Missouri Bankers Association Executive Management Conference

Dealing with examiners and regulatory orders were topics drawing considerable interest at the Missouri Bankers Association's Executive Management Conference in St. Louis last month. "Staying close" to examiners and the examination was recommended by Don Hutson, national industry manager for BKD LLP. "Go see them three times a day while the examiners are there," he said. Hutson also advised thinking strategically and getting away from being reactionary. "You manage the process," he added, “but don't be confrontational.” To view photos of this speaker and others from this conference click here.

 

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Nebraska Independent Community Bankers Conference & Trade Show

Recessions change everything, members of the Nebraska Independent Community Bankers were told at their annual Management Conference & Trade Show in Lincoln. And they never end, suggested Jim Mathis, corporate speaker, executive coach and self-described reinvention strategist. “The effects continue for the rest of our lives,” he said. The banking business is not going to be the same but community banks are being put in the best possible position, he believes. To view a photo of Mathis and others from the convention click this photo gallery.

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Iowa Bankers Association Annual Convention

Management strategies were plotted at the IBA 123rd annual convention held Sept. 20-22 in Des Moines. Noting that banks in Iowa are doing "relatively well" and regulators have more to do in other states, consultant Ken Johnson of Austin, Texas, pointed to some trends that may require new thinking on the part of CEOs, such as the high ROAs of recent years. Click here to view photos from this convention.

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Missouri Independent Bankers Association Annual Convention

The best news to emerge from the annual convention of the Missouri Independent Bankers Association came from Dr. Ernie Goss, professor of economics at Creighton University in Omaha and author of The Main Street Economy Report, a monthly survey of community bank CEOs in the Midwest. Goss is bullish on agriculture, energy and the stock market. Goss also suggested that consumers are waiting on the sidelines for more stimulus programs like Cash for Clunkers. To view photos of Goss and the other speakers at the convention click view this gallery.

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Kansas Bankers Association's CEO & Senior Management Forum

Timely topics on the program for the Kansas Bankers Association's CEO & Senior Management Forum and annual meeting last month included a probing analysis of the Obama administration's regulatory reform proposals and tips for boosting core deposits. Responding to the momentum building in Congress for regulatory reform, American Bankers Association Executive Director Wayne Abernathy suggested nobody has said the system should be left as is. Looking at the principles advanced in the administration proposals, “I can’t find any I disagree with,” he said. “The question is how you do it.” View this photo gallery to see photos of various speakers and the officers for 2009-2010.  

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Community Bankers Association of Kansas Annual Convention

Capital was a repeating topic for discussion at the Community Bankers Association of Kansas annual convention. J. Michael Woody Sr. said community banks can't have enough capital today. Similarly, Dr. Timothy Koch, professor of finance at the University of South Carolina and president of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado said, "Get as much capital as you can." To see these speakers and others from the convention, view this photo gallery.

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Five-State Bankers Conference

Sitting on a regulatory panel at the 2009 Five-State Bankers Conference held June 28–30 in Denver, Jeffrey Vogel, commissioner of the Wyoming Division of Banking, said that there are a lot of enforcement action letters being sent to community banks and because that is public information it hurts those banks that must raise capital. Vogel said he would like to see some of the problems be fixed in a more informal way so as not to put added pressure on the banks. To view this speaker and others from the conference view this photo gallery.

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Missouri Bankers Association 2009 Annual Convention

Missouri banks look "reasonable good," according to Missouri Commissioner of Finance Rich Weaver at the MBA's convention. Sitting on a regulatory discussion panel, Weaver said only 31 banks have lost money out of 284 banks in Missouri. He also said 89 banks have a 1 CAMELS rating, 144 have a 2 rating, 36 a 3 rating, 10 a 4 rating and only 5 banks have a 5 CAMELS rating. View this photo gallery to see pictures of the panel and many other speakers at the convention.

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Nebraska Bankers Association 2009 Annual Convention

“Refreshingly optimistic” aptly describes the atmospheres at the annual convention of the Nebraska Bankers Association last month. The attendance in Lincoln was similar to last year and, all in all, Nebraska bankers seem to be doing fairly well compared to bankers in other states. Most bankers seemed to agree that they are doing so well because of agriculture, which hasn’t suffered during this recession. That and the fact that the state has fewer big cities than neighboring states, such as Kansas and Iowa, which have more banking troubles. The lack of big cities meant less opportunity to get into commercial real estate, according to NBA officers. View photos from the convention.

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Texas Bankers Association 125th Annual Convention & Exposition

Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, told attendees at the Texas Bankers Association's 2009 convention that he envisions a slow recovery for the economy. Fisher sees a "very slow slog as we find a more sensible and sustainable mix between consumption and savings and investment." Fisher also addresssed the issue of whether the Federal Reserve will be politicized as regulatory reform takes shape. To see pictures of Fisher and others at the conference, view this photo gallery.