are the details:
Georgia Banking School.
Since 1961, the GBA-sponsored school has been a highly
effective resource for developing the leadership talents of
Georgia bankers. Planned by the
Georgia Banking School
Board of Directors, the school’s mission is
to prepare first- and mid-level managers to effectively and
profitably serve the public.
Here's
what Ryan Martin, Senior Vice President and Savannah
Market President at Truist and 2022 Georgia Banking
School Graduate of Distinction, had to say about his school
experience.
Learn More About Georgia
Banking School Here
GBA Compliance School Year 1
– Building the Base. Planned by
GBA’s Compliance School
Board, the GBA Compliance School is a
two-year program designed to give new and experienced
compliance pros the tools necessary to build, monitor and
maintain an effective compliance program. Year 1 begins this
year, so don’t miss this opportunity to join this program
and gain the fundamentals required to ensure a solid
compliance management program.
Learn More About the GBA
Compliance School Here
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Food
as Medicine Video Library Now Available from GBAIT Wellness
Partner
Food plays a very important role
in our lives, often defining our social interactions and
affecting how we feel, mentally and physically. This
National Nutrition Month, GBA Insurance Trust’s
wellness partner, SentryHealth, launched its
Food as Medicine video
library with resources developed by the
SentryHealth team of registered dietitians. You can get
started by watching an introduction to Food as Medicine and
then dig into healthy recipes, how to read and use nutrition
labels, and much more. Don’t forget to check back in as
SentryHealth continues to add new videos to the library. The
GBA Insurance Trust provides health insurance and wellness
plans for employees and their families at member companies.
Contact
Lee Monroe
and
Jayn Lawson
for information. If you are an employee of a participating
member company and are ready to do something good for your
health today, schedule an appointment at
mysentryhealth.com
or on the MySentryHealth app, available on the
App Store
and
Google Play.
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Webinars
Fair
Lending for Frontline Staff, New Compliance Officer Training
and More
Here’s a sampling of upcoming
webinars.
Want to see the full webinar
schedule? Check out our webinar
calendar for a full list of upcoming
webinars.
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Recruit,
Retain and Develop the Best Bankers with GBA Career
Solutions
GBA Strategic Partner
BankTalentHQ
The central feature of
BankTalentHQ is its national bank-job board. Other key
benefits include: resume search access, regional and
national reach for your open positions, frequent special
offers and custom sales/coaching programs. Visit BankTalentHQ to
learn more. See the open positions in Georgia here,
or search regionally or nationally here.
GBA Job Bank
GBA will post open positions,
free of charge, for GBA members. See the open positions in
Georgia here.
We will also post professional summaries for bank-job
seekers on our Bankers
Available page. To make the process easy and
answer any questions, we've developed this Q&A.
Please contact Katina
Prokos, 404.420.2021.
Why Do People Choose Careers
in Banking?
Whatever their talents,
interests and educational background, there is a career in
banking for them. Here are few
good reasons to share with folks you know.
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GBA Community Connections
We want to share all the good
work GBA member banks, bankers, Associate Members and Bank
Counsel Section members do to support their communities.
Read all about the Community Connections our banks and
members have below. Share your Community Connections by
sending a brief paragraph and any photos of activities you
have to us and we'll publish them at our earliest
opportunity. Send information to
Katina Prokos,
kprokos@gabankers.com,
and
David Oliver,
doliver@gabankers.com,
or if your company would like to sponsor this content, let
us know. Here's our latest installment:
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Dublin -
Morris Bank
The City of Gray
Fire Department recently received a check for $11,019 from
the Morris Bank Community Foundation for their car seat
community safety project. The donation will allow the
department to buy 50 new car seats and bases to serve
Jones County families during times of need.
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Milledgeville
- Exchange Bank
Friday, March
17, was Senior Retreat Day for Jones County High School.
Bank Ambassador Tracey Lowe volunteered at two
sessions sharing financial literacy information with the
students.
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Watkinsville
- Oconee State Bank
The bank
recently launched its charitable foundation, The Remarkable
Foundation, and will host a public launch event in April.
The foundation's mission is to provide financial assistance
to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of
services and programs that enhance and mark the quality of
life for all people in the communities served by the bank.
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GBA Newsmakers
Atlanta -
Georgia Banking Company
The
bank has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Read more here.
Eatonton -
The Peoples Bank
Our
sympathies to bank President Chuck Haley, his family
and friends on the death of his mother, Faye Haley,
last week.
Read more here.
Hawkinsville
- SunMark Community Bank
Our
sympathies to the family, friends and former co-workers of
Thomas Leonard Arnold, who died March 18. Arnold was
former president and CEO of SunMark Community Bank.
Lawrenceville
- Embassy National Bank
Brad Day has joined the bank as president.
Read more here.
Loganville -
Legacy State Bank
Cher Jeffares has joined the bank as banking officer,
mortgage and consumer loan specialist. Keith Prather
has joined the bank as Monroe market president.
Macon -
Oconee State Bank
The
bank is opening a new location on Mulberry Street in
downtown Macon this April. Amy Gibson, Robby
Redmond and Lesley Anne Tanner will head up the
new Macon Financial Center.
Read more here.
Macon -
OneSouth Bank
The
bank recently hosted a ribbon cutting for its new location
at 498 Poplar Street in downtown Macon.
Pine Mountain
- First Peoples Bank
The
bank was named 2023 Small Business of the Year at the Annual
Harris County Chamber of Commerce.
Pictured left to
right representing the bank are Steve Wells, Charles Sweat,
Jessica Larson, Casey
Smith and Walker Curtis.
Raleigh, NC -
First Carolina Bank
The
bank recently announced a new partnership with BMTX, Inc., a
financial technology company and a subsidiary of BM
Technologies, Inc. Both companies have entered into a
Deposit Processing Services Agreement for a partnership in
which the bank will be the exclusive provider of deposit
accounts for customers of BMT’s BankMobile Higher Education
Program, subject to regulatory approval.
Read more here.
Thomasville -
Thomasville National Bank
Carla Milam has been promoted to vice president.
Danniell Slocumb has been promoted to vice president.
Jamie Parramore has been promoted to Human Resource
Officer.
Watkinsville
- Oconee State Bank
Pam Lewallen has been promoted to treasurer. Jamie
McFalls has been promoted to vice president of
information technology. John Davis has joined the
bank as EVP, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer.
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Georgia Banking
Company |
Brad Day |
First Peoples Bank |
Cher Jeffares |
Keith Prather |
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Amy Gibson, Robby Redmond
and Lesley Anne Tanner |
OneSouth Bank |
First Carolina Bank |
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Carla Milam |
Danniell Slocumb |
Jamie Parramore |
Pam Lewallen |
Jamie McFalls |
John Davis |
Read All About It: Send Us Your News
Please remember to include
the Georgia Bankers Association on the list of
recipients for announcements about promotions, new
employees and special recognition your bank has
received. We want to share your news with your
colleagues across the state. Please forward your
announcements and photos to GBA's
Katina Prokos.
