President’s Message ABA OFFICERS Rob Robinson, IV, Chairman Simmons Bank, El Dorado
Jonathan Harrell, Chairman-Elect Lorrie Trogden | President & CEO Arkansas Bankers Association
Generations Bank, Rogers
Jim Cargill, Vice Chairman
as;dfgijaofgjasogasodf To quote Gretchen Rubin: “The days are long, but the years are short.” October marked my one-year anniversary as the ninth President/CEO of the Arkansas Bankers Association, and what a fantastic year it has been. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling the state getting to know all of you, as well as spending time in both our state and national capitols advocating on behalf of our industry. I am extremely thankful for our ABA team, they are the backbone of our association and keep us moving ever forward. They have given tremendous support during my first year.
Arvest Bank, Little Rock
Starting with state advocacy, it was announced in October that in 2020 the State Bank Department and other Department of Commerce agencies will be moving into the old Verizon headquarters on Riverfront Drive. We are monitoring moving plans to ensure that everything we worked out with the governor during the legislative session comes to fruition. I will continue to give updates in our Tuesday eNews updates.
Arkansas Bankers Association, Little Rock
November brought filing for state House and Senate seats, and as I am writing this, two days remain in the filing period. There are several races important to our industry in which we are utilizing our PAC money wisely. Contributing to the ABA BankPAC helps support pro-industry candidates, and it is important that we replenish what was utilized this cycle. I encourage your bank to contribute, along with your personal contribution; every dollar counts and is put to good use. For information about donating to the state and federal PAC, please visit the Advocacy page on our website (www.arkbankers.org). Great things happen when bankers come together, and your PAC contribution is one of the most important investments you can make to protect the future of our industry.
Tom Grumbles, Treasurer First Service Bank, Greenbrier
Cathy Owen, Past Chairman Eagle Bank & Trust, Little Rock
Lorrie Trogden, President & CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Johnny Adams, Conway Craig Attwood, Pine Bluff Jeff Brecklein, Jonesboro Nathan Gairhan, Springdale David Jessup, DeWitt Lance Lanier, Van Buren
Moving on to federal advocacy, we had a group of 18 bankers on the fall D.C. advocacy trip, and everyone did an excellent job discussing industry important issues with both regulators and our congressional delegation. The trip included visits with FinCen, CFPB, FDIC, Federal Reserve, and the OCC. Our group was able to meet with the newest Federal Reserve Governor, Mikki Bowman. We talked through our list of issues and she also had many questions for us. In addition, the ABA hosted a well attended reception for our delegation and their hard working staffers. It was a successful trip, and the Association greatly appreciates our volunteers who make the trip. We would love to have even more bankers attend next year. Our spring trip dates are March 23-25, 2020, so watch for registration to open soon.
Barry Ledbetter, Little Rock
We recently concluded three ABA events — the MEGA Conference, the ELS Leadership Conference, and the Women in Banking Conference. I truly appreciate you investing your professional dollars with us, which allows us to give you a return on that investment with conferences offering the most upto-date education on hot topics by top rated national speakers. Our next big event is the Annual Convention, so save the date for April 7-9, 2020.
Randy Scott, Blytheville
I conclude with well wishes for you and your family during this holiday season and look forward to an exciting new year and all that it has to offer!
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The Arkansas Banker n Winter 2019
Wilson Moore, Little Rock Evelyn Morris, El Dorado Marnie Oldner, Little Rock Mark Roberts, Malvern Lori Ross, Arkadelphia Todd Smith, Magnolia Jason Tennant, Eureka Springs Lynn Wright, Little Rock
