Bank Leaders Meet with New Senate Banking Committee Member
|
GBA this week joined a group of member bankers for a meeting with new state Sen. Lanny Thomas (R-53, Trion), who took office and joined the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee following a special election runoff victory in April. The conversation covered a range of topics including bank investments in Northwest Georgia communities, state and local deposits, fraud, credit unions and legislative efforts defeated in prior years that would have negatively affected the industry.
GBA thanks Barry Hurley, CEO, Southeast First National Bank, Summerville, for organizing the meeting. Joining Hurley and Sen. Thomas were GBA Vice Chairman Ryan Earnest, president and CEO, First National Community Bank, Chatsworth; Matt Robbins, GBA North Group director and president & CEO, River City Bank, Rome; and Janie Grinnell, senior vice president, The Bank of LaFayette.
|
|
|
|
Bankers: Urge Treasury to Close the Stablecoin Interest Loophole
|
The U.S. Treasury Department is seeking public comment on proposed rules implementing Section 3 of the GENIUS Act, which governs the issuance, offering and sale of payment stablecoins in the United States. While this rulemaking focuses on GENIUS Act implementation, member bankers should use the opportunity to keep delivering a clear message: Congress and regulators must close the stablecoin interest-payment loophole and preserve the role of insured banks in the financial system. Stablecoins that pay yield or operate like deposits without bank-level oversight could draw funds away from community banks, weaken local credit availability and increase risk for consumers and the broader economy. Bankers also should continue urging policymakers to advance CLARITY Act provisions that ensure a strong, consistent market structure and protect the banking system from regulatory gaps. Comments are due Oct. 19, 2026. Submit a comment and reinforce why closing this loophole matters.
|
|
|
|
Ideas, Inspiration and Connection Take Center Stage at Women in Banking
|
|
|
|
GBA’s 13th-annual Women in Banking Conference brought members together Aug. 13-14 at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton for timely industry insights, leadership development and connection.
Program highlights included:
|
-
An economic outlook from Paula Tkac of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and leadership strategies from Sarah McKinney of the Athens Area Community Foundation.
- A look at tokenized money with Kaye Lynch-Sparks of the American Bankers Association, followed by member roundtable discussions.
-
A fireside chat with Mary Usategui, founder and CEO of BankMiami, led by Jessi Englert of First American Bank & Trust.
-
A panel on growing yourself and supporting others with Briana Williams of Queensborough National Bank & Trust Company, Mikelle Brady of Profit Resources, Inc., Karlene Gordon of Ameris Bank and Tiffany Wood of Spark Impact Coaching and Consulting.
-
A closing session with Dr. Karah Sprouse of ReGenerate on turning different perspectives into a strength.
|
Attendees also connected during the welcome reception and Bubbles & Bingo, and a Kendra Scott pop-up benefited this year’s featured organization, Mosaic Georgia. Access the photo album here.
Special thanks to the GBA Women in Banking Committee for its leadership in planning this year’s program. We are also grateful to our sponsors for their support:
|
- Welcome Reception and Bubbles & Bingo Sponsor: CRS Data
- Closing Speaker Sponsor: Profit Resources, Inc.
- Boxed Lunch Sponsor: McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks & Co.
- Silver Sponsors were: Exchange Bank, FHLBank Atlanta, Kristopher James Company, Troutman Pepper Locke and Wipfli.
|
GBA Services, Inc. Elects Board of Directors
|
|
|
|
The GBA Services, Inc. Board of Directors met Aug. 18 and elected its board for the coming year. GBA thanks Ed Pope, F&M Bank, Washington, for his leadership as chairman and Ryan Warren, Commercial Banking Company, Valdosta, for his leadership as vice chairman.
|
|
| |
|
Also elected were John Barker, First Bank of Pike, Zebulon; Brad Day, Embassy National Bank, Lawrenceville; Susan Moss, Planters and Citizens Bank, Camilla; Tim Perry, Citizens Bank of Georgia, Cumming; Ryan Earnest, First National Community Bank, Chatsworth; Philip Williams, The Claxton Bank; and Walker Jordan, Bank of Monticello. Rounding out the board are GBA’s Tripp Cofield, David Oliver and Bo Brannen. See the full board here.
The board oversees the partners, products and services available to help members make money, save money or better serve their customers, while also generating non-dues revenue to support the association. During the meeting, directors reviewed the performance of current partners and heard about a potential new opportunity.
Access our full lineup of partners and products to help your bank here.
|
Georgia Banking Compensation Survey Results Now Available
|
The 2026 Georgia Banking Compensation Survey results are here, and they are packed with valuable insights to help your bank compete for talent with confidence. Produced by the GBA in partnership with Pearl Meyer, this trusted report gives Georgia banks timely, reliable compensation benchmarking data tailored to the banking industry. Highlights from this year’s survey campaign include:
|
- Robust participation: Data from 68 Georgia banks and 188 Southeast banks, representing more than 5,600 incumbents in Georgia and more than 23,600 across the Southeast.
- Extensive position coverage: Compensation information for 169 Georgia positions and 300 Southeast positions.
- Practical planning tools: A Policies and Practices Report covering base salary programs and incentive plans.
- Current, decision-ready data: Effective as of April 1, 2026, the data makes the report a powerful resource for budgeting, recruiting, retention and board-level compensation discussions.
- Participant pricing: $650 for either the Georgia or South Atlantic Banks report, or $1,050 for both.
- Non-participant pricing: $1,495 for either report, or $1,995 for both.
|
Do not miss this opportunity to strengthen your compensation strategy with data built for banks like yours. Pearl Meyer has emailed participants with purchasing instructions. To purchase the survey results, or if you did not receive your purchase email, contact Rhonda Snyder at rhonda.snyder@pearlmeyer.com.
|
|
|
| Action Needed: Vote in the 2026 FHLBank Atlanta Director Election
|
|
|
|
Voting is underway in the 2026 FHLBank Atlanta director election, and GBA encourages eligible Georgia members to support Jim Edwards, CEO of United Bank, for the Georgia member director seat. FHLBank Atlanta sent ballots to eligible institutions this week.
A third-generation banker with 34 years of community banking experience, Edwards is a past chairman of GBA and the American Bankers Association. He is also the only Georgia candidate from an FDIC-insured institution, a perspective we believe is important to have on the FHLBank Atlanta board.
|
|
| |
|
Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 17. Please vote for both the Georgia member director and the independent director candidate. All elected directors will serve four-year terms that begin on Jan. 1, 2027. If you have questions, please contact FHLBank Atlanta’s Courtney Tobin, Associate General Counsel, at 404.888.5343 or ctobin@fhlbatl.com.
Every vote counts. We encourage Georgia members to support Jim Edwards and make their voices heard.
|
| |
|
Treasury Department Proposes Investment Rules for Trump Accounts
|
Georgia bankers may get questions from customers about Trump Accounts, the new tax-advantaged investment account for children designed to help families build long-term savings for their financial future. The U.S. Treasury this week proposed guidance for the accounts emphasizing low-cost, broadly diversified investments.
The guidance can serve as a helpful resource for bankers as they answer customer questions about how Trump Accounts work, who is eligible and available investment options.
Read Treasury’s proposed guidance.
|
|
|
|
Update on Georgia BankPAC Campaign
|
|
|
|
The 2026 BankPAC campaign is in full swing. 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.
|
|
| |
|
Contributions to the GBA FedPAC have come from eligible employees, officers and directors of:
|
- Ameris Bank, Atlanta, Palmer Proctor, CEO
- United Bank, Griffin, Jim Edwards, CEO
|
|
|
|
Quick: Peanut Bank Week Supply Order Deadline is Aug. 31
|
The 50th-annual Georgia Peanut Bank Week is set for Oct. 19–23, and this year’s theme, “Peanuts…Georgia’s Golden Investment,” celebrates the collaboration of banking and agriculture.
Hosted by GBA and Georgia Peanut Commission, this yearly tradition gives banks a chance to showcase their peanut pride and connect with customers using fun, printable activities for kids and, of course, the famous promotional packs of Red Bag Peanuts.
Please place your order by Aug. 31 to receive your supplies in time.
Questions? Contact Maddie Frost at maddie@gapeanuts.com or 229.386.3470.
|
|
|
CONFERENCE & EVENT SPOTLIGHTS
| |
|
|
Customized for Georgia: New Account Documentation Bootcamp
|
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.
|
|
|
|
BankPAC Pickleball Paddle Battle
Aug. 27, Macon
|
Join us at the world's largest indoor pickleball facility for a fun afternoon of social, friendly competition, lunch and giveaways. Prizes will be awarded to top winners! All proceeds go to the GBA StatePAC.
|
|
|
|
HR Professionals Peer Group Meeting
Sept. 3 in Macon
|
Join fellow bank HR professionals from across Georgia for an interactive roundtable discussion focused on today's most pressing HR topics. Share ideas, discuss challenges, exchange solutions and gain valuable insights from peers who understand the unique needs of the banking industry. Discussion topics will be driven by participant input, ensuring relevant and meaningful conversations for attendees.
|
|
|
|
Don't Miss This Event for South Georgia Bankers
|
Hosted in partnership with the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration at Valdosta State University. This regional event is designed for bank leaders and teams to learn, connect and focus on the issues that matter most to our industry in south Georgia. Here are highlights of the program:
|
-
Economic Outlook - Dr. Elvan Aktas, Professor of Finance, Valdosta State University
- Credit Quality Overview and Outlook - Stewart Thigpen, Steve H. Powell & Co
- GBA Advocacy Update / Regulatory Update and Issues - Kevin Vaughn, Deputy Commissioner for Supervision, Georgia Department of Banking and Finance & Tripp Cofield, GBA
- More sessions TBA.
|
|
|
|
Ops/Tech Peer Group Meeting Sept. 22, Athens
|
Jim Stewart of Vallant Bank and GBA Operations & Technology Committee member will facilitate the meeting covering industry hot topics. Participants can help shape the discussion by submitting topics during the registration process. Sponsorships are available. Click here for sponsorship information.
|
|
|
|
PARTNERS, PRODUCTS & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
|
|
|
|
GBA STRATEGIC PARTNER DART APPRAISAL
|
Dart Appraisal Helps Banks Move Commercial Loans Forward with Confidence
|
|
| |
|
Commercial appraisal delays can stall loan closings, consume staff time and create unnecessary risk. Dart Appraisal, a GBA Strategic Partner, helps banks streamline the commercial appraisal process with experienced support from bid to final report.
Dart manages the details that often pull lending teams away from higher-value work, including appraiser selection, bidding, engagement, communication, review, delivery, appraiser payments and year-end 1099s.
Banks also benefit from Dart’s commercial review expertise. Its reviewers are actively licensed certified general appraisers with deep appraisal and institutional experience, helping identify scope issues, missing information, revision needs and compliance concerns before they become roadblocks.
For complete details on how Dart Appraisal can help strengthen your bank’s commercial appraisal process, call 888.DART.123 or email info@dartappraisal.com to learn more.
|
|
|
|
GBA STRATEGIC PARTNER NCONTRACTS
|
Upcoming Webinar, Aug. 27 - Vendor Due Diligence from Document Collection to Risk Evaluation
|
|
| |
|
Join GBA Strategic Partner NContracts on Aug. 27 from 2-3 p.m. for a walk through of how to scope due diligence to risk instead of a standard checklist, what SOC 2 reports and financials reveal about vendor stability and how to build a due diligence record that holds up when questions surface later. Register here.
|
|
|
|
GBA Fall Advocacy Play Day – Oct. 14!
Two Great Events, One Important Cause
|
BankPAC Golf and Inaugural Mahjong Mingle
River Forest Golf Club, Forsyth
|
|
|
|
Join your peer Georgia bank compliance professionals for this annual conference. Get practical insights on today's top compliance issues, exchange ideas with peers from across the state and return with solutions you can put to work right away, all while enjoying outstanding networking in a relaxed coastal setting. Check out the agenda below.
|
- Year in Review with Chris Willis of Troutman Pepper Locke
- Fraud on All Fronts, featuring perspectives from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, banking security, and Georgia’s Division of Aging Services
- Industry & Advocacy Update with GBA leadership
- Keeping Positive in Compliance Chaos—an interactive session focused on resilience and navigating the demands of compliance
- AI Tabletop Exercise: Putting AI to Work in Compliance, where participants will use AI to tackle real-world compliance scenarios
- Findings from Recent Reviews, Cause for Pause, and Trends
-
When Legal Meets Compliance, covering garnishments, subpoenas, POAs, estates, and secured transactions
- Roundtable Discussion, featuring attendee-submitted questions and hot topics
- Enforcement Actions and the practical lessons banks can take from recent regulatory actions.
|
|
|
|
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:
|
-
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
-
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.
|
Important: Hotel room block cutoff is Oct. 13.
|
|
|
|
This event, planned by the GBA Credit Committee, covers the full spectrum of market intelligence, credit trends, underwriting, risk management and business development topics essential for growing, thriving banks. The event provides participants the opportunity to network, share best practices and learn from nationally known experts in an away-from-the-bank environment to foster creativity and connections.
|
|
|
|
ONLINE LEARNING – GREAT FOR FUNDAMENTALS TRAINING
|
Head Teller Training, AI 101, Treasury Management and More
|
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:
|
|
|
|
Cochran – State Bank of Cochran, a division of BankSouth
|
Congratulations to Divisional CEO Jackie Bowen on his retirement after more than 40 years of serving the banking industry in Georgia. Read more here.
|
Macon – Planters First Bank
|
India Adams has joined the bank as a Teller at its Macon branch.
|
|
|
Dublin – First Laurens Bank, a Division of BankSouth
|
Congratulations to Ben Bradshaw, president, on his retirement, wrapping up a 49-year career in banking.
|
Elissa Woods has been promoted to Universal Banker.
|
|
|
|
Atlanta – Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
|
The bank will host the next meeting of the Metro Atlanta Financial Professionals in Community Development Aug. 26 from 9-11:15 a.m. The peer group brings together financial services professionals across metro Atlanta to advance community development, economic empowerment and financial education. For more information, contact Cathy Bethune, or Mandy Eidson. Register for the roundtable.
|
|
|
|
| Blairsville – River City Bank
|
The bank’s annual shoe drive and two-day shoe giveaway was an incredible success. Thanks to the generosity of customers, local businesses and community members, 390 Union County students received a brand-new pair of athletic shoes to start the school year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
LaGrange – First Peoples Bank
|
A team from the bank recently spent time at LaGrange Active Life Center, sharing fraud-prevention tips to help seniors recognize and avoid scams.
|
|
|
|
|
Read All About It: Send Us Your News
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Recruit, Retain and Develop the Best Bankers with GBA's Job Bank
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
1475 Peachtree St. NE Suite 800 | Atlanta, GA 30309 US
|
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
| |
|
|
