PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Gratefulness
How lucky are we to be alive today? This year has been jam-packed with tragedies. Five people shot while practicing for a Congressional softball game. Raging forest fires in the West and Northwest. Hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Massive destruction and billions of dollars of property destroyed. The largest mass shooting in U.S. history at the Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas; 58 people killed. Then, five weeks later, a mad man walks into a small rural church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and kills 26 people during worship services.
hard time being thankful for all that we really do have to be thankful for. So I have decided to do some things differently. I am going to concentrate on the simple fact that my life is better than I deserve. I am taking November (Thanksgiving) and December (Christmas) to express my blessings for being here today, and for everything I do have. I am going to be positive for the next two months, and maybe more. A couple of my reasons for giving thanks, and in no particular order:
This year has been full of suffering, hardship, and disappointment. It is easy to be disheartened and a little bitter from the effects of so many tragedies. Bundle these tragedies together with increasing burdens of regulations, legislation and, as of yet, unfulfilled promises of reg reform and it is very likely that you have a
ABA STAFF
BILL HOLMES
PRESIDENT/CEO 501.978.3602 | bill.holmes@arkbankers.org
CARLA BRINKLEY
VP/CONTROLLER 501.978.3608 | carla.brinkley@arkbankers.org
AVA F. ROBERTS
I am thankful for my wife. She chose to take me for better or worse 30 years ago. She has gotten both and she is still my biggest fan! I am thankful for my health and the fact I will be able to eat turkey and the trimmings this holiday. I am grateful for an understanding board and executive committee that supported me this year at the times when I was not able to give a 100% effort. I am blessed to have a team at work that pitched in and took over so many times this year.
BARRY JACKSON
SVP/COO 501.978.3613 | barry.jackson@arkbankers.org
KAMI T. COLEMAN
VP/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 501.978.3614 | kami.coleman@arkbankers.org
TRACI LOGSDON
VP/DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 501.978.3606 | ava.roberts@arkbankers.org
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS 501.978.3603 | traci.logsdon@arkbankers.org
JESSICA SAHENE
BRENDA SCARBROUGH
MARKETING COORDINATOR 501.978.3609 | jessica.sahene@arkbankers.org
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PRESIDENT & CEO BILL HOLMES
The TheArkansas ArkansasBanker Banker || November November2017 2017
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 501.978.3607 | brenda.scarbrough@arkbankers.org
