PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Lorrie Trogden | President & CEO | Arkansas Bankers Association

2023 has been a fantastic year, and I want to thank you for traveling with us on the journey! Let’s recap at all we have accomplished together.

Government Relations. The ABA lobbying team, our members and the ABA Government Relations Advisory Council have worked tirelessly to support good legislation and defeat bad legislation at both the state and federal level. You have made hundreds of calls and sent hundreds of emails to your local legislators and federal delegation about legislation that matters to us – your voices moved the needle on major policy and you deserve to be proud about that! I have sincerely enjoyed traveling the state this year visiting with your bankers and boards to talk about our efforts in government relations. (and I’ve got the hats to prove it!) I’m ready to hit the road again in 2024!

Education. As the premiere provider in the state for banking education, we have offered, and you have joined us in thousands of hours of top-quality education. By popular demand, I’m thrilled to announce that we are bringing back our compliance conference and bank management seminar in 2024. There are other big plans in the works for next year that we know you will be excited about! Your investment in our education helps us to put that money to work for you, for our industry, and for your customers.

Recognition. Did you know that YOU won the American Society of Association Executives Summit Award?! Our Operation Vax Speed program received the Summit award, which is the highest award given by ASAE. Only six associations received them this year and all but us were large national associations. Vaccines were not a banking issue, but you knew that your communities needed help, and as always, you heeded the call. Congratulations on this much deserved recognition.

ABA BankPAC. Our PAC had a successful election year with 62 of the 73 candidates we supported winning their races. We raised $67,815 this year in state and federal PAC funds, which was a little shy of our $75,000 goal. Suggested state PAC contributions will be going out in January, and I urge you to help us hit our goal for 2024! We need our friends at the table when big policy decisions are being made…otherwise we are most likely going to be on the menu! Please give a thank you to everyone you see on the PAC contribution list in the magazine.

ABA Team. I want to give a HUGE shout out to our ABA team members! They are the cogs in the machine that make the association the success that it is. They allow me to be at the Capitol, to be in DC, and to travel the state visiting member banks and our bankers. We are here because of you and for you, always!

I leave you with my sincerest wish of happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

Aba Officers

Jim Taylor, Chairman First Security Bancorp, Rogers

Brad Chambless, Chairman-Elect Farmers and Merchants Bank, Stuttgart

Chris Gosnell, Vice Chairman Farmers Bank & Trust Company, Magnolia

Scott Saffold, Treasurer Union Bank & Trust Co., Monticello

Randy Scott, Past Chairman Farmers Bank and Trust, Blytheville

Lorrie Trogden, President & CEO Arkansas Bankers Association, Little Rock

Board Of Directors

Latrecia Carroll, Little Rock

Asa Cottrell, Little Rock

Joe Dunn, Little Rock

Robert Husong, Rogers

Heather Jones, Little Rock

Katherine Mitchell, White Hall

Brandi Ray, Malvern

Gabe Roberts, Jonesboro

Lori Ross, Arkadelphia

Joe Ruddell, Rogers

Loren Shackelford, Fayetteville

Jason Tennant, Eureka Springs

Rob S. Tiffee, Little Rock

Scott Walker, El Dorado

Lorrie Trogden, President & CEO

Jay Wisener, Little Rock