Not only are the stakes high, but the number of significant issues facing community banks also seems to be growing exponentially. A quick Google search of the history of major federal banking laws found that there were only three or four significant acts passed between 1930-1970, while that number has increased to over a dozen since 1970, with several more on the table at the current time. Of course, not all federal banking acts were created equally, with legislation like the Dodd-Frank Act resulting in scores and scores of sections and sub-sections having a significant impact on our industry. So how do we as community bankers respond to these challenges? Of course, there are many ways and methods, but let me highlight four: 1. Engage directly with KBA, ABA and other banking associations. Whether you are the bank CEO, a member of the board, a loan officer, an operations officer, a compliance officer, IT, HR, CSR, teller or in another area of the bank, you must be engaged. Please do not assume that engagement and advocacy is only the President or CEO’s job. Our associations can only be effective when all bankers are involved, providing direction, perspective and feedback. If you are the bank President or CEO, please allow and encourage your staff’s participation. If you work in another role at your bank, please ask your supervisor or CEO if you can be more engaged. I am biased, but I firmly believe we have one of the best state banking associations in the country! As I move through the KBA chairs of office, I have become more and more convinced that Doug and Team KBA are the best of the best … they are passionate, articulate and tireless advocates for Kansas community banks. But they can’t do that without our help. Therefore, please stay engaged, whether it be serving on a KBA committee, task force, the board or regular attendance at the KBA’s valuable educational opportunities. 2. Engage directly with your federal and state legislators. Although KBA, ABA and other organizations do a terrific job coordinating and strategizing on government relations, these efforts are significantly more effective if we, as bankers and constituents, engage directly with our elected leaders. Such engagement can start by simply responding to KBA and ABA’s calls to action. However, we should also communicate regularly with our legislators by email, letters, phone calls and face-to-face meetings. Consider hosting legislators at your bank when they are in town. Participate in KBA and ABA trips to Topeka or Washington D.C. when possible. I’ve learned from personal experience that our elected officials genuinely want to hear from the people who elected them! 3. Engage your bank staff. I understand this is difficult to do, but I am convinced that our engagement must become much more of a “grassroots” granular effort within our banks. As stated above, officers and staff from across the bank should be actively involved in the issues related to their job functions. It is one thing for the CEO to be engaged, but it is exponentially more effective to have our entire team involved! Unfortunately, our credit union friends have done a much better job at this than the banking industry. When they visit Capitol Hill, they bring hundreds of staff from all areas of their organizations, while the bankers only bring dozens. We must improve our efforts if we are to be successful. If you are the President or CEO of your bank, please get your staff involved. If you are not, please encourage your bank leadership to do so. 4. Inform your customers about key banking issues that will affect them. It is one thing to have our bank staff Just as our community banks have significantly evolved since my grandfather’s day, so must our engagement and advocacy for community banks! Schifferdecker speaks with Congressman Jake LaTurner at this year’s March on Washington. 7
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