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Advocacy Action AlertAsk the FCC to Protect Consumers from Text and Call ScamsAs we heard at the Financial Risk Management Conference last week, fraud prevention remains a priority for banks. We heard details about how Georgia’s banks are diligently working to protect their customers, but banks alone can’t shut down these bad actors. One way you can help is by writing a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) supporting a rule being considered that would make it more difficult for scammers to operate schemes that impersonate banks and other legitimate institutions through text messaging. Get details and send a letter here.
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Georgia Senate and House Leadership Elections ConcludeDemocrat and Republican caucus leadership elections were held this week for both chambers of the state legislature. There were no changes in the makeup of the Republican majority leadership teams.
The House majority will be led by:
- Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington)
- Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton)
- Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry)
- Majority Whip James Burchett (R-Waycross)
- Caucus Chair Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe)
- Vice Chair Houston Gaines (R-Athens)
- Secretary/Treasurer Ginny Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs).
The Senate majority will be led by:
- Lt. Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson)
- President Pro Tem John Kennedy (R-Macon)
- Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega)
- Majority Whip Randy Robertson (R-Cataula)
- Caucus Chair Jason Anivitarte (R-Dallas)
- Vice Chair Matt Brass (R-Carrolton)
- Secretary Larry Walker (R-Perry).
There were some notable changes in the leadership teams of the Democratic Caucus.
The House minority will be led by:
- Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus)
- Minority Whip Sam Park (D-Lawrenceville)
- Chair Tanya Miller (D-Atlanta)
- Vice Chair Spencer Frye (D-Athens)
- Secretary Park Cannon (D-Atlanta).
The Senate minority will be led by:
- Minority Leader Harold Jones (D-Augusta)
- Minority Whip Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain)
- Chair Elana Parent (D-Atlanta)
- Vice Chair Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta)
- Secretary Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta).
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Unbanked Households Nationally Continue DeclineThe number of households in the U.S. without bank or credit union accounts continued to shrink from 2021-2023. According to the FDIC’s biennial National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households released this week, nationally nearly 96% have a bank account. The amount of unbanked households is 4.2%, the lowest level since FDIC began its survey in 2009. In Georgia, there was a slight uptick from 6.7% to 7% since 2021, though FDIC characterizes it as statistically insignificant. Georgia’s number remains well below the 12% unbanked in 2009. The study also includes interesting trends of note about mobile banking, credit access and the use of cryptocurrencies. Read more details here.
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Atlanta Fed’s Latest Study Shows Surge in Card and Mobile Wallet PaymentsThe Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta released the 2021-2022 Payments Study highlighting shifts in consumer and business payment behaviors. Findings show that general-purpose card payments increased by 6% in transaction volume and 10.5% in value between 2021 and 2022, with a notable rise in contactless and chip payments. Mobile wallet use also surged, reaching 14.4 billion transactions, surpassing traditional check usage. The study further reveals continued growth in peer-to-peer and money transfer transactions, which reached 9.5 billion in 2022, most of which were completed instantly. Read the full report here.
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GBA in the News: Brick and MortarLast week PNC Bank announced it will be opening about 25 new branches in the Atlanta area over the next five years as part of a nationwide branch expansion project. In covering the story, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reached out to GBA for some perspective about branch trends throughout Georgia. Our message was that despite trends toward more online transactions, there’s still a need and desire by consumers for in-person banking for complex products and services as well as financial consultation, and that’s been evident around the state. Read the story here.
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FRM Conference RoundupThanks and congratulations to the GBA Asset/Liability Management Committee, chaired by Holt Redding, South Coast Bank & Trust, for putting on a successful Financial Risk Management Conference last week. The program opened Thursday with political strategist John Ashford giving a detailed and sometimes humorous analysis of election results and likely impacts to the banking industry. That was followed by Todd Taylor of HUB / Taylor Advisors sharing some strategies for boosting net interest margin. We also got an update about the Georgia HEART tax credit program that helps rural hospitals. Georgia banks have been a leading industry in program participation. S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Nathan Stovall presented insights on bank performance and an outlook for the next several quarters now that the Fed has made an additional rate cut. Thursday concluded with an in-depth panel about fraud trends and best practices featuring Greta Wood, United Bank; Dana White, AB&T; and Sam Drennen, First American Bank & Trust Company. Friday’s session opened with a banker liquidity panel featuring Jim McLemore, Oconee State Bank; Jeremy Lucas, SouthState Bank; Rachel Thompson, Bank of Newington; and moderator Kamal Hosein of Stifel. Next was a banker panel focused on regulatory exam trends with Jonathan Hightower of Fenimore Kay Harrison moderating a discussion between Candace Crawford, First National Bank of Griffin; Eric Johansen, Exchange Bank; and Haynes Standard, First State Bank. The conference concluded with a look at instant payments presented by SouthState Bank’s Chris Nichols and Tara Edmonds. See photos from the conference on GBA's Facebook page.
Thanks also to our sponsors and exhibitors. Platinum Sponsors: New Frontier Analytics, Empyrean Solutions and Profit Resources, Inc. Silver Sponsors: Wipfli; ServisFirst Bank; FHLBank Atlanta; Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC; FHN Financial; and BOK Financial. Exhibitors: IntraFi Network; Empyrean Solutions; Ncontracts; Armagh Capital; S&P Global Market Intelligence; New Frontier Analytics; HUB | Taylor Advisors; and FHN Financial.
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GBA Retirement Services Meeting Held last WeekThe GBA Retirement Services Board of Directors, led by Chuck Copeland, First National Bank of Griffin, held its quarterly meeting last week. The Board consists of nine bankers who oversee the employee retirement benefit program trusted by over one third of Georgia’s community banks. During the meeting, the Board elected Brent Sammons, CEO, Altamaha Bank & Trust, Vidalia, to fill an open seat on the Board.
The Board meets regularly with the discretionary trustee and investment manager of the Trust, American Trust Company, to review the investments we offer and ensure we offer a top-notch, high-quality, low-cost 401(k) option for plans of all sizes. In addition to the quarterly investment review and summary of retirement readiness for participants in the Trust, this meeting included a budget review and approval of fee schedules for 2025. More details will be sent to member plans in the Trust in the coming weeks.
With assets of more than $300 million, being a part of the GBA Master Trust allows smaller plans, including plans of banks, associate members and bank clients, to gain buying power for an effective 401(k) solution for participants. If you would like more information or a proposal for 401(k) services, please contact Mandy Richards at 678.549.4167.
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Registration Now Open!HR Professionals Institute, Jekyll Island, March 19-21, 2025Registration is now open for GBA’s annual HR Professionals Institute. Planned by GBA’s Human Resources Committee, the Institute is the premier in-person learning experience for Georgia bank human resources professionals. Attendees will gain invaluable insights, strategies, and tools needed to excel in their careers. Get all the details and register here.
Save the date for the following conferences at the Westin Jekyll Island, which will open for registration soon:
- Marketing Conference, March 19-21, 2025
- Security Conference, April 7-9, 2025.
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More Events and Training Opportunities Coming up
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| Calendar of Training and Events by subject/topic:
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Fundamentals Course Begins Jan. 8Understanding Bank Performance Course will Help Bankers at All LevelsKick off 2025 with the Understanding Bank Performance Series in partnership with the Washington Bankers Association. Starting Jan. 8 and running twice a week through the month, this eight-part course offers a comprehensive dive into key financial metrics, balance sheets, risk management, and strategies to enhance your bank’s performance. Whether you're new to banking or have years of experience, this program will help broaden your understanding of how your decisions impact your bank's profitability.
Topics covered:
- Analyzing balance sheets and income statements
- Understanding risk-based capital and liquidity strategies
- Credit metrics, portfolio management, and more!
Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity. Register today and gain deeper insights into improving your bank's financial performance.
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Webinars - Great for Fundamentals TrainingMost Common TRID Issues, Creating Exceptional Client Experiences, Compliance Checklists for Commercial Loans and MoreHere’s a sampling of upcoming webinars.
Want to see the full webinar schedule? Check out our webinar calendar for a full list of upcoming webinars.
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Partners & Associate Members
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GBA Partner NContractsWebinar: Key Operational Risks, Strategies for Resilience, Nov 21 at 2 p.m.Operational risk is more than a regulatory buzzword – it’s a fact of life. In this session, Ncontracts risk management experts will share practical advice on taming business challenges that disrupt operations, threaten resilience, and damage banks’ reputations. Topics include fraud, third-party and fintech relationships and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). Sign up today.
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GBA Partner AbrigoWebinar: Optimizing BSA/AML & Fraud Detection Tuning for Compliance, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.This session will focus on how advanced technology and statistical tools are reshaping AML and fraud compliance processes. You’ll learn how fine-tuned, automated alerts improve fraud and suspicious activity detection, reduce false positives, and help banks stay compliant with constantly shifting regulatory requirements and standards. Learn how automated processes streamline compliance efforts, saving time and resources compared to manual reviews that can make a significant difference in your AML and fraud programs. Sign up today.
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GBA Associate Member HaberfeldScarcity or Prosperity: The Efficiency Ratio Under AttackMany bank executives spend considerable time weighing strategies to improve efficiency and profitability. The focus across industry press and conference best practices is generally aimed at strategies to cut expenses – using technology, looking at staffing levels, increasing productivity, etc. Although this advice is sound, what happens when a bank has already cut what can be cut and still struggles with efficiency? It is sometimes hard to save your way to prosperity. For many banks, the focus should be on increasing revenues. Most community banks still have excess capacity to serve more customers, meaning they can grow revenue without significantly increasing expenses. The simple answer to improving the efficiency ratio is to fill excess capacity with brand-new profitable customers. Read more from Dr. Sean Payant from GBA Associate Member Haberfeld. Dr. Payant can be reached at 402.323.3614 or sean@haberfeld.com.
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Compliance Alliance – Question of The Week
Question: Our bank is updating the name of one of our products. We have ESIGN consent from our customers, but if we send an email letting them know about the change, will the message be subject to CAN-SPAM?
Answer: CAN-SPAM applies to all commercial messages, which are defined as “any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service.” (16 CFR 316.2(c)). However, if the “primary purpose” of a message is transactional or a relationship, while the email still may not contain false or misleading routing information, it is otherwise exempt from most provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act. To determine whether the primary purpose of an email is transactional or relationship, the bank must review it to see if it consists only of content that:
“Facilitates, completes, or confirms a commercial transaction that the recipient already has agreed to; gives warranty, recall, safety, or security information about a product or service the recipient bought; notifies the recipient about a change in the terms or features of a membership, subscription, account, loan or other ongoing commercial relationship; notifies the recipient of a change in their standing with respect to that ongoing commercial relationship; or provides regular, periodic account balance information to the recipient; provides information about an employment relationship or employee benefits; or delivers goods or services as part of a transaction that the recipient already has agreed to.”
But, a very important note, as the FTC guidance states: “Keep in mind that the law views these categories narrowly. That means you shouldn’t assume that any message you send to recipients who have an ongoing commercial relationship with you – including subscribers or recipients who participate in a membership program – are transactional or relationship messages.” FTC - CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business.
Live Demo Signups for Compliance Alliance:
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Georgia's Banking Community
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Community Connections
We like to share all the good work GBA member banks, bankers, Associate Members and Bank Counsel Section members do to support their communities. Here's our latest installment:
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|  | Calhoun - First National Community Bank
The bank is supporting the Harris Arts Center 20th-Annual Festival of Trees with a First National Community Bank Christmas Tree.
| |  | Cordele - Planters First Bank
The bank supported Concerned Citizens That Care in bringing Thanksgiving meals to families in need.
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|  | Cordele - Planters First Bank
The bank shared insights on careers in banking with students from Woodfield Academy on a field trip to the bank.
| |  | Dublin - Morris Bank
The Morris Bank Community Foundation recently presented a check to Ferst Readers of Laurens County, which advocates for early childhood literacy. The bank’s $4,200 donation will provide 100 children with free books for five years.
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|  | Greensboro - BankSouth
On Nov. 5, Lake Oconee Branch Manager Angel Robbins and Marketing Manager Bryce McCuin shared insights on combating elder fraud at the Greene County Senior Center.
| |  | Lawrenceville - Embassy National Bank
The bank sponsored of the Lawrenceville Harvest Festival, with bank team members Joshua McLaurin, Scott Zheng, Suzanne Tracy-Schumacher, Hillary York and Tom Adelaar volunteering their time and energy to make the event a success.
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|  | Lawrenceville - Embassy National Bank
The bank recently hosted a dinner with Rainbow Village Inc., which offers residents a pathway to economic self-sufficiency and hope for the future. Bank team members Suzanne Tracy-Schumacher, Linda Smith, Vaishali Joshi, Ashaki Peterson, Kook Kruapong, and Sandy Morehead volunteered for the event.
| |  | Moultrie - First National Bank
Bank team members shared budgeting tips with 80 Colquitt County High School seniors as part of Project Purpose, which introduces students to local career opportunities and skills for financial success.
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|  | Perry - SunMark Community Bank
For its October Casual Cause initiative, the bank collected items for 21st Century Partnership for their annual Christmas boxes sent to troops overseas.
| |  | Perry - SunMark Community Bank
The bank donated to the annual Very Merry Christmas Charity Party benefiting the Rainbow House Children’s Resource Center and the Humane Society of Houston County.
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| Newsmakers
Check out these Georgia bankers making news this week:
Athens - Oconee State Bank
Our sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of bank Market President Chad Thomason, who recently passed away. Read more here.
Atlanta - Georgia Banking Company
Jeff Kraus has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective early 2025. Kraus, currently the Director of Finance, will succeed Rob Cochran, who will retire in the first quarter of 2025. Read more here.
Bainbridge - First National Bank
Lesley Granados has joined the bank’s Bainbridge team as a relationship banker.
Cairo - First National Bank
Chaney Johnson has joined the bank’s Cairo branch as a relationship banker.
Columbus - Synovus Bank
Anne Fortner has been named executive vice president and chief credit officer, effective March 31, 2025. Fortner will succeed Bob Derrick, who has been chief credit officer since 2019 and will retire after more than 20 years at the company.
Fitzgerald - Colony Bank
Colony Bankcorp, Inc., parent company of Colony Bank, is transferring the listing of its common stock to the New York Stock Exchange from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. Read more here.
Leesburg - First National Bank
The bank is hosting a ribbon cutting and grand opening event for its new Leesburg branch on Nov. 15.
Macon - American Pride Bank
The bank announced new members to its executive management team, a new line of business, and the promotion of several employees. Terry Owens has been promoted to EVP and Chief Administrative Officer, leading retail banking, business development, marketing and communications, information technology and facilities. LaQuanda Billingslea is taking on the role of EVP and Chief Credit Officer, overseeing credit administration, loan administration and loan operations. Erik Bykat is the bank’s new EVP and Chief Lending Officer, guiding the commercial lending team across all markets and the SBA/USDA lending division. Becky Bell continues as EVP and Chief Financial Officer, managing deposit operations, human resources, compliance and AML/BSA reporting. Joining the executive team is Jessica Bluj, who will spearhead the bank’s new mortgage line of business as EVP, President of Mortgage. The mortgage division will operate as a unit of the core bank. The bank also announced the following promotions: Marshall Bunce to First Vice President and Director of IT & Facilities, Rolando Dixon to Vice President and Director of Retail Banking, and Jennifer Atwater to Vice President and Director of Deposit Operations. Jennifer Overton steps up as Banking Officer and Customer Service Manager. Additionally, the bank is excited to welcome Elizabeth Moraff as Vice President and Director of Communications & Marketing.
Perry - Bank of Dudley
Amie Jones has joined the bank as Perry branch manager and lender.
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| Read All About It: Send Us Your News
Please remember to include the Georgia Bankers Association on the list of recipients for announcements about promotions, new employees and special recognition your bank has received. 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 Job BankHere's a reminder of a longstanding member benefit. 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. To make the process easy and answer any questions, we've developed this Q&A. Please contact Katina Weiss, 404.420.2021, with questions or needs.
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