6 MARCH / APRIL 2018 Each year in Hoosier Banker, we share a cover story profile of a public servant – someone either elected or appointed into office to serve the common good. In this issue of the magazine, it is our honor to present a profile of Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, who has been serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2017. A small businessman by profession, Rep. Hollingsworth understands the important connection between a healthy banking industry and a strong business environment. He also respects the need for organizations of all sizes – in both banking and business – to keep the economy moving. A newcomer to Washington, Hollingsworth brings refreshing common sense to the halls of Capitol Hill. Also in this issue of Hoosier Banker, we recap a couple of our landmark events – the IBA Legislative Day, held in January, and the Future Leadership Division Day at the Statehouse, which took place in February. Both of these events help pave the way for advocacy throughout the year by the IBA Government Relations Team and our dedicated grassroots bankers. Government relations is integral to the success of the IBA, as are other key areas of our services to you. To ensure that the IBA continues to provide what you need, we are in the final stages of a months-long strategic planning process to explore areas to build upon and improve. Working with the guidance of Chorus Inc., which also conducted staff professional development, the IBA sought input from past and present board members, hosted a strategic planning retreat with board members and staff last fall, and held an in-house staff retreat in February. From the board/staff retreat last fall, five pillars, or goal areas, were identified: education, fiscal strength, next-generation bankers, “tell the story” and government relations. These pillars served as the starting point for the in-house retreat in February, with the intent to translate goals into action. The government relations pillar surely is familiar to our members. The IBA regularly shares action alerts, IBA Insighter updates, and IBA E-News legislative topics with our membership. We often ask for your help, and you consistently provide generous support, whether by contacting legislators, hosting Indiana BANKPAC campaigns, or joining us in D.C. for the IBA Annual Washington Trip. Education is another area familiar to IBA members. The IBA is graced with a robust education department that provides hundreds of seminars, webinars, roundtables/peer groups, schools and other opportunities each year. Our Mega Conference, with attendance exceeding 1,200 each year, is second to none, and our Annual Convention brings together more than 400 attendees for educational sessions, along with association business meetings and networking. Fiscal strength certainly is a phrase near and dear to bankers. All organizations need to be fiscally responsible in order to continue into the future, and no one appreciates that reality more than banking professionals. While the IBA currently is blessed with a strong bottom line, it is our mandate that we uphold fiscal responsibility to assure fiscal strength going forward. A new phrase that came up in this recent strategic planning exercise is the pillar of next-generation bankers. Engaging the next generation of talent into the banking community will be critical to the future viability of the industry. Simply put, we need to attract and retain the best and the brightest into banking, in order to continue successfully into the future. The final initiative is the pillar of telling the story. This phrase was mentioned several times at the board/staff retreat last fall in terms of, “We want to tell our story.” It is now an official IBA goal. The tell-the-story pillar overlaps the goal of next-generation bankers, because the more we can raise public awareness about the inherent goodness of banking, the more young professionals will be drawn to this industry. It also impacts the success of advocacy efforts and of bringing customers into your bank. As a bonus, raising the profile of banking can help bring you the recognition you deserve for working hard to grow and strengthen your communities. For all five of these strategic planning pillars, the IBA management team has been gathering into working groups to break down each goal into strategies; set up milestone measures, metrics and timeframes; and identify action steps. We will be communicating progress continually with the IBA board in order to be held accountable to successful execution. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for upcoming IBA events. The Leadership Development Program starts its 2018 round in March. Guided by a world-class faculty, this intense, eight-month programming helps develop the leadership needed throughout all levels of a vibrant banking organization. The IBA also is hosting a number of educational opportunities that address banker concerns about security. Notably, the Security, Fraud and Risk Management Conference takes place in April, and the Cybersecurity Conference is set for October. Dates are shown on page 9 and on the outside back cover. On the legislative front, regional meeting will be resuming this summer for meaningful interaction with Indiana legislators. Later this fall, we hope to have as many bankers as possible join us for the IBA Annual Washington Trip in Washington, D.C., to make our voices heard on national issues. And our signature events – the Mega Conference in May, and the Annual Convention in September – present additional opportunities to convene and connect with fellow bankers. I look forward to seeing you at these gatherings. I also look forward to making progress on the strategic plan laid out for the IBA through your thoughtful support. We aim to succeed, so that you can succeed, because an important tenet of the IBA values statement is to “remain mindful that the success of the IBA is judged by the success of its members.” HB Amber R. Van Til President and CEO Indiana Bankers Association avantil@indianabankers.org @grbanker VANTAGE VIEWPOINTS
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