Bipartisan Housing Bill Clears Congress During National Homeownership Month
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As National Homeownership Month comes to a close, Congress this week overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a wide-ranging housing and banking package that includes a number of provisions specifically intended to strengthen community banks' ability to finance home ownership.
While the bill has broad bipartisan support, big-picture politics came into play as President Trump made a last-minute decision to cancel a signing ceremony, instead urging Congress to first consider unrelated election legislation. However, there is a process by which the bill can become law if no further action is taken within the constitutional review period, provided Congress remains in session.
The legislation includes helpful provisions related to brokered deposits, bank examinations, de novo bank formation and a mentor-protégé program pairing large financial institutions with smaller depository institutions.
The bill and its potential impacts are getting significant local attention. We’ve been responding to statewide media requests for stories they’re doing about how the legislation may affect Georgia banks and homebuyers. GBA will continue monitoring the bill's status and keep members informed of any developments and implementation details.
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Bank Accountant Board Elects New Leadership, Plans Conference
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The board for GBA’s special membership section of bank accounting firms met Monday to conduct its annual business and plan its annual conference. Wipfli’s Ryan Barrow was elected to serve as chair for 2026-27, beginning July 1. Jon Tomberlin of Forvis Mazars was elected as vice chair. During a roundtable discussion, board members exchanged insights on key issues affecting bank accounting professionals. Topics included broad changes in the bank regulatory environment, a push by the Securities and Exchange Commission to encourage more companies to go public, ongoing CECL issues and AI acceptance and integration at accounting practices and banking clients. GBA’s Elizabeth Chandler, Bo Brannen and Tripp Cofield provided a legislative update.
The Bank Accountant Conference is coming up Oct. 4-6. Held concurrently with the President/CEO and Bank Counsel conferences, this year’s venue is the The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee.
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Information Security Officers Gather in Macon for ISO 101 Seminar
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Bankers from across Georgia gathered this week at Middle Georgia State University in Macon for the Information Security Officer 101 Seminar: The Evolving Role of this Critical Position.
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Led by Paige Hembree, Navanta, the program explored the expanding responsibilities of Information Security Officers as financial institutions navigate an increasingly complex cybersecurity and regulatory environment. Attendees gained practical insights into the FFIEC regulatory framework, cybersecurity risk management, business continuity planning, vendor management, incident response and effective board reporting. The seminar also addressed emerging expectations for ISOs following recent cyber-attacks, strategies for separating information security and IT management responsibilities, and best practices for communicating with employees, customers, auditors, examiners and board of directors.
Thank you to our event sponsors, Finosec and Navanta.
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2026 Georgia BankPAC Campaign is Underway
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The 2026 BankPAC campaign is in full swing. Contribution forms along with all BankPAC information may be accessed on the advocacy page of gabankers.com with easy-to-follow options for making these contributions.
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As a reminder, state-chartered banks or national bank holding companies may contribute to the StatePAC, while eligible individuals may do so to the FedPAC. If you have questions, contact Elizabeth Chandler at 404.372.7893 or Bo Brannen at 404.731.9886.
Contributing to the GBA StatePAC recently are the following banks:
- Bank of Madison, Andrew Ainslie, President & CEO
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Durden Banking Company, Twin City, Wade Johnson, President & CEO
- Georgia First Bank, Soperton, Maury Beasley, President & CEO
- Guardian Bank, Valdosta, Parrish Clark, President & CEO
Recent contributions to the GBA FedPAC have come from eligible employees, officers and directors of:
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GBA, Atlanta, Tripp Cofield, President & CEO
- Renasant Bank, Albany,
David Durland, Georgia Division President
- South Georgia Banking Company, Tifton, Glenn Willis, CEO
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SunMark Community Bank, Perry, Brad Collins, President & CEO
- United Bankshares, Peachtree Corners,
Monty Watson, Regional President
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HR Professionals Peer Group Meeting Set for Sept 3 in Macon
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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. Register today and expand your network while discovering new ideas to take back to your institution.
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South Georgia Community Bank Symposium Sept. 17
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Calling all South Georgia bankers, board members, lenders, and associate members! Registration is now available for the annual South Georgia Community Bank Symposium, Thursday, Sept. 17 at Valdosta State University. Planned and hosted in conjunction with Valdosta State University's Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, this regional event features experts who focus on vital issues facing the banking industry, opportunities for partnership with the University in developing students interested in banking careers, and a specific focus on South Georgia. The symposium kicks off at 10 a.m., includes lunch, and concludes at 2:30 p.m. The cost is just $200. It’s a great event for learning and networking for all bankers.
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Compliance Conference – Oct. 21 – 23, Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island
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Time to sign up for this year's Compliance Conference, Oct. 21-23 at Sea Palms Resort on beautiful St. Simons Island. Recognized as Georgia's signature event for bank compliance professionals, this conference brings together compliance leaders from across the state to explore emerging issues and share best practices. In addition to transformative educational content, attendees will enjoy valuable networking opportunities with peers in a relaxed coastal setting. Planned by the GBA Compliance Committee, the conference is designed to provide practical takeaways you can implement immediately at your institution.
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Register Now for the BankPAC Pickleball Paddle Battle Aug. 27
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Get involved beyond the court!
Sponsorship Opportunities are available, with prices ranging from $250 - $650. Click here for details or contact GBA’s Kathy Friestad with questions.
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BSA Peer Group Meeting is July 22 in Macon
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Join your peers for a full day of in-person learning and collaboration at the upcoming BSA Peer Group Meeting July 22 at Middle Georgia State University’s Macon campus. Led by Kristen Stogniew, shareholder and leader of Saltmarsh’s Financial Institution Consulting practice, this interactive session will explore current industry hot topics and best practices to strengthen your bank’s BSA/AML/CFT and OFAC programs.
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More Events and Training Opportunities Coming up
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ONLINE LEARNING – GREAT FOR FUNDAMENTALS TRAINING
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Fraud Response, AI Writing, CRA Workshop, Stablecoin and More Great Basics
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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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Spotlight on New GBA Associate Member CheckAlt
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Over the next few weeks, we want to give a warm welcome to several new GBA Associate Members that 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 CheckAlt.
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CheckAlt helps banks and their commercial clients simplify inbound payments and receivables. Its integrated receivables solution allows teams to access and manage lockbox, electronic lockbox, online payments and remote deposit capture through a single portal, reducing manual posting and reconciliation, improving visibility into payment activity and streamlining exception handling without disrupting existing operations.
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STRATEGIC PARTNER NCONTRACTS
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The Vendors Behind Your Vendors
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Most banks have solid vendor management programs, but visibility often stops at the direct vendor relationship, and that's where the real risk hides. A recent article from GBA Strategic Partner NContracts breaks down fourth-party risk, why regulators expect institutions to look beyond their immediate vendor portfolios and how to build oversight into contracts, due diligence and SOC 2 reviews without overhauling the entire program. Read the article here.
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ASSOCIATE MEMBER WOLF & COMPANY
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AI Readiness in Banking: Four Pillars for Board Oversight
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Artificial intelligence is reshaping banking, but is your board ready? There's a good article by GBA Associate Member Wolf & Company that outlines four key areas bank boards should oversee to adopt AI strategically, manage emerging risks, establish effective governance and develop the expertise needed to maximize AI's value. Read the article here.
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Kristina Christy has joined the bank as senior vice president, community affairs manager.
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Clayton – Rabun County Bank
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April Jones has joined the bank as AVP, loan officer.
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Dillard – Rabun County Bank
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Congratulations to Fredda Beck, vice president and Dillard branch manager on her recent retirement after 35 years at the bank.
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Dublin – Citizens Bank of Laurens County
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Trae Kemp has joined the bank as senior vice president, lending and market development in the Dublin market.
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Cochran – State Bank of Cochran, a division of BankSouth
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The bank recently recognized and thanked Ginger Johnson for 50 years of service to the bank and its customers.
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Colony Bankcorp Inc., the holding company for Colony Bank, has agreed to acquire 100% of the stock of Florence, SC-based First Reliance Bancshares Inc., the holding company for First Reliance Bank. Read more here.
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Madison – Bank of Madison
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Robert Duvall has been promoted to senior vice president / senior commercial lender. Carol Martin-Baldwin has been promoted to branch manager and Claudia Jasso has been promoted to banking officer / assistant branch manager.
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Watkinsville – Oconee State Bank
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Angie McDaniel has been named vice president and financial center manager of the bank’s Main Office in Watkinsville, and Travis Eggleston has been named assistant vice president and financial center manager of the bank’s Bogart Financial Center.
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Condolences to the family and friends of William Isaac, former chairman of the FDIC and a longtime friend of Georgia's banking industry, who died June 22. Isaac maintained strong ties to Georgia throughout his career, serving as a speaker at multiple GBA events, including the GBA Annual Meeting and CEO Conference. He also served on the board of TSYS and later chaired Fifth Third Bank.
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Ashburn – South Georgia Banking Company
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Emily Sutton and Brad Christian recently presented a financial literacy class for the Ashburn Kiwanis Club focused on understanding credit scores and credit reports.
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| Griffin – First National Bank of Griffin
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The bank recently made a generous donation to the Griffin/Spalding County United Way.
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Milledgeville – Exchange Bank
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The bank was proud to recently sponsor the Je'Mazin Roberts Day: Movie Under the Stars event for families.
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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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