Pub. 8 2018-2019 Issue 4

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 Chairman’s Message A New Era for Colorado Politics Increases Need for Banker Involvement Make An Appointment In Advance Time is always at a premium in legislative offices. Contact the legislator's scheduler in advance to arrange a meeting. It is best to make your meeting request in writing and follow up with a phone call. Be clear about who will be attending the meeting and the specific reason for the meeting. Legislative schedules are unpredictable so don't be put off if your meeting is rescheduled or if you have to meet with staff in lieu of the elected official. Introduce Yourself Remember to tell the legislator or staffmember who you are, where you are from, what you do, and that you are a member of the CBA. Do not assume they have this information. Be Flexible, Be Polite Members of Congress have very busy schedules that change constantly. It is important to stay flexible and understand that you may have to meet with staff, your meeting may be cut short or interrupted, or that youmay be meeting with someone who may disagree. Always maintain flexibility and be polite, regardless of your personal opinion. Your Homework Prepare carefully and thoroughly for your meet- ing. Take the time to "know" your legislator by reviewing past votes or statements on the issue, his/her party's position, and committee assign- ments. Develop an agenda that all your partic - ipants clearly understand. Know your talking points in advance and be prepared to make your case. Research the opposition's arguments against your position and, if possible, acknowledge and rebut those arguments in your presentation. Stay "On Message." Effective legislative meetings should be narrow in scope. Stick to a single issue, state only a few key points in support of your position and make a definite request for action. Many meetings are inef - fective because a participant brings up other issues or strays from the key arguments supporting your position. Have a message and stick to it. Go Local Your effectiveness is based on geography. Legislators want to hear your thoughts and opinions because you are a constituent. One of your most useful strat - egies is to relate the issue and your position to your community. Legislators havemany other avenues to get national or state analysis, reports and statistics. Local statistics and stories are important and you can be the only source for such rich information. N ot since the 1930s – the era of the Great Depression – have all of Colorado’s top offices and legislative houses been controlled by a single party. In what politicos call a “blue wave,” democrats won the day duringNovember’s midterm elections, assuming control of the governor, sec- retary of state, district attorney and treasurer’s offices, as well as the state house and senate. The Colorado Bankers Association has long advocated for balanced con- trol of state leadership, as it ushers in more moderate public policy. In fact, that is why CBA president and CEO Don Childears got involved in a 2016 campaign to allow independent voters to participate in primary elections – so those votes would draw elected candi- dates toward themiddle and away from political extremes. BY BRENDAN ZAHL, 2018-2019 CBA CHAIRMAN, NBH BANK