The ABA has Unlimited Opportunities for You

Jim Taylor | Chairman | Arkansas Bankers Association

I am humbled beyond words to serve your association this coming year. I was taught at an early age to leave everything better than you found it, so in this critical moment for our industry and our economy, I am excited for the challenge.

Some see the Arkansas Bankers Association as a provider of education and training, and yes, it is that! We provide in-person and online training classes for every aspect of banking and professional development. I just recently looked and we currently have 253 events on the 2023 ABA calendar.

Also, the Arkansas Bankers Association, along with some of the top graduate banking schools in the United States, provides an array of scholarships annually to deserving bankers in our state.

Some see the association as an advocate for Arkansas banks in Washington D.C., and yes, it is that! In D.C., we build relationships with our members of Congress, their staff, and our regulators. We nourish those relationships to have our voice heard and to be a trusted advisor on banking issues.

We have several major issues in this Congress. One at the top of that list is the SAFE Act, which will legalize the banking of the cannabis industry. Another is ACRE, which will make interest from Agricultural and Rural Housing loans exempt from federal income tax. We are constantly advocating for Arkansas banks on the federal level as well as here in Arkansas.

Some see the Arkansas Bankers Association as an advocate for Arkansas banks at the state capitol, and yes, it is that! This session has been the most challenging in memory. This session, we actively worked on, amended, defeated, or supported over 50 bills that will or could have impacted banking in Arkansas.

Some see the association as developers of young bankers, and yes, it is that! Through our Emerging Leaders Section, we foster and develop the next generation of banking leaders in Arkansas. While partnering with the UA Walton College, this year we will graduate the first class from the Arkansas Bankers Association Leadership Academy. Additionally, as you have recently heard, we are thrilled about the new internship possibilities through Bank Talent HQ!

Some see the association as a trusted source of Endorsed Vendors, and yes, it is that! We currently have over 100 associate members and endorsed vendors that we have vetted, negotiated better pricing, or just helped with your due diligence.

But we are so much more.

ABA is currently coordinating disaster assistance to help bank employees who have been affected by the tornadoes. As of this writing, we have pledges of $319,926 and have made gifts to 32 bankers across the state. A special thank you to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas for their $250,000 contribution. This will give ABA the ability to make the difference in the lives of bankers who were affected by the tornadoes. If you know of a fellow bank employee who was affected by the recent tornadoes in Arkansas, please encourage them to apply.

We support and empower Women in Banking. Recently, over 200 attended the Women in Banking Summit at the Clinton Presidential Library. Plus, you may have noticed we have a 100% female staff.

We led the PPP charge with daily/weekly calls to filter through the PPP puzzle. Frequent participants were the Governor, Congressman French Hill, SBA officials, and every bank in Arkansas as we pulled together as one.

We have a state and federal political action committee (PAC). A fact you may not know is through our affiliation with AmBA they match our federal PAC dollars effectively doubling your contributions. I know Lorrie would love to visit with you about a 13th Board Meeting at your bank to raise dollars for our PAC.

We support financial literacy through our involvement with:

• Economics Arkansas

• Get Smart About Credit

• Teach Children to Save, and

• Smart Money.

I encourage you to reach out to your local school and teach a financial literacy class. I promise you the school will be thrilled and you might even receive some CRA credits.

There are also opportunities to be involved in your local markets. ABA has three groups geographically dispersed across the state that give you the opportunity to serve ABA in your home area.

As you can see there are many ways the Arkansas Bankers Association impacts banking, far too many to mention here. To learn how ABA can benefit you, I encourage you to go to our website www.ARKBANKERS.org or pick up the phone and give the association a call.

As with most things in life, you harvest what you plant. But to reach that maximum yield, you must plow, water, and fertilize your crop. I challenge you to maximize your “ABA Yield” and take advantage of all that we have to offer.

Only with your cultivation, hydration, and nourishment can we make the association the best it can be.