Page 27 - Summer 2024 - 2.pub

FLOURISH

Showing pride in independence

“We need to hold onto our independence at all costs. At the
same time, we must continue to look for opportunities to
level the playing field.”

This na on was founded by rabble check; it sits at the heart of who we are
rousers looking to do things differently, as community bankers.
and that’s exactly who we are as Case in point: Just over a year ago, our
community bankers. We stand up to the community experienced a tragic event
status quo to offer the products that where a seventh grader, who had been
meet the needs of our communi es, bullied in school, committed suicide. It
which are as diverse as this great na on.
REBECA was heart-wrenching for the entire
ROMERO Our independence empowers us by community. So, our bank decided to
RAINEY providing the freedom to do things our help with recovery: We contracted with
ICBA President and CEO. way. For instance, if we’re working with a speaker we’d seen at ICBA LIVE to
rebeca.romerorainey@icba.org a seasonal business with cyclical cash come to the middle and high schools
flows, we can structure their loan in a and discuss ways to stop bullying and be
ACB is the ICBA
Arkansas state affiliate. way that will most benefit them. We kinder to each other. After that session,
don’t have to fit them into a particular a sixth grader came up to me to thank
box; we build the loan around them. the bank for sponsoring the session. She
said she had contemplated suicide
Our independence also offers flexibility
before, and it helped to know that
in how we run our banks as businesses.
people cared. That’s why we do what
We can set our priori es and consider
the big picture beyond returns and we do—because we care about and can
revenue. positively support our communities.
With that impact in mind, we need to
For example, my bank just went through
a core conversion, and at the same me, hold onto our independence at all costs.
our monthly profits were shrinking At the same time, we must continue to
slightly. With the stress levels around look for opportunities to level the
the core conversion at their height, we playing field. We will persist in lobbying
made the execu ve decision to wait to for tiered regulation because we should
address profits un l its conclusion. We have less of a compliance burden than a
wanted our team to celebrate their hard $3 trillion bank. Advocacy matters,
work, not immediately pivot to a new because it will help to ensure a brighter
issue. future for our communities—the future
our forefathers would have wanted.
Our independence also brings with it a
sincere connection to our communities.
Our support goes beyond writing a big

A RKANSAS | 27 | Summer 2024
COMMUNITY BANKER