Governor Kemp Signs Two GBA Priority Bills into Law
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Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed two GBA priority bills from the 2025 session into law. We sincerely appreciate Gov. Kemp’s action and all Georgia legislators who supported these legislative priorities that will improve Georgia’s lending environment and protect consumers.
HB 586, carried by Rep. Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe) and Sen. Mike Hodges (R-Brunswick), extends the loan term exemption from the state’s Intangible Recording Tax from 36 to 62 months. This change is expected to lower borrowing costs throughout Georgia. The bill will take effect July 1.
HB 240, carried by Rep. Noel Williams (R-Cordele) and Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan), targets deceptive practices involving mortgage trigger leads. The bill introduces consumer protections to limit confusing and potentially misleading solicitations after a credit report is pulled for a mortgage application. The bill is now in effect following the Governor’s signature.
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Federal Tax Package Includes Key Industry Priorities, Partial ACRE Act Adoption
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U.S. House leaders unveiled a federal budget reconciliation tax package featuring key banking priorities, including parts of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, this week. Backed by numerous federal and state banking trade groups, the ACRE language offers partial tax relief on interest income from new agricultural and rural real estate loans. The package also makes several Trump-era tax reforms permanent and includes other industry-supported provisions like enhancing the Section 199A deduction, expanding the estate tax exemption, and maintaining favorable tax treatment for GILTI and FDII. The next step in the process for the reconciliation package is consideration by the House Budget Committee, which could vote on the legislation as soon as this week.
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Highlights from GBA Visit to D.C.
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Last week, a group of association leaders, led by GBA chairman Brad Barber, First National Bank, Bainbridge, visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for key banking issues during meetings with federal regulators and Georgia’s congressional delegation.
In each meeting, GBA members brought up a number of key issues for Georgia’s banks. The trip kicked off with a briefing from the American Bankers Association. Top industry legislative priorities were covered, including the ACRE Act, SAFER Act, Farm Bill, tax reform through reconciliation and the Credit Card Competition Act, to name a few. On the regulatory side, a CRA rule rollback is underway, and multiple legal wins, such as the CFPB’s late fee rule being vacated, were discussed. Our group also heard from representatives from the Federal Reserve, who acknowledged the current fragmented regulatory landscape and encouraged ongoing banker feedback about reforming supervision.
Visits to the FDIC and OCC on Wednesday highlighted agency efforts to reduce exam burden, tailor bank supervision to focus on actual risk, and combat increasing fraud, especially check and elder abuse fraud. FDIC Acting Chair Travis Hill also provided insight into recent agency workforce reductions.
In meetings Wednesday and Thursday with members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation, GBA members discussed the need for telecommunication and social media industries to help banks combat fraud, concerns about pending stablecoin legislation and ongoing credit union acquisitions of banks. GBA members were also pleased to hear several lawmakers express bipartisan support for CDFIs—another advocacy priority. Additionally, our delegation had the opportunity to have a candid conversation with House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-AR) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who joined us for dinner last Wednesday evening.
Regulators and our elected members of congress all acknowledged how important and helpful it is to hear directly from bankers about all of these issues. The real-world experiences for bankers and their customers are powerful insights for them, and Georgia's entire banking community was well represented on this trip.
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We appreciate the generosity of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Balch & Bingham, Elliott Davis and EBS for hosting hospitality events and sponsoring meals and transportation. See photos on GBA's Facebook page. With questions about the trip, please contact Elizabeth Chandler, 404.372.7893, Bo Brannen, 404.731.9886, or Tripp Cofield, 617.909.9530.
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Rural Development and Lending Conference Packs a Punch
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The 2025 GBA Rural Development & Lending Conference this week brought together Georgia’s banking and agricultural leaders for two days of informative sessions focused on regulatory developments, legal challenges and economic trends shaping rural lending.
The conference opened with a regulatory update from Jeff Cown, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). He covered updates to the Agricultural Water Withdrawal Program, addressed permitting for solar facilities and discussed remediation efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Jim Moore, managing partner at Moore Clarke DuVall & Rodgers, followed with a legal session highlighting top concerns for agribusinesses. He addressed land use, compliance and other legal issues affecting rural lenders and their clients.
A special panel on the upcoming Farm Bill was moderated by Tripp Cofield, GBA president & CEO. The guests were Tyler Harper, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, and Bob Redding, president of The Redding Firm (Washington, D.C.). The group shared insights on economic and disaster recovery assistance payments, the prospects for a new farm bill, trade policy impacts on agribusinesses and encouraged participants to advocate for rural interests in federal legislation.
Day two began with a crop insurance update from Plenn Hunnicutt, owner of South Georgia Crop Insurance, who reviewed key program changes and risk management tools. Marshall Thomas, president of F&W Forestry Services, then gave a snapshot of the timber market, noting recent trends and land management strategies vital to the state's economy. Ford Ramsey, economist from the University of Georgia, shared a detailed look at agricultural commodity pricing, including forecast methods and the role of federal policy.
To conclude the program, UGA’s Dr. Will Secor offered a comprehensive update on poultry markets, including outlooks and longer-term industry considerations.
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GBA extends sincere thanks to Agriculture Committee Chair Jake Cleghorn, chief lending officer at Altamaha Bank & Trust Company, and Vice Chair Lee Lister, SVP, middle Georgia market executive, Great Oaks Bank, and the entire committee for their leadership in planning and guiding the success of this year’s conference. See photos on GBA's Facebook page.
Thanks also to Platinum Sponsor CSRA Business Lending and Silver Sponsor Point-to-Point Environmental for their sponsorships. Exhibitors were CSRA Business Lending, Point to Point, Small Business Assistance Corporation and Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
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Community Bankers Committee Huddles
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GBA’s Community Bankers Committee met this week in Macon. Ed Pope, F&M Bank, Washington, led the meeting as incoming chair, and Ryan Warren, Commercial Banking Company, Valdosta, will be the vice chair for the program year that begins in July. A big thank you to outgoing chair, Jay Torbert, Southeastern Bank, Darien, for his leadership over the past year. The committee also welcomed Jon Seagraves, Great Oaks Bank, Richmond Hill, as a new member.
During the committee’s round-the-table discussion, hot topics were current market trends, exam trends, talent development and recruitment challenges, a difficult competitive environment for growing deposits, loan growth and credit union acquisitions of banks.
The committee also dug into planning for the President and CEO Conference, which will be Sept. 28-30 at the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District. The conference agenda is taking shape. Look for details and registration information soon.
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Asset/Liability Committee Convenes
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GBA’s volunteer committee of bank CFOs met Thursday in Macon to discuss best practices, overall market conditions and begin planning the 2025 Financial Risk Management Conference. Led by incoming Committee Chair Matt Donaldson, Durden Banking Company, Twin City, and incoming Vice Chair Chad Hargrove, Classic City Bank, Athens, the committee covered the latest industry trends. Topics of note were reasonable exam experiences, steady loan demand, generally good overall liquidity but some challenges in growing and competing for deposits. As always, there's a healthy focus on managing interest rate risk.
Several peer banker panels and other experts will cover these topics and more at the conference, which will be Nov. 6-7 in Savannah at the DeSoto Hotel. Be on the lookout for program details and registration information soon. Thanks to outgoing Chair Holt Redding, South Coast Bank & Trust, Brunswick, for his leadership during the 2024-2025 program year. With questions, contact Alison Moreau, 404.420.2034.
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Last Call! 50-Year Bankers, We Want to Celebrate You
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It’s a time-honored GBA tradition to recognize Georgia bankers who have been in banking for 50 years or more. We will formally honor those bankers at our Annual Meeting in June. If you are celebrating that momentous milestone or know of a banker who has reached 50 years in the industry, please let us know! Celebrants do not have to attend to be honored. Complete this brief questionnaire by Friday, May 23. We’ll feature these honorees in our Annual Meeting wrap-up article, so watch for that.
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Spotlight on New GBA Associate Members
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Over the next few weeks, we want to give a warm welcome to several new GBA Associate Members we onboarded last quarter. They all offer diverse solutions for your bank and provide invaluable support to GBA programs through sponsorships, exhibits and shared expertise. Be sure to get to know these folks and thank them for supporting GBA. You can get information about any of GBA's Associate Members by using the Associate Member search function on our website. This week we want to highlight the following:
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| Eltropy
Brian Beach, brian.beach@eltropy.com
Santa Clara, CA
www.eltropy.com
Eltropy's AI-powered platform offers a comprehensive suite to engage audiences and communities, including voice, text messaging, secure chat, video banking, co-browsing and more.
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| Verint
Daniel Leahy, Daniel.Leahy@verint.com
North Canton, OH
www.verint.com/fraud-and-security-solutions
Verint is a leading provider of fraud prevention solutions for financial institutions. With over two decades of experience serving over 3,000 FI customers and eight out of the top 10 U.S. banks have deployed Verint Fraud and Security Solutions.
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| Your Fintech Resource LLC
Mark Heys, markheys@yourfintechresource.com
Milton, GA
www.yourfintechresource.com
The company helps financial institutions navigate the waters of the Fintech universe. It provides the following types of services: solution selection, contract negotiation, fractional CIO resources and strategic technology advice.
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Register for the Leadership Conference – Hotel Deadline is June 13
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Join us for the GBA Leadership Conference, July 14-16 at the Omni Amelia Island, designed for emerging bank leaders across Georgia.
Who Should Attend:
- C-suite bankers
- Senior officers and department heads
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Community and government relations professionals
- Business development officers.
Enjoy high-quality educational sessions, peer networking, time with exhibitors and a relaxed, family-friendly resort atmosphere.
Don’t wait – the hotel reservation deadline is June 13, and rooms may fill quickly!
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New this year: Kids’ Night Out during the conference’s free evening.
Exhibit space and sponsorships are still available. Thanks to our sponsors!
- Presenting: CSRA Business Lending, First Stop Health, Point to Point Environmental, Synovus Bank
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Platinum: Anthem
- Gold: CRS Data, FHLBank Atlanta, First National Bankers Bank, Steve H. Powell & Company
- Silver: ABA, Elliott Davis, McNair McLemore Middlebrooks & Co., PointeNorth Insurance Group, ServisFirst Bank, Troutman Pepper Locke, Wipfli
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2025 Date Announced!
South Georgia Community Bank Symposium
Oct. 8, 2025
Valdosta
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| More Events and Training Opportunities Coming up
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WEBINARS – GREAT FOR FUNDAMENTALS TRAINING
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Best-Ever Compliance Checklists, Commercial Lending Training, Treasury Management and More
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Here’s a sampling of upcoming webinars.
Want to see the full webinar schedule?
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PARTNERS, PRODUCTS & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
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Participate in the Georgia Banking Compensation Survey Before May 23
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Now open for participation, this annual survey provides valuable insights to help banks enhance their compensation and HR strategies. Access detailed data on salaries, incentives, turnover, and more to stay competitive in today’s market. Bank data is due by May 23, and results will be released the week of Aug. 11. Pricing is $650 for participants and $1,495 for non-participants. Don’t miss this opportunity to make informed, strategic decisions for your bank. To participate, contact Rhonda Snyder at rhonda.snyder@pearlmeyer.com.
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Mitigating Loss: Combating the True Cost of Fraud, June 25 at 2 p.m.
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Fraud continues to be top of mind for banks, with hard dollar losses growing at an all-time high. In this session, free to GBA members, Abrigo’s Terri Luttrell will discuss the true cost of fraud, new types of fraud affecting banks and the practical steps banks can take to mitigate the risks.
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Georgia Banks Receive $75,860 in Distributions from American Bankers Mutual Insurance, Ltd
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American Bankers Mutual Insurance, Ltd., the reinsurer for the GBA-endorsed P&C, D&O, bond and cyber insurance program, has announced its annual distribution for eligible Georgia banks insured through ABA Insurance Services (ABAIS). This marks the 35th consecutive year of distributions. ABA member banks with coverage through the program qualify. Georgia banks can easily access the program through their normal insurance agent. For more information, contact Patricia Williams at pwilliams@abais.com or 410.960.6878.
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GBA PARTNER ADVANTAGE, POWERED BY JMFA
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Free Webinar: Streamline and Simplify Overdraft Management, May 20 at 3 p.m.
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Are you looking for a more streamlined approach to managing overdrafts? Do you need more visibility into your current program to stay ahead of changing regulator expectations? Join GBA partner ADVANTAGE to discover how to create more efficiencies, improve communication with account holders and more. Visit www.advantage-fi.com to learn more.
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Congratulations to the following members who were named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 list for 2025:
- Indirah Gutierrez, community manager, JPMorganChase
- Anqi Zou, senior vice president, head of fair banking analytics, Truist
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Courtney Quiros, partner, Alston & Bird
- Jordan Webber Edwards, partner, Alston & Bird
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Our sympathies to the family, friends and former colleagues of retired banker Charles Ricky Nessmith, who passed away May 5. Nessmith served at Sea Island Bank, First Bulloch Bank and finally Farmers and Merchants Bank, where he was named president in 2002 and remained there until retirement. Read more.
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Loganville - Legacy State Bank
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The bank won “Employer of the Year” in Walton County from The Walton Tribune.
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| Joe Bennett has joined the bank as Atlanta market president.
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Hahira - Citizens Community Bank
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Charles Henry Hobrat celebrated 40 years at the bank on May 15.
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Richmond Hill - Great Oaks Bank
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Jack Standard has joined the bank as vice president, senior credit underwriter. Read more.
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Richmond Hill - Great Oaks Bank
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The bank’s Board of Directors announced May 15 that its corporate headquarters and main office has been relocated to 42 Town Centre, Richmond Hill, Georgia. The previous main office location, 5101 Fifth Avenue, Eastman, Georgia, will continue as its Middle Georgia regional headquarters and primary operations center. Read more.
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The bank is distributing more than $1.1 million in grants to three organizations—including Invest Atlanta—to support heirs’ property work and promote secure homeownership. Read more.
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| Atlanta - Georgia Banking Company
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The bank sponsored the Tacos and Tequila 5K, a community fundraiser benefiting the Lawrenceville Co-Op and local families in need.
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Bainbridge - First Port City Bank
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Bank team member Kayla Williams read to children during Toddler Time at the Bainbridge Public Library.
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| Carrollton - Southern States Bank
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Bank team members Dan Rajczyk and Adam Carter led the banking segment at Central High School’s Adulting Day, helping students explore financial careers and life skills.
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Eatonton & Lake Oconee - Exchange Bank
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The bank awarded $1,500 scholarships to two local graduating seniors: Wilson Moore of Gatewood School and Reid Davis of Lake Oconee Academy. Both were honored during their respective Senior Night celebrations.
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| Hawkinsville - Planters First Bank
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Bankers wrote handwritten notes of encouragement for Hawkinsville High School’s Class of 2025 ahead of graduation on May 23.
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Milledgeville - Century Bank and Trust
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The bank donated $10,000 to Putnam General Hospital through the Georgia HEART Program in support of rural healthcare. Read more.
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Newnan - Southern States Bank
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Tara Davis led multiple financial literacy classes at Smokey Road Middle School during April, covering budgeting and goal-setting as part of Financial Literacy Month.
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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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