March/April 2020 Georgia Communities First Magazine

Georgia

Communities First Official Publication of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia

MAR/APR 2020

TIPS FROM THE 1800 CLUB

Secrets of success from Georgia’s many banks opened in the 1800’s INSIDE: Resources for COVID-19

Community Banking Month

Lifetime Sevice Awards

Scholarship Deadlines

Upcoming Events

PLUS: • Marketing Q & A • Committee Chair Feature • Preferred Serice Provider Feature

Member:

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CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S March/April 2020

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 Planters Bank, originally chartered in 1896 (see “Tips from the 1800 Club” on page 9)

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A Time to Lead

3

Making a Difference

Lisa McNair Director of Finance lisa@cbaofga.com

trends

19 Q&A on Multi-Channel Marketing

t h e l at e s t

4

General Counsel Corner: New Requirements for Disclosure of Tax Returns

5

CBA Resources for COVID-19

24 CBA’s LEAD Convention

7

ATDC & CBA Fintech Event

26 CBA’s Annual Convention

s p ot l i g h ts

9

Tammy Maass Vice President, Accounting tammy@cbaofga.com

21 Not All Bonds are Created Equal p ro f es s i o n a l d e v e lo p m e n t

23 Loan Documentation Bootcamp

Jeremy Thomens Assistant Vice President Marketing and Communications jeremy@cbaofga.com

member services

Tips from the 1800 Club

29 Scholarship Applications Due

15 Advocacy Committee Chair:

Clark Hungerford 17 Preferred Service Provider

Spotlight: Skip Willcox,

Crescent Mortgage

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

31 Community Banking Month

Cassie Conklin Assistant Vice President Digital Strategy and Professional Development Marketing cassie@cbaofga.com

32 CBA’s Lifetime Service Awards 33 2020 Preferred Service Providers

Connie Shepard Assistant Vice President Professional Development and Member Engagement connie@cbaofga.com s ta y connected

@CBAofGeorgia

@CBAGeorgia

@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

Becky Soto Assistant Vice President Professional Development becky@cbaofga.com

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VANTAGE POINT

A Time to Lead

At the beginning of the year, who would have imagined that situation we find ourselves in now. As we have done throughout our entire history, it is once again time for the community banking industry to adapt, overcome, and lead the way to recovery for our respective communities, state and country. Our job here at CBA is to do what we too have always done: provide Georgia’s community banks with the resources they need to succeed. With this in mind, we have and are taking the following actions: MEDIA: CBA is in contact with various media outlets. It is important for the public to know that community banks are open for business, well capitalized and ready to serve. We have been leveraging the resources provided by Georgia’s Department of Banking and Finance, the FDIC, OCC and the FHLB system. Additionally, we have and will continue to form alliances with various other associations to expand on this messaging. Our efforts not only include direct media contact but also a very aggressive strategy via social and digital platforms.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING: CBA postponed and rescheduled all our classroom events for March and will continue to evaluate the overall situation as time goes on. Additionally, we have accelerated our plans to offer education via our new live streaming tool, STREAM, and conducted our first program a few weeks ago. Knowing that our bankers cannot travel but still need training, we will expand our STREAM offerings as needed. We are grateful for the wonderful cooperation we are receiving from all our member banks, instructors and traditional venues.

DISASTER AND PANDEMIC WEBSITE: CBA has developed a disaster and pandemic web page to serve a vehicle for our bankers to access the most updated information and as an overall repository of information. As you know, things are changing almost hourly and we are committed to doing our best to keep up with the flow of information. Please access the page here.

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John McNair President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia

CBA PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDERS: CBA is fortunate to be aligned with so many wonderful companies. We are in contact with most all at this time and many are asking how they can be of assistance to your banks. Some are reducing fees and others are providing complimentary services based on their respective skill sets. Please learn more on our website here. Let us know if you have specific needs in any areas and we will endeavor to assist.

Having gone through challenges a little more than a decade ago, we have learned how to adapt and overcome. The time is at hand to apply those lessons that are fresh in our minds to lead the way back to economic prosperity for the citizenry.

Personally, I sleep very well at night because I know how dedicated and committed the community banking industry is to this mission. We will endure and we will succeed!

FROM THE TOP

Making a Difference

Ron Quinn President & CEO Peach State Bank & Trust, Gainesville 2019-2020 CBA Chairman

April is “Community Banking Month” in Georgia. The community banking model in Georgia supports local agribusiness and small business lending statewide and it WORKS! We are all involved with supporting local nonprofits, churches and schools throughout the state which has been quite evident with the numerous stories that are sent in each week to the CBA.

another to call 911, and then he went to see if the gym had an AED. Returning quickly with the AED, he proceeded to shock the instructor and continue CPR until getting a faint pulse.

Shortly the EMT’s arrived and rushed the instructor to the hospital. The cardiologist that treated him said the patient would not have made it without Bernado stepping in with his knowledge and taking charge of the situation.

I felt compelled to share another story about Community Banking in Georgia. In 2012, our bank was involved with forming a new non-profit in Northeast Georgia, the North Georgia Heart Foundation. The Foundation was led by a nationally known cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Marshall.

The main purpose of the Foundation was to educate the community about CPR and raise funds for new technology to be used in the treatment of heart disease by funding several clinical trials. The monthly board meetings were held at our bank and the Foundation raised over $500,000 for research as well as trained over 8,000 high school age students CPR over a 5-year period.

Now for the rest of the story, the patient has survived and it turns out that he is the significant other of a member of the Peach State family. God always has a plan!

So, with Community Banking month coming up in April, I would like to challenge all of the banks in our state to go a step further and purchase an AED for your bank and to train your staff and your community on how to use it and how to perform CPR. A person is eight times more likely to survive if they have a heart attack if someone close by can administer CPR. Another service we can provide that may just save a life.

Fast forward to 2019. Even with our involvement, we had not trained our staff on CPR, nor had we purchased an AED, heart defibrillator for our bank. We decided to purchase an AED in July of 2019 and asked our staff of 55 to volunteer to take a CPR and AED training class. To my surprise, we had 100% participation in the classes. Hoping it would never be used, but glad to know that should someone have a heart attack in our bank, or any of the surrounding businesses located around our bank, there would be 55 trained employees.

Now the story moves to Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Bernardo Sotelo, part of the Peach State family, had attended the training in 2019. A friend invited him to a new spin class at a local gym that he had never been to before. Though a little under the weather, he decided to go after work anyway. Ten minutes into the spin class, the instructor collapsed. Bernado responded immediately to find no pulse, and no heartbeat.

From his training, he ordered another person to start CPR,

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Corner GENERAL COUNSEL

legal news and updates for cba members

Have a topic you would like to see covered in “General Counsel Corner?”

Email us at generalcounselcorner @ jamesbatesllp.com

cbahotline

@ jamesbatesllp.com

Doroteya N. Wozniak

Attorney (404) 997-6031

dwozniak@jamesbatesllp.com

Michael N. White

Attorney (478) 749-9921

mwhite@jamesbatesllp.com

March/April 2020

New Requirements for Disclosure of Tax Returns

By Doroteya N. Wozniak and Michael N. White

On July 1, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Taxpayer First Act of 2019 (the “Act”) which aims to modernize and improve the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). One of the revisions done by the Act is the addition of the requirement to obtain the taxpayer’s express consent before being able to share the return or return information with third parties.

Section 6103(c) of Title 26 of the United States Code generally allows the IRS to disclose a taxpayer’s return or return information to designated persons by the taxpayer to the extent necessary to comply with a request for information or assistance made by the taxpayer to such other person.

The most typical scenario where a financial institution would see this is as part of its loan origination processes (SBA loans in particular) where the financial institution would request copies of tax returns to verify loan applicant’s income or tax returns.

The newly added language states that “… [p]ersons designated by the taxpayer to receive return information shall not use the information for any purpose other than the express purpose for which consent was granted and shall not disclose return information to any other person without the express permission of, or request by, the taxpayer.” 26 U.S.C. § 6103(c) (emphasis added). In late December 2019, the IRS issued guidance specifying that this new language applies only to disclosures made by the IRS after December 28, 2019, and any subsequent redisclosures and uses of such information disclosed by the IRS after December 28, 2019.

When financial institutions request client’s or prospective client’s returns or return information from the IRS as part of loan origination, ongoing loan servicing, or for

any other purpose, such returns are at times shared with their attorneys, brokers, accountants, or other related third parties.

Furthermore, financial institutions may utilize the returns internally and share information regarding same with affiliated third parties. Section 6103(c) as revised effectively prohibits financial institutions from sharing its client or prospective client’s tax returns and return information with anyone (including attorneys, accountants, brokers, investors, etc.) unless the financial institution has specifically obtained its client’s or prospective client’s permission to share the return or return information with third parties. IRS Form 4506-T does not contain this additionally needed consent to disclose the return or return information.

In light of this change, financial institutions should review their tax return request processes to determine whether their current forms include the newly required express written permission to allow the financial institution to share the tax return or return information with third parties.

Additionally, financial institutions should analyze their product lines to identify whether tax returns or return information is shared with third parties outside of the loan origination and servicing process and identify the circumstances in which such sharing occurs. If additional scenarios are identified, then a review of the respective processes should be undertaken to confirm that the client’s written express permission to share the tax return or return information is obtained. The express permission should be kept relatively broad to cover variety of different circumstances and third parties.

PRESENTED BY GEORGIA’S LAW FIRM: OFFICES MACON + ATLANTA

“General Counsel Corner,” a recurring column featuring legal news and information of interest to CBA members, is brought to you by James-Bates-Brannan-Groover-LLP. Visit us at GeorgiasLawFirm.com

THE LATEST

CBA Resources for COVID-19 The coronavirus has created both a health and economic burden that must be dealt with head on. CBA is ready, willing and able to support your banks any way possible. Please check out the following resources to better help your bank and your community.

CBA Introduces New S.T.R.E.A.M. Tool for Remote Training CBA is adapting to the environment to better serve our bankers. Community bankers have already started participating in CBA’s new S.T.R.E.A.M. (Stream Training Remotely = Enhanced Access for Members) virtual online tool for professional development. Click here to view all of CBA’s offerings and simply look for “STREAM” to see which programs are available digitally.

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Rescheduled Professional Development Events In order to best serve your customers, CBA member banks are evaluating current staffing and operational needs of their respective institutions. As a result, CBA has decided to reschedule Professional Development classroom events as well as incorporating live streaming into our curriculum. To find the latest information on rescheduled and live streaming events, click here.

Pandemic Support & Preparedness CBA is hosting a Disaster & Pandemic Support & Preparedness page on our website for the lastest updates, news, and resources related to COVID-19 and community banking in Georgia. See the latest.

Vendor Partner Assistance for CBA Banks Several of of CBA’s Preferred Service Providers and Associate Members are offering reduced fees or enhanced services to help our community bank members get through this tough time. Learn more.

PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDER

CBA Webinars CBA’s webinars are available for use at home or in the office. You can access our Archived Webinars or see the full calendar. Many Webinar Series are available as a live webinar and/or as a recorded webinar. See the calendar.

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THE LATEST

Innovation Ruled at ATDC & CBA Fintech Committee Event In February, CBA’s Fintech Committee and ATDC held a daylong session of pitches where fintech entrepreneurs presented solutions to community bankers from across the state. Bankers heard from numerous innovators and provided real-world feedback regarding their respective ideas and potential offerings in a Shark Tank-like event.

Charles Potts, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer at ICBA moderated the presentations. Special thanks to John Avery, Director of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Institute of Technology and Jane (Karwoski) McCracken, ATDC Assistant Director; as well as Georgia Department of Banking Commissioner Kevin Hagler for addressing attendees. A reception followed the presentations where bankers, innovators and special guests had a chance to network and visit with several innovators who had table-top displays throughout the evening.

If you are interested in joining CBA’s Fintech Committee, please contact Lindsay Greene.

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SPOTLIGHT

Tips from the 1800 Club Advice from Georgia Banks Formed in the 1800s

Meet Georgia’s 1800 Club Southeastern Bank Darien | January 24, 1889 Mr. Con Holland Bank of Camilla Camilla | January 2, 1890 Mr. Ray Muggridge Bank of Madison Madison | January 1, 1890 Mr. Charles Haney The Geo. D. Warthen Bank Sandersville | September 21, 1891 Mr. Kenneth Bibb

The year is 1889 – Grover Cleveland is President of the United States, the average home is approximately $5,000, a loaf of bread sold for seven cents and a gallon of milk sold for 14 cents. It’s also the same year that Southeastern Bank in Darien opened the doors.

Georgia is fortunate to have ten banks who opened in the 1800’s. So, we wanted to know – a little history about the bank and the secret to the bank’s staying power? What advice does this elite group have for Georgia’s new banks and what’s next for their bank?

Staying Power Why do you think your bank has survived over the years? What is the secret to your bank’s long-term success?

“The growth and success of Bank of Wrightsville can be partially attributed to the quality leadership provided by the Stockholders, the Board of Directors, the management, and the employees who have served our community through all of these many years,” explained Richy Everly, President & CEO, Bank of Wrightsville.

“However, the customers are, without question, the backbone of

our institution: without them, there would be no past, present, or future to consider. We have been truly blessed.”

Derek Williams, President & CEO, Century Bank & Trust, added, “I’m a huge disciple of the community banking model. I believe Century Bank & Trust has survived because we passionately support that model: taking local deposits from people we know and trust and investing those funds in local people and businesses we know and trust. Like most community banks, we have always been an active participant in the lives of the people and the events of our market. We have mostly local stakeholders who understand and appreciate the value of what Century Bank & Trust brings to this community.”

Another bank’s secret sauce: “Our bank has always upheld its trademark as being courteous and conservative from its inception. We have understood, over the years, the value of strong customer relationships and continuously strive to maintain those relationships. We also understand the importance of support and investment within the community,” stated Ken Bibb, President of The Geo. D. Warthen Bank.

The Peoples Bank of Georgia Talbotton | January 13, 1891 Mr. Henry Persons

PrimeSouth Bank Waycross | July 7, 1892 Mr. Jim Walker Planters First Bank Cordele | March 30, 1896 Mr. Steve Bridges Bank of Wrightsville Wrightsville | February 16, 1897 Mr. Richy Everly Century Bank & Trust Milledgeville | March 30, 1898 Mr. Derek Williams First Bank of Pike Molena | March 30, 1899 Mr. John Barker

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SPOTLIGHT

The Early Days and Why the Banks were Originally Formed Bank of Madison

Since 1890, Bank of Madison has always strived to serve the community with commitment, honesty and determination.

Formed by local businessmen and farmers, Bank of Madison has stood the test of time for over a century serving as a lending institution for individuals and businesses alike. During the Great Depression, Bank of Madison even loaned money to the county school system to make its payroll for six years.

Century Bank & Trust, Milledgeville

Century Bank & Trust was established in 1898 as Merchants and Farmers Bank to serve the banking needs of Milledgeville, GA, which served as the Capitol of Georgia from 1807 until 1868. Several of these new “community” banks were opened across the state to meet the needs of local farmers and individuals who did not have access to the state banks operated out of larger cities. In 1993, the bank’s name was changed to Century Bank & Trust to reflect the addition of the new Trust and Financial Services Division as well as to honor the longevity of our bank in the Milledgeville/ Baldwin County market.

Bank of Wrightsville

Planters First Bank, Cordele

On February 16, 1897, the State of Georgia granted a Charter and Bank of Wrightsville opened for business as a state bank. There were 15 original shareholders comprised primarily of local business leaders, and their investment in the original 150 shares totaled $15,000.00. Bank of Wrightsville was formed to meet the needs of a close-knit community that was united by strong relationships and common interests steeped in the local, agricultural-based economy.

Planters Bank, Hawkinsville, Georgia was chartered on February 27, 1896 and Pineview State Bank was chartered in 1972. In June 1986, Planters Bank and Pineview State Bank merged and acquired Cordele Banking Company, which was originally charter May 31, 1927. In September 1996, The First State Bank of Ocilla was acquired, which was originally chartered May 11, 1943. Subsequently, the Ocilla bank branched into Fitzgerald and changed their name to First State Bank of South Georgia. As of January 1, 2000, Cordele Banking Company, Cordele, Georgia, Planters Bank, Hawkinsville, Georgia, Pineview State Bank, Pineview, Georgia, First State Bank of South Georgia with offices in Ocilla and Fitzgerald, all operated under separate charters. Each banking facility also operated under separate data processing systems.

The Peoples Bank of Georgia, Talbotton

The Peoples Bank of Talbotton opened on December 9, 1890, but began to fail in the fall of 1891. Businessman Augustus Persons and his brother Tom Persons, an attorney, purchased the bank believing the community needed more than one choice in banking. Augustus stated, “Tom, I will run the bank, just keep me out of jail.” Ironically the other bank failed during the depression of 1929. The Peoples Bank of Talbotton changed its name to The Peoples Bank of Georgia, effective January 2017, to unite the Bank’s mission of banking local communities in Georgia. The bank has offices in Talbotton, Ellaville and Buena Vista. In December 2019, The Peoples Bank of Georgia opened a Loan Production Office at 101 South Center Street in Thomaston, bringing community banking back to Upson County.

The Geo D. Warthen Bank, Sandersville

Shortly after returning from the Civil War, Mr. Geo. D. Warthen entered the mercantile business where he financed merchandise for the farmers within the community. In 1871, he partitioned off part of the mercantile store and entered the banking business.

After Mr. Warthen’s death in 1927, The Geo. D. Warthen Bank continued to grow and evolve into what it is today. Chris F. Irwin, III, the great, great nephew of Geo. D. Warthen, currently serves as CEO and Ken Bibb serves as President.

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Plans were immediately implemented to construct an Operations Center in Cordele and to convert all banks under the name of PlantersFIRST. Therefore, PlantersFIRST Bank was born from the name of Planters Bank and First State Bank of South Georgia, with offices in Cordele, Hawkinsville, Pineview, Ocilla and Fitzgerald and all were consolidated and converted to the new Data Processing center in Cordele during the first half of 2000. In January 2005, a decision was made to search and evaluate other markets which will be beneficial for PlantersFIRST and would contribute to the achievement of strategic plans and goals. In 2016, the organization was rebranded as Planters First Bank. The same year, the bank had an opportunity to expand in Houston County as well as enter the Bibb County market.

First Bank of Pike, Molena

According to President & CEO John Barker, the bank opened in March 1899 as a branch of The Barnesville Savings Bank. In September 1901, Bank of Molena was chartered by a group of local residents and purchased the branch office from The Barnesville Savings Bank as an independent bank. That was done in order for the community to have local ownership of its bank and provide financial stability to the area. At that time, the economy was largely agricultural and most of the bank’s stockholders and customers were growing cotton, peaches and other crops.

SPOTLIGHT John P. Barker III, President & CEO of First Bank of Pike, explained, “I have studied the bank’s old records (we have all minute books and GL ledgers back to 1901) and it appears that the main reasons the bank has survived over the years were loyal customers and a conservative business model. I believe that the ‘secret’ is to not stray far from your core business model that provides your customers with the financial services that need, even when you see other means to make quick profits. The quick profits might come some time, but the long-term success is not built on that,” he concluded.

Steve Bridges, President & CEO, Planters First Bank, Cordele, shared, “The Shareholders had the desire to maintained private ownership through the years and still do today.

The legacy bank, Planters Bank in Hawkinsville (since 1896), and our acquisition in Cordele, Pineview and Ocilla (going back over 30 years) are all rural communities where community banking is a real need for consumers, entrepreneurs and all businesses. We were able to develop a broad base of customers that have been loyal providing us with core deposits to reinvest in our communities in an array of avenues. Although these rural markets are not growing as do MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) centers, they continue to provide core business and stable returns. From this foundation of core stability, we have been able to diversify our growth and services by entering into more metro markets of which now create an even more balance of strength for our shareholders and customers.”

“Commitment: Here. Now. Always. is more than a motto. It is a choice.

We choose to preserve our history of perseverance, determination and hard work. We choose to build on that foundation with professionalism, technology, mutual respect, strong leadership, and commitment to the future of this community, our home, explained Charles “Twig” Haney III, President & CEO of Bank of Madison.

“Commitment is woven throughout our history and it makes us who we are today.”

“The Peoples Bank has survived over the years by sticking to what it understood, plain simple banking. The bank has always treated customers with the utmost respect regardless of their checking account balance and has kept everyone’s business very private.

As far as employees are concerned, the bank has hired people that know what they are doing and has allowed them to do it. There is no time for micromanaging in our bank,” explained Henry Persons, President & CEO, The Peoples Bank of Georgia in Talbotton.

Never Forget Your First Love What advice do you have for Georgia’s community banks and, Georgia’s newest banks as they start their journey?

When asked about their advice for Georgia’s community banks and especially the newest banks as they start their journey, the 1800 Club offered valuable words of wisdom.

“Make it your greatest ambition to build strong relationships within your local community and always strive to support the needs of the community.

Also, remember that your bank will only be as strong as the employees you choose to service your customers.

Your employees are your most valuable asset,” said Mr. Bibb.

“In my humble opinion, it all comes down to your purpose and your people. Simply stated, identify what it is that you enjoy and do well, and then surround yourself with the people you need to attain your stated mission and goals,” commented Mr. Everly.

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“My advice to any new community bank would be to fully understand the community and your customers.

Understand exactly what they expect and need to be successful from their local financial institution,” said Mr. Barker. “And most importantly, be who you are as a business and be proud of it. Don’t try to be what you are not.”

“Hire the right people and keep them.

Be friendly and treat your customers with respect. Work with your customers,” suggested Mr. Persons.

Mr. Bridges stated, “Up until recently, the regional and money center banks had little interest in rural markets. Today, we compete with the larger banks for our most successful customers.

Sales programs with specific targets, goals and methodology is essential for continued success.”

“My biggest advice for other community banks, and especially the newer ones, is that they work hard to never to forget their first love: real community banking. With increasing and improving technology, many community bankers feel the need to try to emulate the megabanks’ model of efficiency and are measuring service in those terms,” said Mr. Williams. “While improved technology can and should be a part of who we are, abandoning the “touch” aspect of who we are takes away our biggest competitive edge.

Never let efficiency have 100% control of who you are as a bank.”

Mr. Haney shared, “Since I was young, my father (also a CEO at the time) routinely told me, ‘you always take care of your people’ (employees). He told me that no matter how important you might think you are; you always take care of the folks that are “actually doing the work”! I have never forgotten that, and it has served me well through the years. I think this is reflected in the fact that the employees and management of Bank of Madison, most of which were hired at an early age still remain with us and thrive within the Bank and the market that we serve.”

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SPOTLIGHT What’s Next?

Looking to the future, what’s next for your bank?

“Just like most of our peers, we are faced with a very straight-forward future – grow or die! We remain committed to our core values and principals, which place an emphasis of quality over quantity. With this approach in mind, we are looking forward to future growth and expansion opportunities as they avail themselves going forward,” said Mr. Everly. “This will include both traditional, organic growth objectives, along with possibly some nontraditional opportunities that have been created by emerging technology and mass communications.”

Mr. Persons is focusing on the tried and true – “The Peoples Bank of Georgia wants to continue into communities that want ‘banking the way it used to be.’”

For The Geo. D. Warthen Bank, Mr. Bibb explained, “Our plans are to continue growing organically and investing in the growth and prosperity of our community. We will continue to make our customers our number one priority and will endeavor to maintain the reputation as a leading business in our county and surrounding area.”

Mr. Haney shared, “We have always believed that Bank of Madison is a direct reflection of the community we serve. Over the last 130 years, when the community has encountered downturns for whatever the reason (economic, war/conflicts, weather) the Bank has also endured the hardships.

When the community has thrived, so has the Bank. This relationship has endured the test of time and this legacy will continue through our next generation of leadership.”

Technology is Key “First Bank of Pike plans to continue to adopt new technologies that help us compete against larger, regional bank while still providing our local market with the financial products and services that they desire. The new generation of customers will want to access their financial products via

technology and our job is to be able to deliver that to them, while still being available for the personal customer service we have historically provided,” said Mr. Barker.

The History of Retail Banking Technology 1836 - Pneumatic capsule transportation American banks embraced the invention so customers could withdraw money and make deposits without leaving their cars.

1950 - The credit card In 1950, Diners Club introduced the first universal credit card, a portable payment solution that could be used at numerous member establishments.

Mr. Bridges explained Planters First Bank’s plans. “We have recently branched into counties with MSAs that give us the opportunity to grow our assets while offering that community banking spirit that is desirable when competing with much larger banks.

One ever growing initiative is to keep pace with technology and to be able to compete with other good community banks as well as regional banks. “

1967 - The ATM UK megabank Barclays installed the first ATM in a London suburb on June 27, 1967.

Two years later, Chemical Bank unveiled the first ATM in the US. 1973 - FTP (file transfer protocol) 1976 - Jack Henry’s “green screen” core processor 1980 - Electronic cash counters 1998 - PayPal Established as Confinity in 1998, PayPal earned praise as a user-friendly money transfer service. On the heels of PayPal came other person-to-person (p2p) payment innovations like Venmo, Popmoney and Zelle.

2004 - Digital check clearing

The Best Job in the World Mr. Williams concluded, “We plan to keep doing what we have done for the last 122 years, always looking for ways to grow and get better. As long as we stay focused on our mission as a community bank, I believe we will continue to be successful. I firmly believe that there will always be a place for community banks and that there will always be people who want the special blend of ‘tech and touch’ that we bring to the market. I am always proud to be a community banker, the best job in the world.”

With the Check Clearing for the 21st Century (Check 21) Act of 2004, a check recipient could make a digital copy of a check and then process that check electronically.

2007 - The iPhone 2009 - Bitcoin 2010 - Mobile point-of-sale devices 2011 - Facial recognition technology 2015 - The 2015 EMV chip shift

Fintech is booming!

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Grow deposits from relationship-based funding that increases franchise value. Use ICS and CDARS to offer access to multi-million-dollar FDIC insurance on funds placed into demand deposit accounts or money market deposit accounts (using ICS) and CDs (using CDARS), and: • Lock in more low-cost funding by attracting large amounts of stable funds from loyal customers • Replace less efficient collateralized deposits and rate-sensitive deposits from listing services • Make more dollars available for local lending Talk to us today! Contact Danny Capitel, Regional Director, at (866) 776-6426 x3476 or dcapitel@promnetwork.com.

Use of the ICS and CDARS services is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures set forth in the CDARS-ICS Participating Institution Agreement and applicable Deposit Placement Agreements. Limits apply, and customer eligibility criteria may apply. ICS program withdrawals are limited to six per month when using the ICS savings option. ICS, Insured Cash Sweep, and CDARS are registered service marks of Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC.

SPOTLIGHT

Meet CBA’s Advocacy Committee Chair:

Clark Hungerford

issue, we are pleased to feature the chair of the Advocacy Committee, Clark Hungerford, President & Chief Credit Officer of Vinings Bank, Smyrna.

CBA invited Clark to participate in a Q&A so you can learn about his bank, how his role on the committee helps other CBA members, and more.

How long have you been in banking?

34 years With 11 standing committees, CBA offers member community banks a way to strengthen their association firsthand. These committees provide CBA valuable feedback and guidance on the needs, challenges and opportunities of Georgia’s community banks. In this

What makes your bank different?

Vinings Bank is the only remaining community Bank in Cobb County and one of the few in the Metro-Atlanta area.

How does the Advocacy Committee help CBA members?

The mission of the Advocacy Committee is to find ways to improve legislation or reduce regulation for community banks in Georgia both on the State and National levels and to allow us a better competitive position with the large banks and other competitors (credit unions, fintech, etc.).

Tell us about your hobbies or interests outside of work: Golf, travel, playing with grandchildren (soon to be 5).

my

4

If you are interested in serving on CBA’s Advocacy Committee, please contact Lori Godfrey.

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DO YOU KNOW WHO YOUR PAYMENT PROVIDER IS? IT COULD BE FITECH

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www.fitech.com © Copyright 2020 Fitech Payments, LLC. All rights reserved.

Fitech Payments, LLC is a registered ISO of Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, OH.

Updated: 2.12.20

SPOTLIGHT

Preferred Service Provider Spotlight:

Skip Willcox, Crescent Mortgage In this issue, CBA is pleased to feature Skip Willcox, Account Executive at Crescent Mortgage in Atlanta. CBA invited Skip to participate in this Q&A so you can learn more about this Preferred Service Provider and a little more about Skip.

Tell us about Crescent Mortgage and your role with the company: Crescent Mortgage is a wholesale and correspondent lender based in Atlanta, Georgia. I am the Account Executive covering Georgia and South Carolina. Crescent has been helping community banks for over 27 years and I have been in the mortgage business for about 17 years.

How do you help Georgia’s community banks?

We partner with community banks across the state of all sizes to help them process, underwrite and close secondary market mortgages for their customers. We also provide ancillary services such as in-house processing fulfillment, online point of sale/loan applications, and thorough mortgage training.

What’s new? Any hot products?

With housing supply being so tight, we have seen a tremendous increase in our One-Time Close Construction product and our One-Time Close Renovation product.

In addition to our conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and Jumbo options, we also offer Crescent Community Cash. Community Cash is part of our on-going effort to help underserved markets across the state. Crescent Community Cash is a $1,500 credit we provide to borrowers that meet geographical and income requirements.

Additional restrictions do apply but please feel free to reach out to me directly for a more detailed description.

Tell us a little more about you: I graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in Economics and Political Science. I live in Dublin, GA with my wife. I have two children and one on the way!

For more questions on Crescent Mortgage, contact Skip at (478) 357-4441 or swillcox@crescentmortgage.net

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Travelers is delivering $4.4 million in dividends to qualifying policyholders. Are you in?

If your bank is a Travelers policyholder, you’re currently enjoying outstanding Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) benefits.

If you’re not, you might want to consider the following reasons why you should be insuring with Travelers:

•

•

•

Travelers ICBA Insurance program’s Policyholder Safety Group Dividend plan has been paid for 18 consecutive years. The most recent program year produced policyholder dividends of $4.4 million – for a total of nearly $65 million in dividends paid over the past 36 years.

Industry-leading risk management solutions and insurance protection tailored to community banks.

Financial strength you can rely on.

To learn more, talk to your independent agent or broker or visit travelers.com.

travelers.com Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America and its property casualty affiliates. Hartford, CT 06183 © 2020 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Travelers and the Travelers Umbrella logo are registered trademarks of The Travelers Indemnity Company in the U.S. and other countries.

CP-9143 Rev. 2-20

All property casualty coverages may not be available in certain areas; certain lines of coverage may not be eligible for dividend payout. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to the approval of the company’s board of directors.

TRENDS

Solutions for Success:

Q&A on Multi-Channel Marketing useful way to engage with prospective account holders. Banks in the heartland shouldn’t ignore paid search. Rural marketers experience lower cost-per-clicks and a higher click-through rate due to less competition.

The Solutions for Success series features timely issues and best practices from CBA Associate Members. CBA recently met with Keith Brannan, Chief Marketing Officer, Kasasa, to ask a couple questions pertaining to multi-channel marketing.

How can community banks improve marketing to attract consumers and compete against megabanks?

Getting Americans to choose a local financial institution over a megabank, with their supersized marketing budgets, is a difficult feat – especially as the competition for deposits and new account holders increases.

Fortunately, there’s a solution – implementing a multi-channel marketing program. In fact, according to recent Kasasa® research, multi-channel marketing programs perform 250 percent better than single-channel campaigns. By taking a new approach to marketing, consumer awareness increases, which is essential for community banks to compete with their megabank competitors.

By implementing a multi-channel marketing program, community banks can find consumers where they are and engage with them 24/7. A multi-channel program should ideally consist of five or more of the following: print media, direct mail, paid search, events, social media, email, video streaming, digital media and/or website. The strategies used should vary based on a bank’s target market.

How should marketing strategies vary from market to market?

Consumers in the suburbs respond well to financial institutions that host community events to give neighbors a sense of belonging centered around an individual bank. While the power of social media is vast, using it to connect with consumers one-on-one is extremely beneficial in this market, especially when content is focused on education and community. When it comes to reaching existing account holders, emails receive positive responses and can be used to cross-sell additional products.

In big cities, streaming video is popular with 78 percent of subscribers to a streaming service residing in an urban or suburban area. Banks can use data to segment their audiences and tailor their messaging. Dense urban markets come with more competition. Fortunately, investing in digital media can enable community banks to break through the noise. Having an up-to-date and seamless website is also crucial to increase visibility.

By offering products that equal or even outperform those found at megabanks and maximizing the effectiveness of various marketing channels based on their target market, local banks have a serious opportunity to take back banking.

A 20-year veteran of the financial services and technology industry, Keith Brannan increases ROI for community financial institutions by aligning organizational design, differentiated brand strategy, go-to-market initiatives, and a vision for consumer and corporate marketing tactics with sales objectives.

Keith Brannan

Chief Marketing Officer Kasasa A Silver-Level Preferred Service Provider

To maximize the effectiveness of a multi-channel marketing campaign, community banks must tailor the programs for their specific market. For example, in a rural area, print media should be used to increase visibility because direct mail is a

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TRENDS

Not All Bonds are Created Equal Fierce Rally Highlights Different Risk/Reward Profiles But there is another more fundamental reason for spreads to widen as rates fall that has little to do with call risk, and therefore is more subjective. It has to do with the presumed increase in credit risk, even for high-quality debt securities.

Attention bond portfolio managers: Raise your hand if you were expecting a 50 basis-point bond rally accompanied by a corollary rate cut by the Fed in about a two-week period. Just as I suspected—none of you. You can, for the record, count your correspondent among the crowd.

But, since it’s happened, let’s use this as a learning opportunity. There aren’t many cases in which the financial landscape of the global economy has changed so rapidly, and it has thrown into harsh relief how the market values of a community bank’s bonds will change in a decidedly asymmetric pattern when interest rate shocks are applied.

Spreads have widened, natch Unless your community bank’s investments consist solely of U.S. Treasury obligations, your price appreciation during the rally was muted compared to a truly riskless portfolio. In shorthand, spreads have widened. This is fully to be expected as rates fall, but you may have forgotten why this occurs.

Understandably, the average portfolio manager will chalk it up to increased call (or prepayment) risk, and that’s true enough. Clearly, if a mortgage-backed security (MBS) that is backed with loans bearing an above-market rate is priced at a significant premium of 103 or more, it doesn’t take too much of an increase in prepayments for yields to get hammered. And at the moment, 15year mortgage rates are hovering right around 3%, so any 15-year MBS pool with loan rates of higher than 3.5% are getting in the refi range.

This is most easily demonstrated by reviewing spreads on investment-grade corporates, which have no call risk. For the week that ended on Feb. 28, A-rated, five-year corporate notes saw their spreads over the benchmark Treasury balloon by fully 19 basis points. This can be attributed to growing concerns about the global economy and borrowers’ ability to meet their debt obligations.

Virtually any security not backed by a government or its agencies can be swept up in the hysteria—or at least the zeitgeist.

Cases in point To put a finer point on how community banks’ securities values move generally, but not lock-step, with market rates, let’s examine two securities that are staples of community bank bond portfolios. The first is a five-year agency bond that is callable within six months, and the second is a typical 15-year MBS. Our example agency is a Freddie Mac 1.75% with a maturity date of Feb. 12, 2025. It can be called in six months and every six months thereafter.

Between Feb. 4 (pricing date) and Feb. 28, the agency bond appreciated in value by about 0.25%; the benchmark Treasury improved by 2.25%. The only structural difference in the two is the call feature, which has effectively rendered the agency now to be a six-month instrument.

The sample MBS is a 15-year Fannie Mae that is seasoned about two years and has a 3% stated rate. It has an average life of about four years, so it is also benchmarked to the five-year Treasury. At the beginning of February, it was worth around 102.10; by the end

of the month, its value had risen, but only to about 103.50. In other words, it appreciated about 60% as much as the benchmark.

Win some, lose some What to take away from all of this? Well, this once again illustrates how bond portfolio management is give-andtake proposition. The bonds your bank currently owns haven’t run up in price as much as you may have liked, but anything you would contemplate buying hasn’t either. On balance, that is a net win for the investor, who typically has a hold-to-maturity mindset and isn’t looking to harvest short-term gains.

But maybe the more beneficial lesson to be learned from the sudden and sharp bond market rally of February is that call protection is your friend. In a rate environment in which all yields are compressed, such insurance can come at affordable rates. The recommendation is to take another, fresh look at your banks’ holdings and assess your exposure to another couple of rate cuts.

If you’re a buyer, make note of the handsome spreads available. And if you’re standing pat, do so feeling secure in the likelihood that spread narrowing is likely to take place in a bond market selloff. Interest rate volatility in the year 2020 could well give community banks a case study in how the securities in their portfolios are the same, only different.

Jim Reber

President & CEO ICBA Securities A Diamond-Level Preferred Service Provider

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The reasons to trust us with your SBA lending really stack up.

Profit from people you can trust. Our SBA expertise helps you maximize your community bank’s earning potential. Our team becomes your team, managing and simplifying every step of the process, from loan packaging and closing, to securitization and sale, to portfolio servicing. All at no net cost to you.

Learn how your bank can earn 7-10% premiums on the sale of SBA/USDA loan guarantees.

Talk to us today. 800.340.7304 www.holtandmon.com

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CBA’s Loan Documentation Bootcamp Choose Consumer, Commercial, or Both • In Person & Virtual After the decision to make a loan has been made, the next step is documentation to prepare for closing. The Loan Documentation component of the lending process is essential in order to avoid loan losses due to poor documentation. Many community banks assign this important responsibility to Loan Officers, Loan Administrators and Processors. If not performed properly, poor documentation can cause loans to be adversely classified even if the underlying credit is sound or if the loan is performing as agreed.

The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants with a good understanding of the Consumer and Commercial Loan Documentation process from approval to closing. We invite you to choose to attend both days or choose your loan focus, consumer or commercial. Register here!

For CBA assistance, please contact the CBA Education Department.

ACG security solutions protect customers from fraudulent transactions and stolen card data; limiting institutions down time and protecting financial institutions brands and reputation.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

42nd Annual LEAD Convention & Mini-Trade Show

REGISTER HERE

VIEW AGENDA

CBA’s 42nd Annual LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Development) Convention & Mini-Trade Show (formerly known as the Leadership Division Convention) will be held Thursday-Sunday, June 11-14, 2020, at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, FL. Check out some of the speakers we have lined up!

FINTECH PANEL

Charles Potts SVP, Chief Innovation Officer ICBA

Zach Duke President & Founder Finosec

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Pete Smith Live.Lead.Impact International speaker and coach in the fields of leadership, management, personal growth and development. Pete Smith has been called “One of America’s leading personal and professional development coaches.”

WATCH THE VIDEO

2 4 | ww w.cbaofga.co m | Mar/ Ap r 2020

Blair Logan Executive Vice President William Mills Agency

Jackie Rolow Chief Talent Officer SHAZAM Network

Kimberly Kirk, EVP, Chief Operations Officer Queensborough National Bank & Trust Co.

Jim Rumph CISA, CISSP, CEH Senior Manager Wipfli

Lincoln Parks Jackson Takach Digital Banking Expert Chief Economist Marketing Specialist Farmer Mac WebMobileFusion Heritage Bank

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THANK YOU TO OUR PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIERS DIAMOND PROVIDERS

PLATINUM PROVIDER

GOLD PROVIDERS

SILVER PROVIDERS

BRONZE PROVIDERS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

INDIVIDUAL EVENT SPONSORS

Board Appreciation Reception & Dinner

Bottled Water

Chairman’s Reception & Banquet Co-Sponsors

Board Meeting Refreshments & Friday Breakfast

Hotel Key Cards

90-Second Demo

Friday Promo Items

Name Badges

Friday Video Message

Convention Totes

Saturday Video Message

Kids’ Welcome Kits & Friday Cash Prize

Saturday Breakfast

Convention Signage

THANK YOU TO OUR EXHIBITORS! ACG • Ameris Mortgage • ATM Response • Bankers Healthcare Group • CBIZ • Crescent Mortgage CRS Data • DeNyse Companies • Eclipse Brand Builders • Econocheck • Executive Insurance • FITECH Genesys Technology Group • Harland Clarke • Holtmeyer & Monson • ICBA Securities Intercept Consulting Group, Inc. • Kasasa • Point to Point Environmental • Progressive Communications Promontory Interfinancial Network • QwickRate • SHAZAM • STS Group • TJS Deemer Dana • Travelers Vsoft Corporation For more information on sponsorships, please contact Lindsay Greene at (770) 541-0376.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

52nd Annual Convention & Mini-Trade Show REGISTER HERE CBA’s 52nd Annual Convention & Mini-Trade Show will be held Thursday-Sunday, September 2427, 2020, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa at Miramar Beach, FL. The program topics and speakers are being selected. If you are interested in sharing your ideas, please contact CBA.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER David Salyers Spark a Revolution David Salyers was one of the original two marketing executives at Chick-fil-A. He spent 37 years in the Chickfil-A Marketing Department and most recently served as a Vice President before his recent retirement. Having worked at Chick-fil-A his entire career, he saw the principles of servant leadership and compassion play out in the growth of more than 2,300 Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country.

SAVE THE DATE: CBA Director’s College Sept. 24th at Sandestin

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In addition to traditional correspondent services we offer: • • • • •

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THANK YOU TO OUR PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIERS DIAMOND PROVIDERS

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GOLD PROVIDERS

SILVER PROVIDERS

BRONZE PROVIDERS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

INDIVIDUAL EVENT SPONSORS

Board Appreciation Reception & Dinner Co-Sponsors

Chairman’s Reception & Banquet Co-Sponsors

In-Room Gifts Hotel Key Cards

Financial Institutions Group

Name Badges

GENERAL SPONSOR

Thursday Night Desserts and Coffee

Friday Deli Lunch

Convention Totes

Friday Breakfast

Mini-Trade Show Cash Drawing

Bottled Water

Thursday Night Hosted Bar Co-Sponsors

Friday Promo Items & Saturday Video Message

Saturday Breakfast

Friday Video Message

Saturday Promo Items

Friday Cash Prize

Convention Signage

THANK YOU TO OUR EXHIBITORS! ACG • Ascensus • ATM Response • Banc Consulting Partners • Bankers Healthcare Group • BFS Group CashTrans • CBIZ • Continuity • Crescent Mortgage • DeNyse Companies • Eclipse Brand Builders • FITECH Gulf Coast Business Credit • Harland Clarke • Holtmeyer & Monson • ICBA Securities Intercept Consulting Group, Inc. • Kasasa • Pentegra • Point to Point Environmental Progressive Communications • Promontory Interfinancial Network • QwickRate • SBA Works • SHAZAM STS Group • Travelers • Warren Averett • WebMobile Fusion For more information on sponsorships, please contact Lindsay Greene at (770) 541-0376.

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MEMBER SERVICES

Scholarship Applications Are Due! All Completed Applications are Due to CBA by April 24th The Walraven Scholarship is awarded in the amount of $500 to a bank employee who desires to continue their education while working full-time at a CBA member bank. The scholarship is named after the late J. Steven Walraven, an active community banker who exemplified professionalism and community involvement. To compete, employees must write a short essay on how community banking has impacted their life and how it will enable them to give back to their community.

The Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) is proud to offer the 2020 Julian & Jan Hester Memorial Scholarship and the J. Steven Walraven Scholarship!

The Hester Scholarship is open to Georgia high school seniors who will be entering a Georgia college, university or technical school (two year program or more) in the fall semester of 2020. The scholarship is named after the late Jan Hester, daughter of Lalia and the late Julian Hester, long-time CEO of the CBA. The four winning recipients will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship. CBA’s Leadership Division proudly assists with this initiative.

SIMPLIFY YOUR BUSINESS

Almost 80 million personal identities were exposed by the financial industry in 2019.

ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ IDENTITIES SAFE WITH YOU? CONTACT US AT 1-800-982-8315 OR INFO@PCIANS.COM TO SECURE YOUR DATA!

Applications for either scholarship should be returned to the bank no later than Friday, April 17, 2020. All completed applications should be submitted by the bank to CBA no later than Friday, April 24, 2020. Only complete applications will be eligible. A panel of independent judges will review the applications and winners will be announced in mid May 2020.

Please visit www.cbaofga.com to download the scholarship applications and encourage participation from your community. For more information, please contact Jeremy Thomens at (770) 541-0380.

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M ar / A p r 2 0 2 0 | G e org i a Co m m un i ti es F i rs t | 29

EXECUTIVE INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.

Call Us for All Your Collateral Insurance Needs!

• • • •

VSI Flood Creditor Placed Collateral Protection

• • • •

REO GAP Blanket Tracking Services

Executive Insurance is a Preferred Service Provider of the CBA of Georgia, and has been working with community banks in Georgia since 1980.

We are totally committed to the future of community banking and consequently are setting the standard in service, knowledge and innovation in this very important area. We encourage you to call on us for a comprehensive review of your specific needs.

Mr. Ryan Sower • P.O. Box 480 • Stockbridge, GA 30281-0480 770-474-2355 • 800-772-1404 • www.executiveinsuranceagency.com

APRIL IS

COMMUNITY

BANKING

MONTH Let CBA Help Your Bank Celebrate!

April is Community Banking Month and CBA and community banks across Georgia are recognizing the unique spirit that makes community banks the foundation of their communities in cities and towns throughout the state.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE FREE RESOURCES FROM CBA: •

“Community Banking Month recognizes the significant role community banks play in stimulating their local economies,” stated John McNair, President & CEO of CBA. “Now is the perfect time to recognize the significant impact community banks are making across Georgia.”

Press release for member banks to distribute to local media

•

Ways to Celebrate Community Banking Month

•

Community Banking Month Employee Fact Sheet

•

Community Banking Month Customizable Op Ed

•

Banner ads for your website

CBA has produced banner ads in a variety of sizes for your bank’s website.

For more information, contact Jeremy Thomens at (770) 541-0380, or visit the Community Banking Month section on the CBA website.

#BankLocalGA

#GoLocal

#ILoveMyCommunityBank

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With QwickRate®, your bank can access tools and services that larger banks have long enjoyed. Community banks all over Georgia count on us for non-brokered CD funding and investing, performance analysis and regulatory tools. Now they can also stem credit losses with our loan review and credit risk management tools. Contact Melissa Wallace today to learn more and sign up for your 6-month free trial of QwickAnalytics®.

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Sign up for 6 months of free access to QwickAnalytics at www.qwickrate.com/cbaofga.

800.285.8626 www.qwickrate.com M ar / A p r 2 0 2 0 | G e org i a Co m m un i ti es F i rs t | 31

MEMBER SERVICES

Celebrate a Lifetime of Service Will you or someone at your bank be celebrating a milestone this year?

Let CBA help you celebrate!

Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) is proud to honor bankers who have reached a significant milestone in the banking industry with the Lifetime Service Awards. CBA pays tribute to bankers reaching a milestone of 30, 40 or 50 years in the community banking industry. The presentation will be made during the 52nd Annual Convention & Mini-Trade Show. The 2020 deadline to submit honorees is Friday, August 14, 2020.

As part of the recognition, honorees receive a commemorative plaque, and CBA will feature the honorees in various CBA publications, as well as provide a Press Release.

Honorees with 50 or more years of service also receive a customized gold and diamond lapel pin. If you or someone in your bank is celebrating 30, 40 or 50 years of service as a banker during this calendar year, please contact Jeremy Thomens, (770) 541-0380, or visit CBA’s website.

Target Your Audience With a Sponsorship!

Consider sponsoring an upcoming professional development program! CBA is educating Georgia’s community bankers every day using technology that encourages participation.

Showcase your business while working remotely.

CBA offers a wide variety of sponsorships, designed to fit any budget and target your specific audience. Sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Lindsay Greene at (770) 541-0376.

Upcoming Sponsorships:

VIEW 2020

Annual LEAD Convention & SPONSORSHIP Mini Trade Show MENU June 11-14, 2020 The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, FL Convention Program - $1,200 | Registration Packet - $1,500 Charging Station Sponsor - $400 | In-Room Gifts - $750 Welcome Refreshments - $1,250 | Saturday Cash Prize - $250 Trade Show Bingo Card Prize - $300 | Saturday Promo Items $500 |Saturday Break – $1,500 Photo Booth - $1,250 CBA Swag Item - $2,000 Compliance Officer Bootcamp June 23-26, 2020 | Holiday Inn Express, Jekyll Island Continental Breakfast - $500 per day | Lunch - $500 per day (2 of 3 available) | Afternoon Break: $150 per day | Door Prizes: $150 | Tent Cards with sponsor logo - $200 WiFi - $300 | Reception - $1,000

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CBA’S 2020 PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDERS DIAMOND LEVEL Harland Clarke Ryan Busenitz | Ryan.Busenitz@harlandclarke.com | (678) 595-0625 ICBA Securities Jim Reber | jreber@icbasecurities.com | (901) 762-5884 Independent Community Bankers of America David Moore | david.moore@icba.org | (770) 650-9810 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 Heather Clark | Heather.Clark@warrenaverett.com | (205) 769-3489 GOLD LEVEL ATM Response Tony Webb | twebb@atmresponse.com | (770) 855-2989 BFS Group John Gianacaci | JGianacaci@bfsgroup.com | (609) 915-9168 CBIZ Kris St. Martin | kstmartin@cbiz.com | (763) 549-2267 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 Point to Point Environmental Mark Faas | mfaas@p2penvironmental.com | (678) 565-4435 Ext 151 Promontory Interfinancial Network Danny Capitel | dcapitel@promnetwork.com | (770) 630-6796

SILVER LEVEL ACG Phil Winn | Phil.Winn@acgworld.com | (678) 458-9899​ Eclipse Brand Builders Michael Smith | msmith@eclipsebrandbuilders.com | (678) 890-1140 Executive Insurance Agency, Inc. Ryan Sower | ryan@executiveinsuranceagency.com | (770) 474-2355 Holtmeyer & Monson Arne Monson | amonson@holtandmon.com | (800) 340-7304 Kasasa Michelle Jacobi | michelle.jacobi@kasasa.com | (512) 349-4475 QwickRate Melissa Wallace | melissa.wallace@qwickrate.com | (678) 797-4062 BRONZE LEVEL

STS Group Chris Nelson | cnelson@stsgrp.com | (205) 567-3613

AgoraEversole Craig Eversole | craig@agoraeversole.com | (601) 977-5225

Travelers Diana Baker | dcbaker@travelers.com | (678) 317-7882

Bahr Consultants, Inc. Hank Bahr | hank@bahrconsultantsinc.com | (865) 694-6098

Wipfli/PKM Mary Boortz | mboortz@wipfli.com | (715) 858- 6677

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.

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