Hoosier Banker 7 In my last Chairman’s Report, I talked about how our community is not just where we live or work, but includes every banker in Indiana. As the rest of the world fell apart in mid-March with the COVID-19 pandemic, our Indiana banking community united and worked together. It also became crystal clear why it is important to have a strong state banking association, as we do with the Indiana Bankers Association. Like many of us, the IBA turned on a dime and transformed its operations overnight. The entire staff began working from home while the mission of the IBA carried on. Previously scheduled educational seminars and in-person meetings were converted to virtual events, while the Association geared up to become the central point for information and resources that all of us needed. Within days of the crisis hitting, the IBA staff arranged peer group calls so that we could find out what other banks around the state were doing to address the crisis. The Association opened those peer group calls to members who were not officially in peer groups, so they could take part in the discussions as well. As a result, we had members on the peer group calls who had never been involved with the Association beyond paying their dues. Once the crisis hit, they quickly saw the value provided by the IBA, and some members participated more than they ever had before. As the crisis unfolded and stay-at-home orders took effect, we bankers had to convince some customers that leaving their money in the bank was the safest thing to do, and that our banks will not shut down. The press releases of the IBA, FDIC and other organizations helped, but what really calmed our customers’ fears is the confidence they have in their bankers. Whether with a loan officer, a teller or the bank president, personal conversations with scared customers did more to calm the fear than anything else. That is the value of a personal banking relationship and what community banking is all about. Indiana bankers should be proud to be bankers, providing a much-needed sense of calm in such turbulent times. As the days passed, the IBA not only continued to facilitate communication between bankers and regulators, it also gathered all of the regulatory guidance being issued into a single, convenient location. The government relations staff worked with the ICBA and ABA and analyzed the federal laws and stimulus packages being passed. They provided crucial summaries and information about the bills, so that we bankers could concentrate on running our banks instead of researching new laws. There is no better example of why a strong state banking association is important than the botched rollout of the Paycheck Protection CHAIRMAN’S REPORT First Savings Bank • @fsbindiana • April 10 Our Daviess County crew provided lunch for the hardworking, essential healthcare employees of Ketcham Memorial Center yesterday. #thankyou #essentialemployees #INthistogether Alliance Bank • @AllianceBank_IN • April 9 These @NWhiteSchools cafeteria workers and bus drivers are doing their part to ensure our kids have meals during #isolation. Compliance Officer Tara Garling delivered gift certificates to them from the Whistle Stop to say thanks! #supportlocal #banklocally #myalliancebank First Federal Savings Bank • @ffbanking • March 27 First Federal Savings Bank was able to repurpose a few iPads for use by Kelly Agee and her staff at Families First Center in South Bend. Families First provides supportive services for children and families, and needed some devices to be able to perform their work via video. Security Federal Savings Bank • @sfsbank • March 16 We’re happy to help supply sack breakfasts and lunches to @ LSCLafayette students. Giving in a time of need - It’s what Community Banks do! Stock Yards Bank • @sybsince1904 • March 6 A few members of the SYBT team had a wonderful time volunteering for The Epilepsy Foundation Of Kentuckiana today! SYBT helped put together informational packets for neurologists in the community. Thank you for having us @efkentuckiana! Follow IBA Twitter @indianabankers NOTABLE QUOTES Bank Community Service on Twitter Program (PPP). The IBA helped us all navigate the mass confusion caused by incomplete guidance that came out the night before the program launched, lack of access to the SBA portal for many banks, and contradictory statements by governmental officials. The IBA helped get answers to our many questions and facilitated massive conference calls for us to exchange information so we were better prepared to help our customers. If we did not have a strong state association, Indiana businesses and our customers would have suffered, because we would not have been able to overcome the government’s flawed rollout of the PPP as quickly as we did. As for me, my bank visits came to an abrupt halt in mid-March, along with the rest of the world. I have visited one-half of the banks in the state and look forward to resuming my visits once things get back to some sense of normal. My goal is still to visit everyone in the state before convention time in September. HB Lucas White Chairman Indiana Bankers Association President The Fountain Trust Company, Covington @LucasNWhite
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