Oconee State Bank’s Neil Stevens Named Vice Chair of ABA Community Bankers Council
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Oconee State Bank President and CEO Neil Stevens has been selected to serve as Vice Chair of the American Bankers Association’s Community Bankers Council (CBC), a national leadership group representing community banks across the country. He has served on the Council since 2021. Stevens will help lead the Council’s work over the coming year and is slated to become Chair in 2028. The CBC, established in 1981, brings together community bank presidents and CEOs to advance advocacy, collaboration and leadership on issues affecting community banking. “I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside some of the finest community bankers in the country,” Stevens said. “This is an opportunity to listen, learn and advocate for an industry that means so much to communities across America.” Stevens’ appointment gives Georgia another opportunity to have a strong voice in national policy discussions affecting local banks and the communities they serve.
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GBA Joins ABA, State Associations on FCC Letter Targeting Fraudulent Calls
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GBA this week joined ABA and state bankers associations on a letter to the FCC supporting proposed rules to curb illegally spoofed calls criminals are using to impersonate banks and defraud customers. Specifically, the letter supports requiring originating providers to “know their customer” before allowing calls onto their networks, tightening the criteria for caller ID attestations under the STIR/SHAKEN framework, and requiring downstream providers to know the upstream providers whose traffic they carry. The proposed changes aim to prevent fraudulent calls at every stage, beginning with the point of origin. This filing continues GBA’s fraud advocacy at the telecom level. Earlier this summer, GBA sent its own letter to the FCC urging stronger know-your-customer requirements for telecom providers.
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Loudermilk Co-Sponsors Latest Bill to Alter CFPB Funding and Authority
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U.S. House Republicans this week introduced legislation that could significantly reshape the CFPB, including its funding structure, UDAAP authority and bank supervision threshold. The Consumer Financial Protection Accountability and Reform Act (H.R. 10184) has nearly 30 co-sponsors, including Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-11). The bill would move CFPB funding to the congressional appropriations process, require the bureau to more clearly define the “abusive” standard under UDAAP and make other changes to its enforcement authority. It also would raise the CFPB’s bank supervision threshold from $10 billion to $30 billion in assets. No Georgia-headquartered bank currently exceeds $30 billion in assets so, if enacted, the change could mean no Georgia-headquartered bank would be subject to direct CFPB supervision based solely on asset size. While the change would not exempt Georgia banks from CFPB rules or federal consumer-protection laws, raising the supervision threshold could materially affect banks approaching the current $10 billion threshold.
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Ad Shows How Banking is Critical Infrastructure; Advocacy Team Honored
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We took the opportunity this month to communicate just how important Georgia’s banks are to the state with an ad in James Magazine targeted to reach elected officials and other state leaders. Our ad features facts and figures that illustrate how and why Georgia’s banks are critical financial infrastructure. Details include total loans, loans to agricultural interests, employment, deposits held and community leadership. Check out the ad on pg. 81.
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In addition, the Georgia Bankers Association was named among the top five Trade and Business Associations in James Magazine's annual top lobbyist list. Also honored among the top 100 lobbyists are Tripp Cofield, president and CEO, Elizabeth Chandler, executive vice president - Government Relations & Advocacy, and Steve Bridges, government relations consultant. “This recognition is a tremendous honor for GBA. It’s a validation of the efforts by the whole team to represent the interests of our members and to be a strong voice for the banking industry in Georgia,” said GBA Chairman Susan Moss, Planters and Citizens Bank, Camilla.
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Pickleball Paddle Battle a Winner for State BankPAC
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The Leadership GBA Board of Directors hosted the second annual BankPAC Pickleball Paddle Battle last week at Rhythm & Rally in Macon. Over 70 players turned out for this fun event, which raises funds to support the GBA State PAC.*
The crowd was a mix of seasoned pros, weekend warriors and a fearless few who were stepping onto a pickleball court for the very first time. Plans for next year’s tournament are already in the works, so stay tuned for the official 2027 date.
Congratulations to the six pairs who earned top honors in both skill levels!
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Advanced Level Team Winners:
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- First Place: Will Anderson and Shane Pangle, Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company
- Second Place: Buster Schultz and Ben Tankersly, Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company
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Third Place: Peter Crowley and Jim Manley, Synovus Bank
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Advanced Intermediate Level Team Winners:
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- First Place: Robert Chandler and Lee Garrett, Vallant Bank
- Second Place: Collin Beall and David Coleman, Bank of Dudley
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Third Place: Bailey Eberhardt and Dre Faulkner, Synovus Bank
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Intermediate Level Team Winners:
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- First Place: Justin Bradley, Vallant Bank, and Cody Shepherd, CSRA Business Lending
- Second Place: Austin Carroll and Matthew Weigel, Bank of Dudley
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Third Place: Shaw Lokey and Susan Lokey, Profit Resources, Inc.
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Begin Level Team Winners:
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- First Place: Bert Durand and Stephen Tribble, The Citizens Bank of Georgia
- Second Place: Troy McAlister, McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks & Co. and Paxton Sakha, Econocheck
- Third Place: Luke Lanier, Durden Banking Company, and Edward Park, 360factors
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Thanks again to our events sponsors: BOLI Portfolio Strategies, CheckAlt, CRS Data, CSRA Business Lending, Econocheck, Empyrean Solutions, FHLBank Atlanta, First Stop Health, Point To Point Environmental, Profit Resources, Inc., Securitas Financial Services, ServisFirst Bank, Steve H. Powell & Company, The Citizens Bank of Georgia.
Contact GBA's Mary Frances Miller with any questions.
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* The GBA StatePAC contributes only to candidates running for state-level office such as the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor’s office and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Contributions can be made from an individual, from bank funds if you are a state-chartered bank or from a national bank holding company if the contribution is made from funds other than those resulting from the operations of the national bank.
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Update on Georgia BankPAC Campaign
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The 2026 BankPAC campaign continues to make great progress. Contribution forms along with all BankPAC information may be accessed on the advocacy page of our website with easy-to-follow options for making these contributions.
A contribution for the GBA StatePAC was received this week from Oconee State Bank, Watkinsville, Neil Stevens, president & CEO.
Contributions to the GBA FedPAC have come from eligible employees, officers and directors of:
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The Citizens Bank of Georgia, Cumming, Tim Perry, president & CEO
- United Bank, Griffin, Jim Edwards, CEO
- South Georgia Banking Company, Tifton, Glenn Willis, CEO.
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Beige Book: Southeast Economy Continues Gradual Growth
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The latest Federal Reserve Beige Book reports that economic activity across the Southeast continued to expand gradually in late summer, with modest growth in consumer spending, real estate, manufacturing and transportation.
For banks in the Sixth District, loan growth remained modest, with auto and credit card portfolios declining slightly while short-term personal loans and specialized lending remained prevalent. Rising living costs also continued to strain low- and moderate-income households, with contacts reporting increased reliance on credit cards and other forms of debt to cover essential expenses.
Elsewhere in the regional economy, home sales improved modestly and commercial real estate activity expanded, including continued demand for class A office space. Manufacturing grew at a moderate pace, led by aerospace, defense and data center-related production, while employment was largely unchanged. Consumer spending also grew modestly, driven by continued strength among affluent households as more cost-conscious consumers sought lower-priced options.
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Status of Important Cases for September 2026
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The latest ABA Newsbytes Banking Docket is now available. Read about the status of important cases here. Each article contains a “Read more” link with access to additional details on the issues, case summaries and links to related documents.
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Businessman Charged in $24 Million Bank Fraud Scheme
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A Georgia businessman faces two counts of bank fraud and 13 counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding First Financial Bank of approximately $24 million.
Federal prosecutors allege the former owner of Cartersville-based manufacturer CAMaster falsified a brokerage statement to show $22 million in assets when the account held less than $1 million. He also allegedly provided a forged document claiming the bank held a security interest in the account.
The bank loaned him $24 million in 2023 to finance the purchase of two Texas companies. Prosecutors said he later sent the bank fake financial statements on at least 23 occasions before defaulting on the loans last summer.
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HR Pros Share Ideas, Best Practices at Peer Group Meeting
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Bank HR professionals from across Georgia gathered Thursday at Middle Georgia State University in Macon for GBA’s HR Professionals Peer Group Meeting led by GBA committee chair Shea Zeigler, WB&T Bankshares. Members shared ideas and best practices on 2027 compensation and merit increases, incentive programs, benefits and PTO benchmarking, recruitment and retention, employee engagement and meaningful HR metrics. The group also discussed how banks are using AI in HR, growing and developing leaders and policies and best practices.
Following the peer group meeting, members of GBA’s HR Committee met to begin planning the 2027 HR Professionals Institute, set for March 17-19 at The Westin Jekyll Island. Stay tuned for details and the registration announcement.
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Webinar Sept. 14: Understanding Georgia’s New Transaction Hold Law
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Georgia’s new Financial Institution Transaction Hold Authority is now in effect. Join Kevin Vaughn of the Georgia Department of Banking & Finance and GBA President & CEO Tripp Cofield for a discussion about what banks need to know to implement the new law.
Learn about key requirements, including training, policies and procedures, notifications, investigations, recordkeeping, trusted contacts and transaction holds. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from the Department about implementation.
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South Georgia Bankers: Don't Miss This Region-Focused Event Sept. 17
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Hosted in partnership with the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration at Valdosta State University, the South Georgia Community Bank Symposium is designed for bank leaders and teams to learn, connect and focus on the issues that matter most to our industry in south Georgia. Sponsorships are available. Here are highlights of the program:
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- Economic Outlook - Dr. Elvan Aktas, Professor of Finance, Valdosta State University
- Credit Quality Overview and Outlook - Stewart Thigpen, Steve H. Powell & Co.
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GBA Advocacy Update / Regulatory Update and Issues - Kevin Vaughn, Deputy Commissioner for Supervision, Georgia Department of Banking and Finance & Tripp Cofield, GBA
- State AG Update: Jody Redding, Director at Office of Governor Brian Kemp
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Still Time to Join Ops/Tech Peer Group
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On Sept. 22, Georgia’s bank operations and IT professionals will come together in Athens for a day to discuss latest challenges. Four topics will be covered:
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Loan and/or Deposit Operational Pain Points and Best Practices
- Technology Pain Points and Best Practices
- Management Concerns (staffing, training, succession, strategic, budgeting, etc.)
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Industry Innovation (Tech, Products, Services, Third Parties, etc.)
The meeting will be led by Jim Stewart, EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Vallant Bank and GBA committee member. Sponsorships are available. Sponsorships are available information.
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Customized for Georgia: New Account Documentation Bootcamp
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Protecting your institution starts at the new account desk. This two-day, highly interactive bootcamp is designed to equip frontline staff, supervisors and compliance professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to confidently open and manage consumer, business and trust accounts, while staying fully compliant with state and federal regulations.
Day 1 | Consumer & Business Accounts – Oct. 14
Start with the accounts your frontline staff encounter every day. Day 1 focuses on consumer and business accounts, providing practical guidance on documentation, regulatory expectations, and legal requirements, including the details that can create significant compliance risk when missed.
Day 2 | Trusts & Fiduciary Accounts – Oct. 15
Take on the more complex side of account opening. Day 2 dives into trusts, fiduciary accounts, and court-appointed accounts, with a particular focus on revocable trusts and changes to FDIC insurance coverage.
Whether you're a seasoned frontline professional looking for a refresher or new to the account-opening process, you'll leave with practical tools and greater confidence to handle even the most challenging account-opening scenarios. Give your frontline team the tools to get it right the first time.
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BSA Peer Group Nov. 4: All the Insight, None of the Travel
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This interactive session for BSA/AML/CFT and OFAC professionals gives you the opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and tackle the challenges that matter most, all from the convenience of your desk.
You can help shape the conversation. Submit your hot topics during registration and bring your questions and experiences to the discussion.
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Enrollment for 2027 BSA Summit is Now Open!
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Conquer Compliance at the 2027 BSA Summit. If you enjoyed the opportunity to connect with your BSA peers through GBA’s BSA peer group meetings, mark your calendar for the 2027 BSA Summit, January 11–14 at Atlanta Evergreen Lakeside Resort in Stone Mountain.
Now in its fifth year, the BSA Summit is designed to give BSA officers, analysts, auditors, and support staff the knowledge, tools and confidence to strengthen their BSA/AML/CFT and OFAC programs. During this multi-day summit, expect practical guidance, timely regulatory updates, real-world strategies and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow BSA professionals, all led by experienced industry experts from Saltmarsh.
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Agenda Shaping Up for Annual Financial Risk Conference
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Georgia's top multi-day conference for bank CFOs and finance teams, the Financial Risk Management Conference is set for Nov. 5-6 at the Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory. Agenda highlights include:
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GenAI is the New Electricity – David Peterson, Chief Innovation Officer, FNBB
- Expansion & Strategy Panel Discussion moderated by Jonathan Hightower, Fenimore Kay Harrison with Scott Wilson, Vallant Bank; Daniel Stanford, SunMark Community Bank; Amy Lucas, Century Bank & Trust; Connie Mathis, River City Bank
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FHLB Pledging Class, Kevin Wyckoff, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
- ALM Panel moderated by Holt Redding, South Coast Bank, with Joel Foster, Raymond James, Jim Ashurst, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company; Paul Clanton, The Baker Group
- Review of the 2026 Election Outcome, John Ashford, The Hawthorn Group.
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Important: Hotel room block cutoff is Oct. 13.
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GBA BankPAC Golf Classic
- Oct. 14 in Forsyth
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Inaugural GBA BankPAC Mahjong Mingle - Oct. 14 in Forsyth
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More Upcoming Events and Training Opportunities
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Understanding Bank Performance Webinar Series - Oct. 1-23, Zoom
- President/CEO, Bank Accountant & Bank Counsel Conferences - Oct. 4-6, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee
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Personal Cash Flow Analysis Seminar - Oct. 7, Middle Georgia State University, Macon
- Loan Structuring and Documentation for Loss Prevention Seminar - Oct. 8, Middle Georgia State University, Macon
- Compliance Conference - Oct. 21-23, Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island
- Credit Conference - Dec. 3-4, The DeSoto Savannah
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ONLINE LEARNING – GREAT FOR FUNDAMENTALS TRAINING
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Artificial Intelligence in Banking, Opening New Accounts, Bank Accounting Boot Camp and More
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Take a look at online training opportunities available to GBA members from OnCourse Learning and the American Bankers Association.
Upcoming hot topic webinars:
Self-paced courses, certificates and reference guides:
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PARTNERS, PRODUCTS & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
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ASSOCIATE MEMBER DARLING CONSULTING GROUP
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Five Strategies for the Shifting Deposit Landscape
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As deposit competition remains elevated, banks should rethink how they price, retain and grow funding. According to a recent article from GBA Associate Member Darling Consulting Group (DCG), banks should focus on five priorities:
- Separate acquisition pricing from retention pricing.
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Reposition CD terms as term premiums return.
- Manage the deposit product suite rather than pricing products separately.
- Compete for deeper customer relationships, not simply rate shoppers.
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Make retention a measurable growth strategy by identifying relationships at risk.
With deposit growth muted and funding-cost relief fading, DCG emphasizes using data and analytics to understand rate sensitivity, manage cannibalization and protect margins while creating capacity for growth. Read the full article.
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Atlanta – Coastal States Bank
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Ed Long has joined the bank as vice president, business banker.
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Allen Phinney and Brian Boyce
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Atlanta – First Horizon Bank
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Allen Phinney has joined the bank as senior vice president, commercial banking group leader. Brian Boyce has joined the bank as senior vice president, commercial banking manager.
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Terry Vilayhong has joined the bank as a commercial banker.
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Dalton – First National Community Bank
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The bank was named “Best Bank” in the 2026 Dalton Daily Citizen Reader’s Choice Awards for the second consecutive year, with two team members also earning individual honors. Jennifer Parker was named “Best Boss,” and Jennifer Everett was named “Best Teller.”
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| Dublin – First Laurens Bank, a division of BankSouth
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Kevin O'Neal has joined the bank as a relationship manager. Read more.
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Jenny Stuart has joined the bank’s Macon team as assistant branch manager.
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GBA Associate Member CheckAlt has been named to the 2026 Datos Insights Fintech 50 for the second consecutive year. The report profiles 50 financial services technology vendors aligned with Datos Insights’ Commercial Banking & Payments Top Trends of 2026. Read more here.
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Petersburg, WV - Highlands Bank
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Congratulations to past GBA Chairman Kim Davis Wilson (2023), who was recently named president & CEO of Highlands Bank in Petersburg, WV.
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| Thomasville - Thomasville National Bank
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The bank made a donation to Paradise Park Fund, which will help fund enhancements designed to improve the park's facilities, green spaces and community accessibility.
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Read All About It: Send Us Your News
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We want to share your news with your colleagues across the state. Please forward your announcements and photos to GBA's David Oliver and Katina Weiss.
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Recruit, Retain and Develop the Best Bankers with GBA's Job Bank
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GBA will post open positions, free of charge, for GBA members. See the open positions in Georgia here. We will also post professional summaries for bank-job seekers on our Bankers Available page. Contact Katina Weiss, 404.420.2021, with questions or needs.
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