21 Hoosier Banker February 2016 making loans that help businesses grow, consumers prosper and the economy expand. We employ nearly two million men and women, who in turn lend their time, talent and leadership to countless civic and charitable causes. Policymakers should do more than pause when they hear how laws and rules are harming our ability to do what we do. They should take action. To get Congress to say yes in the future, we have no choice but to build our political muscularity. That means re-evaluating our industry’s political engagement strategy and architecture. It means assessing the effectiveness of our tools, adding resources where needed and engaging far more bank employees in our grassroots efforts. And it means being much more deliberate in deciding which lawmakers to support with our dollars and manpower. In short, it means showing Congress that America’s hometown bankers mean business. Make no mistake, ABA pulled Call SHAZAM today. SHAZAM is a financial services company offering you choice and flexibility to use the products and services that meet your needs, help you stay in control of your future and allow you to compete in the market. From debit cards to core processing to marketing services and more, we deliver. Delivering Unlimited Possibilities 855-314-1212 | shazam.net | @SHAZAMNetwork out all the stops with our Pass Reg Relief Now campaign. Hundreds of bankers visited with lawmakers last fall when they were in town for state association Washington visits and for various ABA council meetings. We ran ads inside the beltway, in key states and on new media outlets like Pandora and SnapChat. But unfortunately, the unprecedented numbers of ads, visits, postcards, op-eds, emails and petitions weren’t enough. That’s why we all must commit to “building muscle” in 2016. We need to engage more banks and employees in everything from fundraising to petition-signing, from hosting bank visits to introducing candidates to local business leaders. Let’s make this election year a time to reset expectations, both our expectations of lawmakers and their expectations of us. We simply cannot endure another Congress that refuses to do what it takes to provide relief to America’s hometown banks, their customers and their communities. t Roger Bird has been named chairman of the board of Farmers State Bank, LaGrange, and of F S Bancorp. He was elected to the bank board in 1997 and is an attorney with Bird, Brothers, Scheske & Reed P.C., Sturgis, Michigan. t FrOm ThE BOard rOOm Tilson, Greenwood, has announced the addition of Rob Glass as senior director of IT systems and infrastructure. Additionally John Bush has been promoted to director of IT development, and Scott Ingram to director of client services. t assOciaTE mEmBEr’s cOrnEr
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