24 Hoosier Banker July 2015 Last fall, 70 Indiana bankers and associate members, along with spouses and staff, traveled to our nation’s capital for the IBA Annual Washington Trip. Shortly afterward, at the IBA Annual Convention, I challenged IBA members to increase that showing to at least 80 bankers for the 2015 trip, scheduled for September 27-29. It makes a bold statement about our industry, and our commitment to it, when we make a strong showing in DC. This trip should be a banker priority for several reasons: 1. Overall Indiana is well represented on the congressional banking committees, and we Hoosier bankers have an opportunity to make an impact. Currently Sen. Joe Donnelly serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, and two Indiana congressmen ‒ Rep. Marlin A. Stutzman, 3rd district, and Rep. Luke Messer, 6th district ‒ are on the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. Additionally Reps. Stutzman and Messer both serve on the powerful Monetary Policy and Trade subcommittee, which has only 22 members; Indiana presence accounts for nearly a 10th of the subcommittee makeup. We as bankers have an obligation to carry our message to the congressmen who serve us. 2. Our Congressmen and regulators would rather hear directly from us on true-life stories about our banks and clients. Face-to-face grassroots advocacy has an impact that can’t be fully represented by a lobbyist or the IBA. Our legislators welcome us as voting constituents and respect our views as banking professionals. 3. For the first time in seven-plus years, we are on the offensive in Congress. Instead of bills that penalize and restrict banking activities, legislation is being presented that helps our industry. Now is the time to stand in front of our congressmen to support these efforts. It is vitally important that we help perpetuate this momentum. 4. Time during the trip is wellspent, thanks to a carefully planned agenda. For two solid days, we meet with our elected officials, representatives of national bank trade associations and federal regulatory agencies ‒ the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Federal Reserve and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. IBA has been building this annual DC trip for years, and not a minute is misspent. 5. The IBA Annual Washington Trip opens doors. Though you as a constituent may travel to DC anytime, you are less likely on your own to meet with elected officials, and more likely to meet with their aides. Because this IBA trip is so well established, we usually are privileged to meet directly with senators and representatives. We also have pre-arranged access to the Federal Reserve boardroom and other meeting places. About the Author Larry W. Myers is president and chief executive officer of First Savings Bank, Clarksville, and 2015 chairman of the Indiana Bankers Association. He additionally serves on the First Savings Bank board of directors and as president of the First Savings Charitable Foundation. Myers joined the bank in 2005 as chief operating officer and was named to his current position in 2006. He previously served since 1982 with National City Bank, most recently as area president of Southern Indiana. Myers is a member of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and has served the American Bankers Association on the Community Bank Council and Mutual Council. He currently is chairman of the Lincoln Heritage Council of Boy Scouts of America and is active with the One Southern Indiana-Chamber of Commerce. A certified trust financial adviser, Myers earned bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of Kentucky, has completed the Graduate School of Banking of the South and the Cannon Trust School, and holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses. Make Your Voice Heard at the 2015 IBA Annual Washington Trip FEATURE
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