Pub. 11 2021-2022 Issue 1

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S www.coloradobankers.org 4 Meet CBA’s New Chairman, Mike Brown, Regional President of Alpine Bank CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE M ichael Brown moved to Colorado in late 1990 from his native state of Oklahoma. In early 1991, Michael began working for Alpine Bank, Aspen, as a customer service representative and later as a lending officer. In 1996, Michael relocated to the Vail Valley, helping Alpine Bank open locations in Avon and Edwards. Since then, he has been part of the Vail Valley and currently serves as Regional President for Alpine’s Vail Valley and Steamboat locations. Michael lives in Gypsum with his wife, Stacy and his two beautiful daughters, Emma and Ava. Following his May 11 unanimous election to the post by the Colorado Bankers Association membership, he sat down with Colorado Banker to discuss his plans for his year at the helm of CBA’s board of directors and the organization for the coming year. CB: What are your top priorities as CBA chairman? MB: As Chair of the CBA, priorities would include maintaining the organization’s fiscal health. This is the foundation of everything we do to represent, educate and inform Colorado’s banking industry. Another obvious goal is to continue engaging with and educating our elected officials about the critical role banks play across our state and our country. The recent Payroll Protection Program was one example of the critical economic role our banks play across Colorado. Through the CBA’s leadership, we will continue collaborating – and, where needed, opposing – legislation that hampers or inefficiently attempts to duplicate services banks are already providing. Recent examples include proposals for state- or city-owned banks that rely on taxpayers to cover poor lending decisions and losses. Banks also have a role to play concerning diversity and inclusion, both within our industry and as members of our communities. Earlier in 2021, the CBA began a discussion of how banks might actively hire and develop a more diverse workforce throughout our state. At the same time, the CBA is actively engaged – along with many of its member banks – in product and financial literacy programs for underserved and underbanked segments of our communities. These important T hrough the CBA’s leadership, we will continue collaborating – and, where needed, opposing – legislation that hampers or inefficiently attempts to duplicate services banks are already providing. Recent examples include proposals for state- or city-owned banks that rely on taxpayers to cover poor lending decisions and losses.