Georgia Communities First July_August 2021

MEET NEW CBA BOARD | BANKING TOURISM COMMUNITIES | EDUCATION BUZZ

JULY/AUGUST 2021

POWER OF CHANGE

THE

Highlights from CBA’s 53rd Convention & Mini-Trade Show

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CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S July/August 2021

C B A S TA F F John McNair President & CEO john@cbaofga.com Lori Godfrey Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, Government and Regulatory Relations lori@cbaofga.com Kristi Greer Senior Vice President Professional Development kristi@cbaofga.com

Welcome! The CBA Team stands ready to greet convention attendees.

2

CBA Leadership Banker are Special People

3

Engagement is the Key to Our Success!

t h e l at e s t

5

Growing Our Brand the Grassroots Way

7

SB157 Crosses $300 Million!

member services

25 2021 Preferred Service Providers 27

Scholarship Winners

professional development

29

Education Buzz

30

Advanced BSA/AML Compliance School

31

Mortgage School

32 Cyber Risk Summit

s pot l i g h ts

11 Convention Highlights

33

Executive Channel

15 CBA 2021-2022 Board of Directors

34

Mortgage Lending: Start to Finish

16 New LEAD Committee Officers & Members

35

Webinars

19 Lifetime Service Award Recipient

37

Slippery Slope

20 Georgia on my Mind...

39

24 Swaggin’ Wagon…

On the Road Again

Why Instant Issue is Critical for the New Branch Experience

40

Human Capital

s tay connected

@CBAGeorgia

Lisa McNair Director of Finance lisa@cbaofga.com Cassie Cornell Assistant Vice President Digital Strategy and Professional Development Marketing cassie@cbaofga.com Becky Soto Assistant Vice President Professional Development and LEAD Board becky@cbaofga.com Connie Shepard Assistant Vice President Professional Development and Member Engagement connie@cbaofga.com

trends

@CBAofGeorgia

Lindsay Greene Senior Vice President Member Services, Marketing lindsay@cbaofga.com

Tyler Eck Government and Regulatory Relations Associate tyler@cbaofga.com

@company/ cbaofgeorgia

Community Bankers Association of Georgia 1640 Powers Ferry Road SE, Building 28, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30067-1425 (770) 541-4490 or (800) 648-8215 • Fax (770) 541-4496 | www.cbaofga.com • cba@cbaofga.com J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 1

VANTAGE POINT John McNair President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia

CBA Leadership Bankers are SPECIAL PEOPLE! The article I penned for the previous issue of Georgia’s Communities First publication centered around my great enjoyment of community banking conventions – especially the annual CBA Convention! While convention is a time for learning, networking, and relaxing, it is also a time for the CBA Board and various committees to meet to discuss the direction of your association.

With nearly 100% Board and committee attendance (of the committees meeting) at convention, the level of engagement was extremely high and illustrates the commitment of these leadership bankers for CBA and Georgia’s community banking industry. As CBA’s President and CEO, I am grateful and humbled by the support.

During my remarks at the annual Chairman’s dinner, I asked all of CBA’s leadership bankers to stand and be recognized for their collective contributions to the association. Leadership bankers are special people! They give of their time and talents to evolve the association

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into one that serves all of Georgia’s community banks and citizens of our state. As a result of their collective vision, CBA’s leadership bankers have transformed CBA into the organization it is today and have adopted a forward-thinking strategic plan that will enable CBA to continue to fulfill its mission for years to come. I wish to again thank CBA immediate past Chair Mr. David Lance and immediate past CBA LEAD Committee Chair Mr. Paul Black for combining a steady handed approach with a vision to push the association forward. I am looking forward to working with our new Chairwoman Ms. Debra Weil and new LEAD Committee Chair Mr. Brian Bazemore over the next year.

With twelve standing committees, CBA offers the opportunity for those with interest to actively participate in the management of the association. I strongly urge all that would like to participate on any level to reach out to me directly for a conversation. Your contributions to the association would be welcomed and appreciated!

FROM THE TOP

Debra Weil Executive Vice President Community Banking Co. of Fitzgerald 2021-2022 CBA Chairwoman

Engagement is the Key to Our Success!

It is my honor to serve as this year’s Chair of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia and am grateful for the trust you have in me to lead the association in the coming year.

fintech organizations in Georgia. We will continue to expand these relationships and provide educational programs for CBA’s members.

When I graduated from Georgia Southern College with a Finance Degree and began my career at The National Bank of Fitzgerald, there were not many females as officers in our industry. As I began to learn the business of banking, I set my sights on becoming a loan officer. Serving the needs of those in my community was, and still is a top priority for me and I became more active in various organizations. I found my niche in Junior Achievement by helping students learn more about the free enterprise system and understand the basics of savings and finance. My community involvement later gave me the opportunity to become the first female Chair of the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce.

CBA’s strategic plan revealed that Advocacy is the top reason why banks are members of the association.

CBA has one of Georgia’s top lobbyists on staff and recently onboarded a new position to further our efforts. In conjunction with our partnership with the ICBA, we will continue to focus on developing CBA’s advocacy efforts in Georgia. This is where you can help.

It’s hard to believe that I first became involved with CBA over 20 years ago. During that time, I have served in nearly every capacity on the LEAD Committee as well as various other committees. I can say without hesitation that I have received far more than I have given. I have been exposed to so many wonderful education programs, partner companies, learned about the nuances of government relations, and of course have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing community bankers in our state- all of which I now call friends!

CBA has made a tremendous number of changes the past few years and is on a great trajectory. During this coming year, I will work closely with the CBA Board, LEAD Committee, CBA committees and staff to continue to evolve the association in accordance with the needs of our members and changing times.

Fintech is a top priority for our members and CBA’s Innovation Committee is now fully integrated into the major

• I urge you to become active in the advocacy process.

• Support CBA’s PAC- which is the only PAC fund in Georgia to exclusively represent Georgia’s community banks. It is imperative that we fund CBA’s PAC in a manner that will enable the association to support those legislators that support the community bank agenda.

• Attend grass roots events such as the CBA Town Hall Talks which will be held this fall at four locations around the state. This will be a great opportunity to get on a first name basis with your legislators express to them your views and concerns.

We can make a difference in our state; but engagement is the key, and your participation is needed. This priority aligns perfectly with CBA’s Mission Statement: Communities are our Passion; Banking is our Purpose; and Advocacy is our Power.

I truly believe community bankers make the world a better place and provide overall financial health to the communities they serve. We should be incredibly proud and continue to celebrate and support this great industry and association!

Thank you for your support, friendship, and commitment to the CBA. Looking forward to seeing you at an upcoming CBA event!

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THE LATEST

Growing Our Brand the Grassroots Way

Lori Godfrey Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff Government and Regulatory Relations

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to work an annual bank donation, purchasing our community in the yard. Whether it is building a new dry river bed or banking t-shirts, attending a fundraising event, or donating retaining wall, re-decking the deck, mowing the yard, or an item to our silent auction. Collectively, every dollar planting flowers, all of these activities do so much for my counts. Re-districting is coming up and will be done in a soul. Hard work, patience, and ultimately the pay off of the special legislative session later this year. Next year will be a completed project are all part of the process. It reminds gubernatorial race along with the typical races for the House me of what I do as a lobbyist. As your community banking and Senate. The turmoil of the last couple of years continue lobbyist, we are working hard to voice the concerns that our to bubble up and things have become more politicized than bankers have and let legislators know what is important to ever. Keep in mind, the community banking model is bithem. We are planting the seeds of the next issue/concern partisan and every legislator understands the importance of that our bankers may have. Then, we sit back and let the what a community bank means to a local economy. idea marinate a bit before we attempt to solve the issue by dropping a bill that addresses CBA will continue to offer a our concerns. We work hard with Keep in mind, the community banking variety of events throughout the legislators to perfect the bill. model is bi-partisan and every legislator the year that will support our Finally, we hope that the bill is understands the importance of what a advocacy efforts. We hope you passed and becomes a law where will make an effort to participate we can see the fruits of our labor. community bank means to a local economy. in our events. This year, we will be hosting new Town Hall Talks The funny thing is that you may be thinking well I am glad where our members can come together for lunch and a someone else does that job because it does not really town hall talk with local legislators. CBA is partnering with appeal to me. Guess what? You too have a vital role to NFIB for these events and we would love for you to attend play in order for us to be successful as an industry. As and bring one of your small business customers to join us. bankers, you help us plant the seeds with your legislators and local leaders that work and live in your communities. This fall, CBA’s annual clay shoots will be held at both the You let them know what is important to you and your small Burge Plantation in Mansfield and Wynfield Plantation in business customers. What you probably did not realize is Albany. As a means of honoring a long-time community that what you are doing is similar to what I do at the Capitol. bank supporter that we lost last year, I am proud to announce While I am speaking on behalf of our entire industry, you are that CBA will be renaming our annual Burge Plantation Clay helping us grow our brand the grassroots way and voicing Shoot to be the Chuck Harwell Memorial Annual Clay Shoot. your concerns as a constituent. Grassroots advocacy is the Chuck not only served as a huge advocate for CBA, but he process of communicating with your bank customers, local loved to network with legislators and tell them about his citizens, and other community bankers and asking them passion for community banking. We are truly grateful for all to contact their local, state, or federal officials regarding a that Chuck did for CBA and we believe this will be a great particular issue. After all of the success of the PPP program, way to continue to honor his memory. community bankers have shown just how powerful you are in our economy. I would love for us to leverage this Please continue to plant the seeds in your communities. success and continue to grow our brand. Why? Because… Make your voices heard. Together, we can make a difference.

Communities are our passion. Banking is our purpose. I look forward to seeing us continue to grow our community Advocacy is our power. banking brand the grassroots way.

In order for CBA to continue to be your community banking voice, we need your help. There are multiple ways that you can contribute. Whether it is an individual PAC/PR donation, J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 5

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THE LATEST

SB157 Crosses $300 MILLION!

In May of 2019, Governor Brian Kemp came to CBA’s office to sign SB157 into law. SB157 erased a tremendous advantage for large banks by allowing community banks to place municipal deposits into an approved reciprocal deposit network, eliminating the need to pledge collateral and maintain costly, time consuming pricing records. As of last week, over $300 million has been placed into the reciprocal deposit networks

by Georgia’s community banks. “I am delighted to see the meaningful impact SB157 is having on community banks and their local municipalities. As a result of CBA’s community bankonly focus, local community banks and local municipalities won with SB157,” stated Lori Godfrey, CBA’s Chief of Staff and EVP of Government and Regulatory Relations.

John McNair, Pres/CEO of CBA commented, “When I came to CBA in October of 2018, I was stunned to learn that Georgia was the only state in the country to still require collateral pledging for municipal deposits. This was a clear disadvantage for community banks and local municipalities. CBA fought hard to get SB157 passed, and I am grateful for the support of the legislature and Governor Kemp to level the playing field for Georgia’s community banks.”

For more about the benefits of SB157, contact Lori Godfrey.

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SPOTLIGHT

On behalf of your CBA team, thank you for making the CBA 53rd Annual Convention a memorable one. CBA’s convention was one of the first across the country to be held since the pandemic, and the excitement and enthusiasm to gather as a community banking industry was on full display. We are grateful for all the support from our member banks and partner firms to make this event happen. The programming and educational events designed by the CBA Convention Committee received high marks from all attendees as well.

Finally, thank you to Governor Brian Kemp for his message of thanks and support for CBA and its member banks. We appreciate the Governor’s support of the state’s community banking industry.

Culture, Non-Interest Income, and Fintech are Focus of Annual Convention Over 300 community bankers, Preferred Service Providers, Associate Members, friends and family members came together to learn and network at CBA’s 53rd Annual Convention and MiniTrade Show last week at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.

Day one began with a combined Leadership Division and CBA Board meeting, followed by numerous committee meetings including Advocacy, Education, Innovation, and Associate Member/Member Services committees.

The opening session began on Wednesday with Frank Griffin, President, Flint Community Bank, Albany, singing the National Anthem and followed by Keynote Speaker Galen Emanuale, who presented a highly interactive session entitled “Creating a ‘Yes and’ Culture of High-Level Performance and Engagement.”

Phillip Smith, Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC, then presented “Everything Has Changed! We May Not Return to Normal.” His presentation was followed by breakout sessions and the Mini-Trade Show, featuring 29 exhibitors from across the country.

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SPOTLIGHT This year’s convention focused on three major themes – culture, non-interest income, and Fintech. A sampling of sessions include: • Conversation with the Regulators – Panel with Melissa Sneed, GA DBF; John Henrie, FDIC; moderated by Corrie Hall, James Bates Brannan Groover LLP, and Lori Godfrey, CBA • Why Innovate? Why Fintech? – Panel with Scott Mills, William Mills Agency; Charles Potts, ICBA; David Saylor, Genesys Technology Group; and Marisa Reynolds, Oconee State Bank • High Performance Investment Portfolios – Jim Reber, ICBA Securities • Creating Brand Advocacy – Ritz-Carlton • Intentional Inclusion & Diversity – Leslie Schreiner, FHLB Atlanta • Revenue Generation Panel – Matt Mingenback, FITECH; Arne Monson, Holtmeyer & Monson; Skip Willcox, Crescent Mortgage; Jim Reber, ICBA Securities; and Ryan Busenitz, Kasasa, moderated by Dan Speight, Planters First Bank • Leading Change through Culture – Brandon Kinsey, Kinsey Management • How to Build a Better Road – Phillip Smith, Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC • Cybersecurity Briefing – Kris St. Martin and Tiffany Garcia, CBIZ • Digital Evolution Best Practices – Terry Ammons and Marci Montoya, WIPFLI • Sequential Marketing – Keith Brannan, Kasasa • Faster Payments – Manish Nathwarni, SHAZAM In addition to content-rich programs each day, voting and installing the 2021-2022 CBA Board of Directors, the convention was complimented by a PAC Fundraiser one evening, an Ultimate Beach Party, and of course, the Chairman’s Reception, Banquet and Dance Party.

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SPOTLIGHT

Thanks to Our Exhibitors!

ACG | Agora Eversole | Ameris Mortgage | ATM Response | Bankers Healthcare Group | BFS Group | CBIZ CRA Partners | Crescent Mortgage | DeNyse Companies | Eclipse Brand Builders, LLC

Executive Insurance Agency | FITECH | Genesys Technology Group | Harland Clarke | Holtmeyer & Monson ICBA | ICBA Securities | IntraFi | Kasasa | Newcleus | Point to Point Environmental | QwickRate | SBA Works SHAZAM | Southern Bank & Equipment STS Group | United Bankers’ Bank | Warren Averett

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SPOTLIGHT

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SPOTLIGHT

Welcome CBA Board of Directors 2021-2022 Chairwoman

Chairman-Elect

Vice Chairman

Treasurer

At Large

Immed. Past Chair

Division 1 Chair

Debra Weil Community Banking Co. of Fitzgerald

Richy Everly Bank of Wrightsville

Neil Stevens Oconee State Bank, Watkinsville

Bran Thompson South Georgia Bank, Glennville

Greg Proffitt Newton Federal Bank, Covington

David Lance Greater Community Bank, Rome

Shannon Henry Bank of Dade, Trenton

Division 2 Chair

Division 3 Chair

Division 4 Chair

Division 5 Chair

Division 6 Chair

Division 7 Chair

Member at Large

Mike Sale The Commercial Bank, Crawford

Clark Hungerford Vinings Bank, Smyrna

Derek Williams Century Bank & Trust, Milledgeville

Scott Curry First State Bank of Randolph County, Cuthbert

Stephen Lewis First National Bank of Coffee County, Douglas

Zachary Frye Durden Banking Company, Twin City

Jolene Carroll Bank of Eastman

Member at Large

Member at Large

Member at Large

Member at Large

Member at Large

Lee Clark First State Bank, Wrens

Charlie Crawford Hyperion Bank, Atlanta

Heath Fountain Colony Bank, Fitzgerald

Frank Griffin Flint Community Bank, Albany

Jane Lawson First Peoples Bank, Pine Mountain

Ray Muggridge Bank of Camilla

Member at Large

Member at Large

Member at Large

General Council

Eli Tinsley Planters First Bank, Cordele

Doug Williams Atlantic Capital Bank, Atlanta

John McNair CBA of Georgia, Marietta

Dan Brannan James-BatesBrannan-GrooverLLP, Atlanta

Member at Large

Harold Reynolds BankSouth, Greensboro

Member at Large

Kelly Stone Community Bank of Georgia, Baxley

Member at Large

Member at Large

Ron Quinn Peach State Bank & Trust, Gainesville

Corporate Secretary

Lori Godfrey CBA of Georgia, Marietta

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SPOTLIGHT

Community Bankers Association of Georgia Announces 2021-2022 LEAD Committee Officers and Members Brian Bazemore, President/CEO, The Citizens Bank of Cochran/Community Bank of Dublin-Laurens County, was elected Chair of the 2021-2022 LEAD Committee for Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA).

Nominations for the 2021-22 CBA Board of Directors were announced and approved at CBA’s Annual Convention held June 2-6 at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida.

Committee members are selected from seven divisions across the state of Georgia, ensuring all Georgia community banks are equally represented.

The purpose of the LEAD Committee is to support the initiatives of the CBA as determined by the CBA Board of Directors which include member & talent engagement, professional development, advocacy & PAC fundraising, and Outreach for Talent Acquisition and Financial Literacy; give LEAD representatives an opportunity to expand personally and professionally; and increase representatives’ awareness of the rapidly changing banking environment and enlist support in the preservation of the community banking philosophy.

“I am extremely honored to have been a part of the LEAD Committee. It has truly given me an opportunity to interact closely with some of the best bankers throughout the State of Georgia and to be able to continue to be involved with an organization like Community Bankers Association that has community bank’s’ best interests at heart,” said Mr. Bazemore. “I have had the honor to not only be on the LEAD Board for several years, but also, I have enjoyed being able to participate by being involved on the Education Committee with Kristi and the Advocacy Committee with Lori. If you have not opened yourself up to getting involved in other areas of CBA, I encourage you to do so.”

The Motto for CBA has been “CBA First” and I truly feel that they live up to this. After the death of my boss, Chuck Harwell, I was placed in a position where I was promoted to President/CEO. Many times, we work on our succession plans and we try to make sure we have all of the pieces in place, the training that is required, and the knowledge that it takes to transition into upper-level positions.

Brian Bazemore

I have been very fortunate to have been a part of an organization that truly believed in me by sending me to a couple of the graduate school programs as well as numerous CBA classes that cover all areas of the bank. I reached out to Kristi Greer and asked if CBA had anything in place that would help a senior level officer be able to develop the tools and skills necessary. She listened to my concerns and said that CBA did not currently offer this, but that she would look at putting something together. I am happy to say that we have had our first class of The Executive Channel. It is comprised of senior level officers/CEO’s/Bank President’s/ CFO’s. This quarterly program will be a game changer for any bank, and I encourage each of you to consider sending someone from your organization.

Growing up, I feel that banking has been a major part of my life since my dad was a banker back in the C&S banking days.

He was the one that encouraged me to get into banking after college.

This coming year, I have a vision of working to try and get more people involved in educational programs offered

by CBA. We are truly focused on PAC. This past year, we tried new things as fund raisers, and they were definite hits. We would love to expand upon these and possibly add something new.

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(l-r) CBA President & CEO John McNair; Paul Black, Senior Vice President/ Commercial Group Manager, Vinings Bank Smyrna, 2020-2021 LEAD Chair; and Brian Bazemore, President/CEO, The Citizens Bank of Cochran/ Community Bank of Dublin-Laurens County and 2021-2022 LEAD Chair

THE LATEST COMMUNITY BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 2020-2021 LEAD COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Chair: Brian Bazemore, Community Bank of Dublin - Laurens County Chair-Elect: Chris Cochran, Affinity Bank 1st Vice Chair: Jessica Hudson, First National Bank of Coffee County 2nd Vice Chair: Kristy Harrell, First Port City Bank Executive At Large: Kyle Ray, First Bank DIVISION CHAIRS: Div. 1: Lisa Shrader, Citizens Bank & Trust Div. 2: Mike Underwood, Peach State Bank & Trust Div. 3: Mani Swarnam, Georgia Primary Bank Div. 4: Jonathan Pope, Exchange Bank Div. 5: Michael McGahee, Bank of Camilla Div. 6: Thomas Bennett, Pineland Bank Div. 7: Stephanie Fagler, Persons Banking Company

MEMBERS AT LARGE: 1. Paul Black, Vinings Bank 2. Kristy Brown, Greater Community Bank 3. Chip Davis, Family Bank 4. Lee Dubberly, South Georgia Bank 5. Trudy Eller, American Commerce Bank, N.A. 6. Jonathon Guthrie, The Peoples Bank 7. Josh Osborne, SouthCrest Bank, N.A. 8. Jason Rooks, Flint Community Bank 9. Andy Thomas, The Commercial Bank 10. Mark Thompson, Glennville Bank 11. Dan Vano, Heritage Bank 12. Lee Vaughn, Northeast Georgia Bank

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SPOTLIGHT

Larry Roye, First Bank, Dalton, Receives CBA Lifetime Service Award

T. Larry Roye, Board Member and Senior Executive Lender, First Bank, Dalton, was recognized by the Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) for 51 years of dedicated service to the community banking industry. Mr. Roye was recognized at a reception at the First Bank of Calhoun location.

“Georgia is fortunate to have such an impressive number of community bankers who have reached these milestones. It’s our pleasure to honor the men and women who have served the banking needs of their communities and lent their expertise John McNair, President & CEO, CBA, congratulates Larry Roye, First Bank, Calhoun, to a new generation of community bankers throughout their careers,” for his 51 years in the community banking industry. stated John McNair, President & CEO of CBA. “We congratulate Larry and appreciate his dedicated service to Georgia’s community banking industry.”

Mr. Roye was nominated by Mitch Sanford, President & CEO of First Bank.

Mr. Roye began his banking career in 1970 with National City Bank in Rome, Georgia. He then worked as a Senior Loan Officer at Calhoun First National from 1980-85. He was an originating Director and President/ CEO of Georgia Bank and Trust in 1987 and retired as Chairman of the Board and CEO at GB&T. Larry joined First Bank in March of 2011 and served as President/CEO until 2020.

CBA honors bankers who have reached a milestone of 30, 40 or 50+ years of banking experience and a proven record in excellent community involvement with the Lifetime Service Award.

Above: Directors and Senior Management join in recognition celebration.

Right: Larry and son Josh.

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SPOTLIGHT

GEORGIA on my Mind….

How Community Banks Are Supporting Georgia’s $68 Billion Industry Whether looking for relaxation, a bit of exploration, or a change of pace, the Peach State delivers diverse experiences for any age and interest. Visitors can take in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, pan for gold in historic Dahlonega, and enjoy history and nature in Pine Mountain.

Georgia’s vacation options range from relaxing on the beach off the Georgia coast, discovering the unique shops on Savannah’s River Street or taking the family to Summer Waves Water Park on Jekyll Island.

rebounded nicely since the pandemic started and continue to increase. Hotel occupancy rates have also increased to almost pre-pandemic levels.”

“Tourism numbers continue to increase, with numbers on Tybee reaching “pre-covid summer-like” numbers.

Savannah is a reachable destination for road trips, which lends itself well for those visitors that want to get away by car,” explained Ken Farrell, President & CEO, First Chatham Bank, Savannah. “In addition, increased flights in and out of Savannah, including newly added routes, have helped with bringing visitors to our area. Tourism numbers have

“Due to the positive trends, we’re experiencing in domestic travel, both are thriving and are back to being fully operational. We have done the same for several short-term vacation rental operators who we had financed previously.

Our posture has been to help all of our customers through by not only protecting their business, but also protecting the jobs those businesses create.”

“As far as things First Chatham Bank is doing to support tour tourism industry, I’ll share a couple of examples. Just prior to the pandemic, we provided financing for two wellA $68.96 billion industry for the established “Our posture has been to help all state, tourism drives significant restaurants new to the Savannah of our customers through by not business growth and increased market. Both had wonderfully only protecting their business, revenue for companies successful start-ups but in a few operating in Georgia. short months, they had to shut but also protecting the jobs those down due to COVID. We helped businesses create.” - Ken Farrell CBA asked bankers across the each of them through the state about tourism in their financial challenges by providing area, how their bank has been able to assist customers deferrals on their existing credits, modified the repayment in the hospitality industry, and how those companies are terms going forward and we extended some short-term finding creative ways to serve visitors considering the tight financing to support working capital. We also provided their labor market.

PPP funding,” explained Mr. Farrell.

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SPOTLIGHT

money significantly increased the later part of 2020.

According to Ms. Lawson, First Peoples Bank made more than $4 Million in PPP loans specifically to the hospitality industry. “Our local merchants and businesses continue to struggle to get enough staff into the workforce. Harris County Tourism created a new brand in early 2020 and began promoting outdoor activities. During April 2020 they began targeted social media marketing for many of the tourism venues.”

“We are seeing an increase in the number visitors to our area,” said Jane Lawson, COO, First Peoples Bank, Pine Mountain. “The two largest tourism destinations for us are FDR State Park and Callaway Gardens. Visitors to these locations began to rise in June 2020 and these levels have continued to grow through June 2021. The bed tax

In Glynn County, tourism is 23% ahead of the pre-COVID 2019 numbers and 11 percent ahead of the best year ever,” said Scott McQuade, President and CEO of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nationwide, the industry reflects an occupancy rate that is still down by 30 percent. According to Mr. McQuade, one major factor driving tourism is that beach destinations are highest in demand nationwide.

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J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 21

SPOTLIGHT Curtis Tumlin, II, Market President PrimeSouth Bank, Brunswick, shared “Our coastal market has experienced an increase in visitors during the past 12 months. The Golden Isles has a lot of wide-open space where folks can naturally and easily distance – and that was appealing to a multitude of people prior to vaccinations. Also, a lot of individuals who owned secondary homes here have relocated here permanently since the pandemic.

Vacation Rentals are running at full occupancy this summer. Hotels are also at full occupancy and are getting top dollar rates.”

Mr. Tumlin explained that PrimeSouth participated in both rounds of PPP funding. “The majority of our clients who qualified for funding participated in both rounds. The SBA loan program has also been beneficial for our clients as around 20% of these loans were to customers affected by tourism in one way or another.”

Bank hospitality clients are incredibly busy with the increase

in tourism and have had to adjust hours of operations to cope with staffing needs, commented Mr. Tumlin.

“We are seeing a definite increase in the last few months.

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SPOTLIGHT All vacation rentals on the islands are basically at capacity for the rest of the season and hotels are carrying strong occupancy numbers,” stated Al McKinnon, President & CEO, South Coast Bank, Brunswick.

“South Coast has been facilitating PPP and stimulus funding to help business keep staff and survive during the pandemic. We’ve deferred and restructured loans to help bridge the gap. I’m happy to say most all are back in full swing. The biggest hurdle we are seeing is the industry getting back to full staffing. Unemployment checks are keeping them home.”

Mr. McKinnon continued, “Throughout the pandemic, restaurants have created the take-out and delivery model to both increase sales and survive with fewer workers. I am happy to say tourism in the Golden Isles is back and strong.

People are coming, the beaches are busy and getting a reservation for dinner is a challenge.”

Whether it was through PPP loans, modifying repayment terms, or charitable giving, Georgia’s community banks were instrumental in helping small businesses, homeowners and communities weather the storm. Now go enjoy a Georgia destination!

Photo credits: Golden Isles CVB, Visit Savannah and Explore Georgia.

J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 23

SPOTLIGHT

On the Road Again … CBA’s Swaggin’ Wagon!

CBA’s famous Swaggin’ Wagon is on the road again! Coming soon to a community bank parking lot hear you!

Recent road trips for Ole Swags and CBA CEO John McNair included Watkinsville, Rome, Dalton, and Loganville, to name a few. As you can see, Swags commands attention at every stop, inviting fans to follow the celebrity van to a community bank.

The Glennville Bank

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After a tough year of being on lock-down, Swags is enjoying seeing community bankers across the state. Upcoming trips include Macon for CBA Leadership Academy, Savannah for the Cyber Risk Summit, St. Simons for Advanced BSA/ AML and numerous bank visits in between!

Keep your eye out for the van on a mission! Be sure to post on social and use the hashtags:

Leadership A O ut ing in Mcademy ac on

Jekyll Island

V isit ing Ame r ican C omme rce Bank

John and Kristi out and about

ia Ag C ommittee

Douglas Georg

Oconee State Bank Grand Opening

Tr ip

PAC Fundraiser – Topgolf

C lass O ut in g

Ag C ommitt ee

visits! ween bank et b w ie v e h Enjoying t

Legacy Stat

C ommercial Bank

e Bank

P laying it Safe

#OleSwags #SwagginWagon #CBAofGA #BankLocal 2 4 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

Far m Tour

CBA’S 2021 PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDERS DIAMOND LEVEL

Harland Clarke Christine Ahlgren | christine.ahlgren@harlandclarke.com | (678) 500-5330

ICBA Securities Jim Reber | jreber@icbasecurities.com | (901) 762-5884 Independent Community Bankers of America Scott Brown | scott.brown@icba.org | (334) 328-5731

James Bates Brannan Groover LLP Dan Brannan | dbrannan@jamesbatesllp.com | (404) 997-6023 SHAZAM Alex Jernigan | jjernig@Shazam.net | (229) 220-0064 PLATINUM LEVEL

Warren Averett Lisa Small | lisa.small@warrenaverett.com | (770) 393-6151 Wipfli Mary Boortz | mboortz@wipfli.com | (715) 858- 6677 GOLD LEVEL

ATM Response Tony Webb | twebb@atmresponse.com | (770) 855-2989 Bankers Healthcare Group Brian Mullett | bmullett@bhg-inc.com | (315) 663-1121

Crescent Mortgage Skip Willcox | swillcox@crescentmortgage.net | (478) 357-4441 FITECH Matt Mingenback | mmingenback@fitech.com | (316) 518-8850 Genesys Technology Group, LLC David Saylor | david@genesystg.com | (770) 729-4139

Holtmeyer & Monson Arne Monson | amonson@holtandmon.com | (800) 340-7304

IntraFi Network Danny Capitel | dcapitel@promnetwork.com | (770) 630-6796

Point to Point Environmental Mark Faas | mfaas@p2penvironmental.com | (678) 565-4435 Ext 151 STS Group Chris Nelson | cnelson@stsgrp.com | (205) 567-3613

Travelers Diana Baker | dcbaker@travelers.com | (678) 317-7882 Interested in becoming a Preferred Service Provider?

The Preferred Service Provider packages offers Associate Members the option of upgrading to package of your choice. A few benefits include early access to advertising, exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, simplified budgeting and of course – increased exposure! All packages are reviewed by CBA’s Member Services Committee. To learn more, please contact Lindsay Greene at 770-541-0376.

SILVER LEVEL

ACG Phil Winn | Phil.Winn@acgworld.com | (678) 458-9899​

BCC-USA John Gianacaci | JGianacaci@BCC-USA.com | (609) 915-9168 CBIZ Kris St. Martin | kstmartin@cbiz.com | (763) 549-2267

CRA Partners Shea Gabrielleschi | shea@shcpfoundation.org | (901) 529-4773

Eclipse Brand Builders Michael Smith | msmith@eclipsebrandbuilders.com | (678) 890-1140

Executive Insurance Agency, Inc. Ryan Sower | ryan@executiveinsuranceagency.com | (770) 474-2355 Kasasa Ryan Busenitz | Ryan.Busenitz@kasasa.com | (678) 595-0625 Mauldin & Jenkins Ron Mitchell | rmitchell@mjcpa.com | (229) 446-3600

Newcleus Bank Advisors JR Llewellyn | jr.llewellyn@newcleus.com | (678) 427-1015

QwickRate Melissa Wallace | melissa.wallace@qwickrate.com | (678) 797-4062 BRONZE LEVEL

AgoraEversole Craig Eversole | craig@agoraeversole.com | (601) 366-7370

Bahr Consultants, Inc. Hank Bahr | hank@bahrconsultantsinc.com | (865) 694-6098 J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 25

2 6 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

MEMBER SERVICES

CBA is pleased to announce and congratulate the winners of the annual Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship. The 2021 scholarships were open to Georgia high school seniors who intend to enter a Georgia college, university or technical school in the fall semester of 2021. Applications were submitted to the association through CBA member community banks. Four $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year.

The scholarship is named for the late Jan Hester, daughter of Lalia and the late Julian Hester, long-time CEO of the CBA. The scholarship program began in 1991 and is based on academic merit, not financial need. To compete, students must write a short essay on the characteristics of a community bank, and the continuing benefits they offer to their communities. In addition to supporting community banking, this scholarship fund is an opportunity to pass on the positive qualities both Julian and Jan Hester exemplified to further the development of tomorrow’s generations. Each winner receives $1,000 to the Georgia college, university or technical school of their choice.

CBA is appreciative of the participation from member banks from throughout the state. Special thanks to the panel of judges, which included Dr. Marguerite Brickman, University of Georgia, Athens; Trudy Eller, American Commerce Bank, Breman; Drew Kessler, Genesys Technology Group, Norcross, Chantaria Mack, STS Group, Atlanta; and Kyle Ray, First Bank of Dalton.

Katherine Ciavola Georgia Tech

Joseph DeLoach Georgia Tech

Manav Patel Georgia Tech

Justin Wallace University of Georgia

J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 27

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Education Buzz: Learning & Growth Solutions “Learning is a journey, not a destination.”

Who is on your journey?

As you embark on your daily career, have you considered who is on your learning path?

There is a lot of talk around intentional inclusion and diversity in our world today, questions are being asked, “are we hiring a diverse work force?” Let’s start asking ourselves, “am I seeking coaching and feedback from diverse colleagues?”

As a talent development professional, I have encouraged people to have a mentor, be a mentor, share knowledge and support other’s

growth and development. I would like to add to this personal reflection to encourage you to remove your shades and build diverse mentoring relationships.

• Define who holds you accountable.

• Describe your mentor’s skill sets and mindset?

• Does your mentor always agree with you?

• Does your mentor only encourage you?

• Have you opened the door to allow him to challenge you to grow and develop new skills, new ways of solving programs?

• Does your mentor compliment your skill set? Or are they just like you?

Let’s set a goal to invite someone that is different than us to listen to our thoughts and ideas and see what we can learn from their perspective. Modern mentoring is diverse. It is not limited to gender, race and ethnicity.

Diverse mentoring opens up connections that are cross functional areas and cross hierarchical and generational lines.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Congress has passed legislation that includes comprehensive BSA Regulatory Reform.

In addition, the growing complexity of the OFAC sanctions and the increased number of individuals and entities is center stage. And let’s not forget the changing landscape of bank the cannabis industry.

Lead Facilitator: Dianne Barton, Performance Solutions Inc.

REGISTER TODAY!

The BSA/AML Compliance School is a comprehensive four-day program will focus on the latest changing BSA topics above as well as other BSA/AML priorities, and offer tips and tools to develop and manage an effective BSA program. Topics this year include: National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) BSA Implications, Ransomware and BSA Key Initiatives, DOJ Enforcement and Elder Abuse, and more…

This comprehensive four-day program will: • highlight the latest changing BSA topics, as well as BSA/TF priorities • offer tips and tools to develop and manage an effective BSA program • review real-world situations and develop take-aways that can be implemented back at your banks

3 0 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Increase Revenue by offering Mortgage - NEW School In cooperation with the Community Bankers Association of Georgia, Crescent Mortgage is proud to sponsor the reboot of the Mortgage School. This school is targeted at both bankers who want to enter the secondary market mortgage space and those that are already seasoned in mortgage origination. Participants will be able to choose to attend either in person or virtually over 2-day sessions (totaling 32 total hours of instruction). In-person sessions will be held at Crescent Mortgage headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The Mortgage School will focus on the roles and functions within residential mortgage banking.

Module 1 • September 21 The first module will cover the basic business model of mortgage lending and how the overall industry affects the economy. After laying the groundwork, we will move into loan products and programs. Wrapping up the first module, we will cover the mortgage process from origination to closing.

Speakers: Fowler Williams, Skip Willcox Module 3 • October 19 The third module moves into ground-level origination.

We will begin with a focus on the URLA and taking an effective application. From there, we will cover reading sales contracts, appraisals, and title work. We will build an understanding of the documents, as well as learn common mistakes, red flags, etc. from an origination and underwriting standpoint.

Speakers: Bob Shellenberger, Mark Chapman

Module 2 • September 22 The second module of the Mortgage School will focus on the various laws, legislation, and compliance that govern the mortgage world. We will be providing an overview of laws pertaining to fair lending, consumer protection, servicing, credit, privacy, etc. We will also be covering how mortgage servicing and secondary marketing play into the day-to-day life of an originator.

Speakers: Vernon Tanner, Skip Willcox Module 4 • October 20 In this final module of the 2021 Mortgage School, we will focus on prospecting and business development.

How to fill your pipeline, prospect effectively, sell past rate and price. Using phone, email, text messaging effectively. Cross-selling strategies, etc. Time will also be dedicated to “bringing it all together” and course review and feedback.

Speakers: Brooke Holt, Skip Willcox, Fowler Williams

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor Fowler Williams AMP, CMB President & CEO Crescent Mortgage Company

Skip Willcox Account Executive Crescent Mortgage Company

Vernon Tanner Sr. VP of Compliance Crescent Mortgage Company

REGISTER HERE

J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 31

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Annual Cyber Risk Summit is Back in Savannah New Schedule! The Cyber Risk Summit will cover: • The importance of ongoing awareness of Cyber risk. The basics are still the basics - why is it still relevant.

Session to focus on Incident Response, using a cyber risk assessment tool/framework to be better prepared and ready.

• Governance at a Glance – A 12 Month Plan for Information Security and Governance • Securing Office 365 and Cloud Security in Community Banks • Insights from the FBI • Managing Cybersecurity in a Pandemic • 15 Layer Security Posture including print security and awareness training for fellow employees Risk-Based Audits and Pen Tests • Regulator Hot Topics and Updates • Elevating your fraud prevention strategies REGISTER HERE • And More!

Speakers will include:

Zach Duke Founder and President Finosec

Jim Rumph CISA, CISSP, CEH, Senior Manager WIPFLI

Ryan Dutton Fraud Services Manager SHAZAM

Ken Morrison Director, Cyber Risk Control Travelers

3 2 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

Aaron Scicluna Chief Innovation Officer Finosec

Paul Perry CPA, Data Analysis Group Warren Averett

ZB Serrato Director of Information Security CalTech

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BY JULY 28TH!

Dave Moorman President / CISO Novatech

HOTEL INFORMATION

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Executive Channel – A Forum for High Level Updates & Discussion

Session 2: July 27, 2021 | James-Bates-Brannan-Groover Office in Macon The year 2020 placed the entire world in a situation not seen in over 100 years. Now 2021 continues to see our Community Banks in uncharted waters. It is time to turn up the dial and get plugged in! The Community Bankers Association of Georgia invites our Executive Level Bankers to join together as we prepare to take on the challenges the final three quarters of 2021 will hand our communities, our customers, our board, and our bank team members. ​

Register now for high-level in-person peer connections exclusively offered in CBA’s Executive Channel. The Executive Channel provides a direct connection for Executive Bankers from across the state! CBA has gathered for you a group of industry leaders to share information and guide discussions as we delve into topics such as: • • • • • • • • • •

Regulatory and Legal Updates Legislative and Political Action Updates Current Community Banking Trends Current Challenges Facing Community Banks Financial Trends M&A data Interest Rate Forecast Executive Management and Board Relations Strategic Planning, Change Management Fintech Innovation and More

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor

REGISTER HERE

Closing SBA loans keeps doors open.

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You can count on ours.

Your customers have never needed capital more than they do right now. Plus you need to offset narrowing margins by increasing noninterest fee income.

SBA/USDA lending is the perfect answer. And ICBA recommends just one provider to make the process hassle-free: Holtmeyer & Monson. Give customers exactly what they need, at no net cost to your bank.

Call 800.340.7304 to start www.holtandmon.com

J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 33

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Ensure all steps of in-house Real Estate Loans well documented. Our singleday Mortgage Lending: Start to Finish seminar is for you!

This one-day seminar will cover the key considerations and required disclosures for mortgage loans secured by real estate through the mortgage loan process from Application to Servicing. We will bring together the requirements under the various lending-related regulations necessary to ensure compliance for closed-end consumer purpose real estate and dwelling-secured loans.

REGISTER TODAY!

3 4 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

• • • • • • • • •

Truth-in-Lending Act/Regulation Z RESPA/Regulation X Fair Credit Reporting Act/FACT Act - Regulation V Equal Credit Opportunity Act/ Regulation B Fair Housing Act Flood Disaster Protection Act Homeowners Protection Act Homeownership Counseling Notification Requirements Sale of Insurance

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SAME GREAT CONTENT BOLD NEW LOOK CBA Announces an expanded partnership with the Community Bankers Webinar Network!

Starting in July, CBWN will be assisting CBA in marketing and managing the webinars you have come to depend on from CBA of GA. What does this mean? Is there anything I need to do?

Simply click here to receive information about the latest webinar offerings.

Where will I go to purchase and access webinars?

All webinar listings & registrations are available here.

Does this mean the webinar content will change?

This is the same great innovative webinar provider you’ve enjoyed for years.

Is CBA still providing these webinars?

Yes, and you’ll still receive your special member pricing too! Members will also have access to Webinar Sales, Subscription Token Pricing, and Special Coupons!

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TRENDS

Slippery Slope

Jim Reber

President & CEO ICBA Securities

Another yield curve shift has community bankers guessing.

And now for something completely different. Except it’s not; it just hasn’t been around for a number of years. But it most assuredly has an impact on your community bank’s bond portfolio and on the securities you’ll be thinking about purchasing the next time you’re in the market.

I’m speaking once again about the ever-popular slope of the yield curve. For our purposes, these are the yields on the various on-the-run Treasury issues, specifically the ones at the two-year and 10-year maturity terms. Those are the most popular benchmarks for bond market analysts to use when the slope of the yield curve is discussed.

What is different so far this year is that the slope, or difference in yield at the benchmarks, has both grown and shrunk in a few short months. This surely doesn’t look like a secular trend vis-à-vis 2017 through 2019, when the slope gradually, grindingly, flattened by more than 100 basis points (1.0%). So, now that we’ve established that bond yields of differing tenors seem to have minds of their own, what does that mean to your community bank?

More is better, usually Most community bankers have been wishing for higher rates since late 2019, when the economy started to lose oil pressure. Loan demand (but not credit quality, thankfully) had already begun to deteriorate by the time “COVID-19” became part of our vocabulary. In short order, the Federal Reserve pushed short-term yields to near zero, began buying billions of bonds each month and launched a series of programs to back-stop the economy. The yield curve and— not surprisingly—net interest margins flattened.

What we experienced in the first quarter of 2021 is known as a “bear steepener.” This occurs when monetary policy is on hold at the same time bond investors get the shakes about inflation. With all the fiscal stimulus coursing through the economy’s veins, long-term buyers demanded more protection against purchasing power erosion, and the slope of the curve jumped nearly 80 basis points by March 31. Alas, this trend proved to be short-lived.

In the second quarter, especially after the Fed’s June meeting, the bond market gave back a large portion of the 2021 yield improvement. By the halfway point in the year, the curve’s slope was back down by about 35 basis points.

This was not welcome news for portfolio managers, who are still hustling to invest idle cash, which is probably leaving margins exposed to falling rates.

What shape indicates This is probably a good time to recount what the slope of the curve telegraphs about investor sentiment. If long and short rates have very little difference, it indicates investors are relatively satisfied that inflation is not a threat. Twoyear buyers will almost always take their cue from the Fed, while 10-year buyers, who are quick to retreat if they sense prices are about to rise, have gradually required less risk premium over the past 30 years since inflation has stayed under wraps. (Investors of a certain age will recall the term “bond vigilantes.” Those institutional buyers would demand higher yields if the combination of monetary and fiscal policies weren’t to their liking. In the two decades, the bond vigilantes have gone the way of Wyatt Earp.)

What took place in June of this year would qualify as a “bull flattener.” Longer rates retreated when the Fed, and in particular chairman Jay Powell, put the bond market more at ease regarding incipient inflation fears. The flatter curve means that longer-term investors aren’t rewarded as much for their additional price risk. That is relevant to community banks in 2021, since bond portfolios are as long as they’ve ever been, using duration as an indicator.

Where to go from here What’s the next move for the shape of the yield curve?

I’m not going to hazard a guess, but I will point out several tidbits of interest. For one, the current slope of about 120 basis points is almost exactly the past 10 years’ average. For another, the recent yield rise for the two-year Treasury note also restored its 10-year average spread over Fed Funds.

And finally, the Fed’s June dot plot may have shown that more members are projecting the first hike earlier than in the recent past, but the consensus is still in 2023, which is a long way from here. Stay tuned for more reporting on our mountain of debt, as depicted by the thrilling slopes of the U.S. Treasury yield curve.

Jim Reber (jreber@icbasecurities.com) is President and CEO of ICBA Securities, ICBA’s institutional, fixed-income brokerdealer for community banks.

J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 37

TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE

Check out our Advertising & Sponsorship Options

If you want to target top decision makers in Georgia’s community banking industry, you will find the CBA offers numerous ways to help you accomplish your goals and stretch your marketing dollars. Show your support for CBA and promote your business at the same time. If you have questions, please contact Lindsay Greene at lindsay@cbaofga.com or (770) 541-0376.

CBA Today eNewsletter Advertising Georgia Communities First Magazine Published six times a year, Georgia Communities First provides coverage of community banking industry trends and developments both on a state and national level.

Published weekly, CBA Today has a distribution of over 5,000. This digital newsletter includes information on upcoming association events, educational opportunities, associate members, as well as state and national industry news.

CBA Website Advertising

CBA’s website, www.cbaofga.com, is the source of information for all things CBA. Ad space is available on a monthly basis and can link to your home page or the destination of your choice.

Upcoming Sponsorships: • Advanced BSA/AML Compliance School | August 23 – 27, 2021 • Credit Analyst - Level 2 | August 4 – 5, 2021 • Compliance Regulatory Deep Dive | September 21 – 23, 2021

Helping your bank fight elder financial abuse in your community Georgia’s seniors need your help! Make a meaningful impact by sponsoring the protection of vulnerable senior housing residents in your community.

Contact us to learn about partnership opportunities within your bank’s footprint.

shcpfoundation.org 3 8 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021

TRENDS

Why Instant Issuance is Critical for the New Branch Experience Even with the increase in digital adoption, there is still a place for branch banking. As such, banks must re-evaluate their branch strategy to facilitate more meaningful and profitable engagement.

To do this effectively, branches must transform from transaction centers to customer experience stores that leverage critical engagement opportunities, making each branch interaction vitally important. Instant card issuance provides the perfect opportunity to encourage in-person interactions while delivering the ultimate cardholder experience.

Convenience is key The ability to receive a replacement card instantly inbranch is critically important. Instant issuance offers a highly effective way to deliver on a key consumer desire: convenience. After all, today’s consumers in don’t expect to wait for much of anything — especially for access to their money.

While it used to be a “nice-to-have,” instant issuance has become an expectation. Thousands of financial institutions have jumped at the opportunity — and advantage — to offer instant issuance as part of their overall business strategy. Projections illustrate at least one competitor in any institution’s branch footprint will have instant issuance.

If you don’t offer instant issuance, you’re behind the curve.

Worse, by making customers wait to receive a card in the mail, you’ve created a negative customer experience before the customer even enters the branch.

the experience by walking them through card activation (and also encourage them to use the card right away).

Instant issuance also offers the opportunity to cross-sell other card benefits and provide education, like adding their card to their mobile wallet. This valuable interaction further increases card usage and keeps you top of wallet.

Increase card transactions, activation and usage.

When customers walk out of your branch with their newly issued (and, possibly, activated), you’re closer to maintaining that coveted top-of-wallet status, a status more difficult to achieve using a standard 10-day card mailing. And the bottom-line effect is significant. Over a 45-day period, instant issuance cards outperformed mailed cards by 53 percent. By failing to provide instant issuance, a financial institution loses revenue each time the customer is forced to use an alternative method of payment while waiting for their card.

While the global pandemic and social distancing guidelines contributed to a decrease in branch traffic, the branch is not going away. Branches are still important even in a digital, self-service world, because there remains ongoing demand from consumers for face-to-face interactions for certain issues. But financial institutions must reinvent the branch strategy to stay competitive and relevant, elevating the customer experience. Instant card issuance delivers an effective way to take advantage of the brand-building effects of face-to-face interactions, while also increasing card activation and usage.

Instant issuance provides three significant benefits that help create an experience worthy of your customers — and your financial institution’s brand.

Deliver a superior customer experience.

Being there for customers when they need to replace a lost, stolen or compromised card is an ideal way to deliver an outstanding experience. Customers enjoy uninterrupted card use and protection against potential fraud while knowing you are committed to helping them when they most need it.

Holly Fucci Account Executive, Community Markets Division Harland Clarke

Janine Ciranni Account Executive III Harland Clarke

Support in-branch interactions.

Consumers expect a higher value of service when they visit the branch. Instant card issuance delivers the rare opportunity to expand face-to-face interactions. Build on J u ly/ A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | G e or g i a C o m m un i ti es F i rs t | 39

TRENDS

Human Capital: Once You Get ‘Em, How Do You Keep Them?

You execute with people and through people. Employees are your most precious asset, but they are also the one asset over which you have the least control. Employees walk out of your facilities at the end of each workday and many of them have not even been physically in the office in the past 9 months.

In addition, the pandemic created an unusual dynamic as voluntary turnover abated during 2020 and many employees hunkered down, so that we expect a massive talent exodus in 2021, once GDP growth is firmly established and changing jobs becomes less risky than it was last year.

Even if you are the lucky recipient of that talent, this will raise your retention stake even higher: the crisis showed employees what good crisis leadership and a supportive culture looked like, and they will expect the same going forward even when the pandemic dissipates. So how will you retain your talent and ensure it drives your execution?

Answer the questions below to assess if your human capital is powering or hindering your ability to execute.

1. Are your managers fully aware of the motivational needs of their team members?

2. Is your organization fully able to attract and retain your top talent?

3. Are your development, learning, and training programs fully aligned with your business strategy?

Self-aware managers are key to retaining employees. To attract them in the first place, consider the fundamental premise of talent optimization: having the right people in the right jobs. Harness the power of objective data to hire people who have the right behavioral profile for the position you are filling. Skills can be taught, but behaviors cannot change. Get it right the first time.

The pace of change keeps increasing across all industries.

The competencies you need from individual employees keep evolving to ensure effective execution. Therefore, ongoing training is more critical than ever, both for technical skills and for “soft” skills including leadership development. Your training and development must align with your strategy, meaning it must anticipate your needs 12 to 36 months ahead. Companies increasingly develop competency maps and use their L&D program to develop current employees in addition to hiring externally.

Finally, employees will execute well if they freely exchange information. Knowledge sharing contributes to personal growth and powers innovation (not just new product development like Apple), but the sum of daily adjustments and enhanced practices that incrementally and continuously improve execution.

How well is your business executing? Would you like insights into the behavioral pattern of your team? To find out, please contact Brandon Kinsey at bkinsey@kinseymgmt.com and we will initiate a complimentary assessment of your execution capabilities and team dynamics.

4. Is knowledge widely shared across the organization?

If you answered “No” at least once, your talent is disrupting your execution and the success of your business strategy is at risk.

Managers play an outsize role in the motivation and retention of employees. Bad bosses are the #1 reason why employees leave organizations. You can counter that risk by training your managers to be self-aware and aware of the behavioral drives and needs of their team members.

Behavioral assessments can be used for that purpose and you can maximize retention if your managers apply the “platinum rule” and lead their employees the way employees want to be led.

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Brandon Kinsey

Co-Founder, Chief Talent Optimizer Kinsey Management a CBA Associate Member

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4 2 | ww w. cbao fga.com | Ju l y / A ugust 2021