As we wrap up Community Banking Month, I am thrilled to honor the ways community banks step up to champion the needs of their communities. Whether it’s through personal interactions or modern-day conveniences, community banks hit that sweet spot where relationships meet today’s technology to provide unparalleled support to the customers and communities they serve. No other financial entity comes close to offering that high-tech, high-touch relationship that’s integral to who we are as community bankers. It’s not just about the deposits deployed in the form of loans, the contribution of thousands and thousands of dollars to the community or the countless hours spent supporting local families and businesses — it’s a combination of them all. These traits make it such an amazing industry to advocate for, because we are simply asking for what’s right so community banks can continue to work for the common good. And therein lies the difference that policymakers need to understand. When we share our personal stories with legislators on Capitol Hill or with rulemakers, we make it real for them. The community bank story takes what may be an academic theory, rulemaking concept or well-intentioned law-in-the-making and ensures it’s relatable on an individual level. It plainly demonstrates where emerging regulations may have merits or pitfalls and how they really will affect businesses and consumers in their communities. [Community bankers’] storytelling pulls concepts out of the theoretical into reality. When you can demonstrate how these topics affect the lifeblood of the community, it’s transformational. BY REBECA ROMERO RAINEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ICBA WHY THE COMMUNITY BANK STORY MATTERS IN ADVOCACY Flourish 4 In Touch
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