6 Hoosier Banker November 2015 who have devoted 40 years of service or more to this important business of banking. Currently we have more than 400 members in the club. Please let us know if we are missing anyone from your bank, either current or retired. In this column, I also want to thank all of the associate members who participate in IBA activities. We have some 175 associate members, which offer a variety of products and services to Indiana banks. These companies provide significant financial support to IBA through dues payments, sponsorship of various events, purchase of booth spaces at various events, and purchase of advertising in various publications. Many participate in support of Indiana BANKPAC and grassroots efforts, and provide educational programs for member bankers. These companies and the people who work for them are important members of the IBA family, and we thank them. Finally, I’d like to recognize that November is a month that provides two special thanksgiving opportunities. Each Nov. 11, Veterans Day gives us extra reason to thank the good men and women who gave service to our nation. In this issue, we feature a guest editorial by Dave Bochnowski of Peoples Bank, Munster. Mr. Bochnowski is a Bronze Star Medalist who served in Vietnam, and he shares a veteran’s perspective on “how to thank a vet.” And, of course, November is the time of year we celebrate Thanksgiving. On Nov. 26, let us take time to pause, reflect and appreciate the abundance in our lives. On behalf of IBA staff, let me share our collective gratitude for the opportunity to work with you, the bankers of Indiana. You are leaders in your communities and beyond, and we feel blessed to work with you and to call you our friends. We hope that you will please continue to work with us in the future, and we thank you sincerely for your generous FEATURE President’s Ponderings S. Joe DeHaven, President & Chief Executive Officer, Indiana Bankers Association Van Til Earns Executive Leadership Certificate Amber R. Van Til, executive vice president of the Indiana Bankers Association, has earned the certificate of executive leadership from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, along with nine other alumni of the Graduate School of Banking (GSB), also at the University of Wisconsin. This was the inaugural year for the executive leadership program to have been customized for GSB alumni. t Most of us have thoughts and sayings ingrained in our speech patterns that our parents impressed on us early on. One concept that I imagine we all had drilled into us was the importance of saying “please” and “thank you.” You might fondly recall hearing your mother cajole, “Say please,” before handing you a treat. The importance of good manners were constantly reinforced, and I see my daughter teaching the same today to her children. This timeless act of childrearing continues into the next generation. At the Indiana Bankers Association, IBA staff have much reason to say “please” to you, as we so often request your support. We ask that you contact legislators; support Indiana BANKPAC; participate in our educational offerings; utilize some of our products and services; share your insights on IBA committees and boards; and stay informed through Hoosier Banker, IBA Insighter and the like. I do hope we remember to say please … and please tell me if we don’t! Likewise, “thank you” is important for the IBA, because each year you respond generously to all of those requests that we ask of you. It is very important and, frankly, ingrained in staff to thank you for that support. Much of this issue of Hoosier Banker, in fact, is devoted to gratitude. We open with a cover story by Chairman Larry Myers recounting his visits to each and every IBA-member bank headquartered in Indiana. His goal was two-fold: to visit every one of those banks as a goodwill gesture, and to promote the IBA Annual Washington Trip. As a result, we had record attendance on this year’s trip, and we thank Chairman Myers and the many bankers who participated. We also recognize, in this issue, the proud history of our industry. About 65 percent of Indiana-based banks, 77 in total, have been in operation 100 years or longer. These centennial banks survived wars, epidemics, the Great Depression, several recessions and burdensome regulation. We thank the generations of professionals who worked hard to keep their banks strong, and who brought stability to the Hoosier state. We also thank the leadership of the combined IBA – the Indiana Bankers Association, Indiana League of Savings Institutions and Community Bankers Association of Indiana. Throughout the past 118 years, 233 bankers have served as past volunteer presidents or board chairmen to guide the industry to success. Some gave of their time during the Depression, even as their banks’ very survival may have been at stake. Others served for two terms, three terms or longer, volunteering as needed for the greater good. One banker chaired both the CBAI and the IBA: Thank you, Joe Pierce, and congratulations to Farmers State Bank, LaGrange, for celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. Additionally we thank those who have been inducted into the IBA Forty Year Club, honoring banking professionals
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