Pub 9 2021 Issue 1

6 The Community Banker mibonline.org 2021 CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW Northern Hotel Billings Montana JULY 22-24 , 2021 Executive Director ’s Report “W hat a long strange trip it has been” — those words are the sage words of the Grateful Dead. Those words aptly describe what all of us have gone through this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last nine months of 2020 were one long strange trip. It goes without saying that nothing was ‘normal’ about the year 2020 with the can- cellation of association events, banks’ lobby closures and the advent of huge federal relief programs. But, 2021 has brought us some hope that ’we’ are starting to put the pandemic in the rear-view mirror. In February, newly elected Montana Governor Greg Gianforte lifted Montana’s statewide mask mandate. This decision came on the heels of the CDC’s rollout of its COVID-19 vaccine plan. In light of the lifting of gathering limit restrictions in Montana, the rollback of the statewide mask mandate and the progress being made on the vaccination of vulnera- ble populations and frontline workers, I am pleased to write the MIB Board has decid- ed to move forward with the annual 2021 MIB Convention and Tradeshow as a live, in-person event. Recognizing that COVID-19 still presents a risk of danger to vulnerable populations and, as a result, that many of our members and associate members may not be comfortable with attending the event in person, the Board has voted to hold the convention as a hybrid event — with attendees being able to either participate in person or by remote means. Further, due to adequate spacing concerns, the Association has decided to cancel the gala dinner event, traditionally held on the Saturday night of the MIB convention. Therefore, our conven- tion will run half a day shorter than our usual convention program length. Even so, unlike 2020, the MIB convention will be held and our annual celebration of Montana’s community banking industry will proceed. As such, you will find within the pages of this edition of the Community Bank- er all of the great programs and presentations the Association has lined up for Billings in July. The MIB convention kicks off, as it always does, with the annual Opening Reception. The Reception and Mixer will be held on the evening of July 22nd. The convention will close after our annual member meeting and lunch on Saturday, July 24th, 2021. A great lineup of speakers has been arranged for the convention. ICBA Chairman Robert Fischer has been invited to join us in the Treasure State this year. In addition, Dory Wiley will speak on the topic of succession planning. Bill Elliott will cover the timely top- ic of banking cannabis. Convention favorites Melanie Hall and Pat Barkey will be joining us once again. The Friday recreational activities include: 1. The annual golfing tournament, to be held at the Yegen Golf Course in Billings; and 2. Trapshooting at the Billings Trap Club. The trapshooting activity proved to be a wildly popular activity when we first held it during our 2019 convention. The really good news about this activity is that no prior experience is required to participate in this fun activity. MIB’s convention is known as the biggest little banking convention in the West. And that reputation is well earned. In light of