President’s Message

ABA OFFICERS

Jon Harrell, Chairman Generations Bank, Rogers

Jim Cargill, Chairman-Elect Arvest Bank, Little Rock

Randy Scott, Vice Chairman Farmers Bank & Trust, Blytheville

Tom Grumbles, Treasurer First Service Bank, Greenbrier

Rob Robinson, IV, Past Chairman Simmons Bank, El Dorado

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Craig Attwood, Pine Bluff Nathan Gairhan, Springdale Robert Husong, Rogers Gary Kleck, Springdale Cody Knight, Piggott Lance Lanier, Van Buren Barry Ledbetter, Little Rock Wilson Moore, Little Rock Evelyn Morris, El Dorado Marnie Oldner, Little Rock Mark Roberts, Malvern Todd Smith, Magnolia Jamie Waller, Magnolia Lynn Wright, Little Rock

Lorrie Trogden | President & CEO

Arkansas Bankers Association

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) started in early April, but it feels as if it has been going on for years. PPP and its lack of guidance, and the quest to keep employees and customers safe while fulfilling essential banking needs, has everyone frustrated and exhausted. Thus, our focus at the ABA has been to meet YOUR needs, to take care of you, and make sure you have all the resources you need to be successful during this crisis. I hope we have accomplished that and served you well. We are still hosting our daily calls and sending out daily recap emails with information and notes from the calls. If you have not joined us, you are missing out. We discuss PPP, have guest speakers, and are now turning the conversation towards best practices for reopening lobbies. If for some reason you are not receiving these daily emails, please contact me or anyone at the ABA and let us know you want to get them, and we will add you to the list or troubleshoot with your IT department as to why they are not making it into your inbox.

Speaking of reopening lobbies, we have an ABA COVID Task Force hard at work on that topic. Special thanks to Task Force Chairman Cathy Owen and members Kenneth Barnard, Scott Brady, Dave Dickson, Aaron Huntley, Scott Miller, Chuck Morgan, and Paige Mulhollan. The task force has already accomplished several things: wrote a survey about reopening lobbies and compiled results that were shared with members; completed a matrix of best practices which was pulled together from six different sources; and are talking with the AR Department of Health about the guidelines they have established and what might be the best fit for financial institutions.

The Association is also involved in pandemic issues at both the state and national levels. At the state level, we have been in communication with Governor Hutchinson about what works best for banks and former ABA Chairman Rob Robinson also spoke at one of the governor’s daily press conferences. We worked with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission on developing its Quick Action Loan Program and several banks participated in getting those funds into the hands of small businesses. I have been appointed to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force and serve on the Commerce sub-committee. The Task Force continues to meet, and the governor has indicated that after our final report, we may need to continue foward as needed should the crisis further develop. We greatly appreciate all the governor has done to be supportive of our industry throughout the crisis.

The Association receives a call from the press about once a week, which has resulted in articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, magazine interviews, and a few Facetime interviews with local news stations. The ABA takes pride in pushing the success of our bankers into the media and our social media channels. If you have a story we can share, please send it to us!

On the national level, we have worked with our banking association peers across the U.S. to monitor, comment, and lobby about federal legislation pertaining to COVID, as well as communication with the SBA and Treasury. In addition, I’m excited to say I was invited by the governor to accompany him on a trip to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump. We started with a press conference in the Cabinet Room and then moved into the Oval Office. It was thrilling to get to share PPP success stories from Arkansas with the president. He knows Arkansas banks are working hard to meet the needs of customers and save small businesses here in our state. The picture shown is of Governor Asa Hutchinson, Dr. Deborah Birx, and I in the Oval Office with the president, Kansas Governor Laura Kelley, and Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam.

It is the ABA’s strongest desire to be a relevant and valuable resource for you, so please let us know what you need! We are happy to explore every option available to ease your pain points. As always, call or email me anytime–I’m here for you and because of you. Thank you for what you are doing for the citizens of Arkansas–you are on the front lines, saving businesses and changing lives every day.

THANK YOU TO OUR ABA BANKPAC DONORS

Farmers Bank & Trust Company  Magnolia Banking Corporation  Horatio State Bank  First Community Bank  Works24 Corporation  MNB Bancshares, Inc.  Jon Harrell  Marnie Older  Boris Dover

Cornerstone Bank

Eagle Bank & Trust Company  Lorrie Trogden  $500 Club