6 JAY JENKINS VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: NMBANKERS.COM PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE We can’t have too many friends in and out of our state and industry, including those on both sides of the political aisle. It is important to remember that politicians and industry leaders of all political leanings shape and influence our state and industry. PRESIDENT NEW MEXICO BANKERS ASSOCIATION It is always a pleasure to correspond with my colleagues in the NMBA; however, I wish circumstances were different. I know we will all miss Lonnie Talbert, our previous NMBA President, who recently relocated to the beautiful state of Florida. He is a personal friend, and I am looking forward to our continued engagement across the country through the American Bankers Association, where we serve on a committee together. As a previous NMBA President and current board member, it was a no-brainer to help fill in for the open timeframe and interim to assist our banking organization. Our NMBA leadership and members are stronger than ever, and I will go into these next few months building on Lonnie’s platform with all of your guidance. We have a tremendous ability to affect positive change, and promote and protect our great industry! As we move through COVID, it appears it will be with us in some form no matter where we go and touch all of us in some way, but hopefully, the worst is behind us. While there are many negative and devastating aspects of COVID, there have also been some positives. We have all been forced to think outside the box. The way we conduct business with meetings, travel, time in and out of the office, defining a new office space, and enhanced technology are just some of the elements of daily life that have and will continue to change. While I am always an advocate of in-person meetings, time and cost can be managed more efficiently with virtual meetings, all with new technology. On the banking front today, there are so many critical issues at hand. A few about which we need to contact our congressional delegation are: First, close to home, there is the issue of cannabis banking. Agree or disagree, it is legal, both medically and recreationally, in New Mexico, and we must clear a way to take the cash off the streets legally. We must get the SAFE Banking Act passed through both houses of Congress. The House has passed the bill three times, but the Senate has yet to take a vote. Second, there is a big push to eliminate overdraft charges. According to an ABA poll, 89% of Americans find their bank’s overdraft protection valuable. It is easy to legislate from
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw