GBA’s local Board member Glenn Willis, South Georgia Banking Company, Tifton, along with GBA’s Joe Brannen and Bo Brannen represented the industry at a meeting in Tifton Tuesday evening sponsored by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. A standing-room-only audience heard Gov. Brian Kemp and Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black report on state responses for disaster aid to southwest Georgia. Black covered the SAFETY 21 loan program and included a note about our work supporting the program. Kemp was forceful in his comments about the state of Georgia having stepped up quickly to address immediate needs and called on Congress to get a bill to the President’s desk. The event included remarks made by video conference from Washington, D.C., by U.S. senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and U.S. congressmen Sanford Bishop, Austin Scott and Buddy Carter, who candidly shared the current options. Sen. Isakson reported Majority Leader McConnell has promised a Senate vote no later than March 25. See more details of the issue and event here.

We were so saddened to learn that former GBA General Counsel Walt Moeling died Monday. Our condolences to Walt’s wife, Nell, their family, his former colleagues at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and their many, many friends. "With his wise counsel, Walt helped so many be better than they ever could have been on their own, me especially. Walt’s death is a big loss for all he touched," said GBA president and CEO Joe Brannen. Walt was the GBA General Counsel from 2000-2016. He poured his heart and soul into serving his bank clients, was a tireless advocate for banking in Georgia and made countless contributions to the success of the GBA and the industry. Here’s a link to the resolution presented to him at our GBA Annual Meeting in 2016. For a good first-person account of his career, here’s a link to an interview Walt did in 2017 with the Banking Exchange online publication. And, here is Walt’s obituary and details about services, which begin with a visitation Sunday at 1 p.m. at H.M. Patterson & Son - Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30319.

We’ve been working with a national industry task force to develop an industry-wide public comment on the FDIC’s proposed rulemaking to adjust its brokered deposit regulations. As part of that work, the Jones Day law firm developed a legal analysis that outlines how FDIC has "ample existing authority" to address and adjust brokered deposit rules outside the legislative process. The memo was delivered this week to FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams. "Over time the FDIC’s regulation and interpretation of the FIRREA provisions governing brokered deposits have broadened prohibitions well beyond the original intent to target abuse of brokered deposits. The memo outlines that FDIC has the authority to adjust its rules to accommodate more modern bank models and strategies for deposit services," said GBA president and CEO Joe Brannen, who serves on the ABA task force about the issue. Read the Jones Day memo here. With questions, contact Brannen at 404.420.2026.

Wage growth, hospitality sector performance and increased manufacturing production were among the economic drivers in the Federal Reserve’s Sixth District in the early part of this year. Banking contacts reporting to the Fed said loan growth is stable, credit quality remains very strong and on the whole, rising interest rates have helped earnings. In the ag sector, the report said since November, weekly cash prices were up for corn, soybeans, beef and broilers, while cotton and rice prices were down. Get all the details here.

Two former bank tellers at The Peoples Bank, Eatonton, were sentenced this week to federal prison and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the bank for their bank fraud crimes. Vicky Martin, 60, of Buckhead (Morgan County), and Brandy Mize, 42, of Eatonton, pled guilty in December to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud a Financial Institution. Mize was sentenced to 41 months in prison and Martin was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Each will also be subject to five years of supervised release after serving. There is no parole in the federal prison system. Read details of their crimes and sentencing here. Also this week, in Tifton, 32-year-old Randy Angelo Hill was located hiding in a nearby drainage ditch after robbing a branch of South Georgia Banking Company in Tifton Monday. He was arrested on charges of armed robbery.

Helen Caldwell had a satisfying eight-year career going working with her bank’s deposit strategies when her world suddenly changed during a meeting with her boss in 2014. Caldwell is now group vice president and cash management officer for Queensborough National Bank & Trust in Augusta. Her first-person account of that meeting and how it expanded her career opportunities is a testament to the value of attending the Georgia Banking School. Caldwell was a 2016 Honor Graduate and is now on the school faculty. "I attribute much of my growth and personal development in the banking industry to my experiences in the Georgia Banking School. It was such a special time, and I look forward to giving back to an organization that provided so much to me," she says. Read about Caldwell’s experience going through the Georgia Banking School here.

"This may be the world’s biggest understatement, but bank compliance isn’t going away," says GBA Compliance School Director Thomas Williams, United Bank, Zebulon. "New regulations have slowed, but the existing regulations haven’t gone away and they continue to evolve. As compliance professionals, we are not doing our jobs if we don’t continue to sharpen our skills, so that’s why even the most experienced compliance officer should come to the GBA Advanced Compliance School." This year’s session is May 5-10 in Athens, and it runs concurrently with the Georgia Banking School. Faculty include Patti Blenden, David Dickinson, Pam Perdue and Carl Pry along with Williams and fellow Georgia bank compliance pro Jim Bedsole, BankSouth, Greensboro. These experts bring decades of compliance experience to bear to help students in their classes. See the faculty bios here in the school brochure. Sign up now for this year’s school term. CRCM credits are available for attendees. Details and registration information here. With questions, please contact GBA’s Alison Moreau, 404.420.2034 or Jenna Lynn Warner, 404.420.2035.

Robbery and active shooter response best practices, elder fraud trends, physical security for ATMs and other bank assets and plenty of peer networking time are among the key features of this year’s GBA Bank Security Conference April 11-12 on St. Simons. The conference is at the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, and the deadline to get a guaranteed room and GBA’s special rate is March 13. To reserve a room, call 800.342.0212 and mention that you are with the Georgia Bankers Association to receive GBA's special rates. Get details and access registration here. Contact GBA’s Alison Moreau with questions, 404.420.2034.

The 2019 GBA Rural Development and Lending Conference is May 16-17 at the King and Prince Hotel on St. Simons Island. This conference is the perfect opportunity for agribusiness specialists and their bank's executive teams to hear directly from Georgia Ag Commissioner Gary Black about our state's number-one industry, get the latest market/economic trends and connect with their counterparts from around Georgia. See all the conference sessions and more information here.

We’re excited this week to introduce our bulletin readers to the newest member of GBA’s Bank Counsel Section: John Lockett, partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, in Atlanta. You can find Lockett’s contact info below. Please take a moment to drop him a welcome note when you have time to get to know him better. Get his contact information and learn more about the GBA Bank Counsel Section here.

Bank Assetpoint® is the only marketplace for loans and other assets that brings more than 1,400 bank participants together with other buyers and sellers. Bank Assetpoint lists details about new loan opportunities and provides members with various ways to search for and post assets for sale, either directly or through your real estate broker or loan sale advisor. You can access a long list of eligible buyers, facilitating faster disposition and better odds to capture the greatest value for your assets. Check out Bank Assetpoint at www.bankassetpoint.com. It's quick and easy to get started. With questions, contact Promontory's Danny Capitel, 770.630.6796.

Our Strategic Partner Dart Appraisal knows that appraisal management is not one-size-fits-all. And, Dart is committed to meeting every one of their client’s unique needs. Dart can customize solutions and its dedicated teams are continually looking for ways to improve their customer service every step of the way. Those are just a couple of the reasons why we believe they’re a great choice to be your bank’s answer for appraisal management. Click here for Dart's Guide for Ordering Commercial Appraisals, including pre-bid and post-bid requirements by property type, or contact Dart’s Michael Dresden, 866.799.7488, for more info.

ABA’s Banking Basics Suite is comprised of 12 courses that provides a comprehensive introduction to the banking industry. Ideal for those new to banking, completing this suite provides a deeper understanding of the changing world of financial services and the vital role that banks play in the economy. Concise, impactful lessons can be applied on the job immediately. Click here to see the courses included. The suite is great for on-boarding and anyone who needs an introduction to banking, whether just starting a career or a more experienced professional from a different industry. For more information, contact Shan Haugabrook, 404.420.2020.

Fill a Job, Find a Job with the GBA Job Bank
The GBA Job Bank is among the most popular and valuable benefits we provide to member banks and bankers. The Positions Available and Bankers Available sections on our website consistently are among the most visited pages. Best of all, the service costs nothing for member banks and bankers. If you have any questions, please contact GBA's Katina Prokos at 404.420.2021.