Pub. 7 2017-2018 Issue 3

4 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 A s we approach the beginning of 2018, many people will be turn- ing their thoughts to New Year’s resolutions, new aspirations and goals for the year ahead. Though February doesn’t have an extra day in it and 2018 isn’t an official ‘Leap Year,’ it can be one for you and your bank. For up-and-coming bankers, maybe this is the year for you to take the next leap in your career. If that is you, I urge you to consider registering for the 2018 Center for Bank Advocacy Training Practicum. Entering its sixth year, the program is s a yearlong, learn-by-doing course on in- creasing banks’ influence onpublic policy. CBA’s Center for Bank Advocacy immerses participants in a selective lead- ership experience, and the duration of the program is overseen by CBA’s highly accomplished advocacy professionals. Attendees will experience eight monthly sessions with accomplished and notable presenters, covering a series of topics relevant to banking advocacy including: analysis of election results; priority issues forbanking; howlegislativeandregulatory processes and the media operate; where and how to influence others and activate your colleagues and community; and PR problems and solutions. The course culminates with partici- pants learningbydoing—with the creation and presentation of an Action Plan for a topic relevant to his or her bank. And uponcompletion, participantswill join the highly enthusiastic alumni ina continuing advocacy of your bank, thebanking indus- try, and their future. Participants in this program do not only grow into well-oiled assets for the industry, they grow into leaderswithin the ColoradoBankersAssociation itself. Since its inception,more thanadozengraduates of theCenter forBankAdvocacyhave gone on to serve on CBA’s Government Affairs Committee and Board of Directors. The program begins in January, so reachout toMikeBintner at CBA to secure your spot today! Growing bankers in their industry has long been a focus of the Colorado Bankers Association. Since launching theGraduate School of Banking at Colorado in 1950, thousands of bankers, regulatory insti- tution professionals, and other financial services representatives have reach their goals at the school. In 2014, GSBC added a new program, the Executive Development Institute, to its offerings. EDI is a 19-month program designed to prepare internal candidates for executive management roles in com- munity banks. It is truly a leap forward in banker education, and I urge you to consider what it can do for an executive in your bank as it re-calibrates for sweeping regulatory and competitive changes over banking, requiring new approaches to staffing, compliance and risk manage- ment amid shifting demographics and technologies. That programwill begin in April, and GSBC is accepting applications now. In May, the GSBC will kick off yet an- other new program, aimed at developing the next generation of community bank leaders. The Community Bank Invest- ments School is a 4-and-a-half-day school thatwill equipfinancialmanagers of com- munitybankswith strategies to effectively and independentlymanage an investment portfolio. Keep your eyes peeled, because registration will be opening soon. It is so important that each of us as bankers do all we can to diversify our skill sets as we all are being asked to do more with less. Roleswithin banks are evolving to accommodate shifting customer needs, particularly at the entry level. Tellers are becoming “universal bankers” who can assist customers not just with normal transactions but also with investment, mortgage and retirement needs. Those entry-level jobs are secure and well paying, and opportunities are only growing for people interested in pursuing a career in banking. Not only do banks provide better-than-average compen- sation and benefits, the average annual wages for the industry are higher than for all private-sector employees. While many of us are worried about succession planning as thousands of baby boomers approach retirement, CBA has been hard at work, partnering with and promoting programs and resources to attract newworkers into our industry and to help you find the right people to hire. Last year, CBA stood with Goodwill Industries as it debuted a Colorado-based BankWork$ program. Our association’s logo appears on every graduation cer- tificate for participants who complete a rigorous 8-week training program for beginningbankers. Already, banks across the metro area have begun sourcing new employees fromthe BankWork$program and those employees are climbing the ranks in those banks. New cohorts begin classes every eight weeks. More informa- tion can be found here. Finally, in August, CBA joined with a cohort of more than a dozen fellow state bankers associations to promote Bank- TalentHQ, a talent management site for financial industry careers. The site was developed as a resource for those looking for a job with a financial institution, ser- vice providers, regulators and employers with positions to fill. Investigate and use these resources and do not hesitate to pass them along to others interested in starting or growing a career in banking. Our communities count on their banks to fund and support societal infrastructure. Cultivating strong employees is critical to our banks’ ability to do that. Make 2018 the year you took that next step or opened the door for someone else tohave greater opportunity. CBA’smission of Helping Coloradans realize dreams by building better banks begins with you.  Mark Driscoll First National Bank of Fort Collins 2017-2018 CBA Chairman Making this a Leap Year Chairman’s Message