PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dexter Schrodt Looking Ahead to 2023 President and CEO, NICB After much planning, it was great to get the first NICB annual convention under my belt. Coordinating an event like that was something I had never done before, and I’m so glad it all came together for our membership. I had seen glimpses of the collegial nature of our members at our Area Meetings earlier in the year, but the annual convention really showed that our members love interacting with both one another and with our partners. We must look to build on this asset by encouraging more of our members to be active at these events so they, too, can experience that Nebraska’s association for community banks is a community in itself. I’m looking forward to solidifying this message through member outreach in the coming year, and I’m hopeful we can increase the number of banks in attendance at next year’s convention. Looking ahead to next year, there is considerable room for improvement in how the NICB reaches and interacts with our members so that they see the value in the association. We will be enhancing our email communications to ensure the membership is kept up to date, while at the same time not burdening inboxes multiple times a week. Admittedly, it is a fine line to walk, but by making the communications relevant to the receiver, we can provide information they value. As the industry and regulatory compliance continue to evolve, the need for relevant training will persist. The NICB is fortunate to have a great partnership with Community Banker Webinar Network that we can utilize to provide value to our members and their employees. Their topical webinars and webinar series are among the best in the industry, and we are fortunate to offer them exclusively in Nebraska. Additionally, we will be partnering with the ICBA, which will be relaunching its banker education programming as well as a leadership program for bankers. It will be exciting to offer these benefits to our members as they look to provide compliance training, professional development, or leadership training to their employees. With today’s staffing concerns, it will be beneficial to have multiple on-demand and virtual training options for our member banks. Finally, with the 2023 legislative session beginning in early January, I am very much looking forward to connecting with our lawmakers in this new role and advocating for our members and their communities. The timing will be perfect; with a new incoming Chair of the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee, as well as over half the members being new to the Committee, building connections this year will be critical for the years to come. As of this writing, it is looking to be a fairly quiet session for our industry, but you never know what the first ten days of bill introduction will bring. As I continue to settle into this role and move the NICB forward, I want our members to know they can contact me at any time, regarding anything. The NICB’s role is to be a resource for our membership on anything they may encounter in their business, and a cheerleader for what our members do in their communities. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any issues or to celebrate any achievements, and I look forward to seeing you in 2023! NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT BANKER 4
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