State of Association

State of the Association

John McNair

President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia

As part of my annual letter to the membership, I referenced a motivational quote from mentor of mine: “We don’t give ground, we TAKE ground.” The team at CBA has adopted this philosophy in all that we do, and the results have been impressive. With 2021 now fully in the rear-view mirror, I have decided to take this opportunity to provide a State of the Association summary for all.

FINANCIALS:

CBA experienced a very strong year financially in 2021. The association was either at or better than budget in all revenue and expense areas. Previously taking reserves to fund operations, CBA is now ADDING BACK to reserves! Under the direction of CBA Treasurer Bran Thompson, Lori and Lisa painstakingly restructured CBA’s entire accounting function and enlisted the services of Mauldin and Jenkins to prepare monthly financials. The result is a much more efficient process for all core accounting and bookkeeping functions.

LEADERSHIP:

With 12 active committees and a high functioning Board of Directors, community banker and partner firm engagement in CBA operations and planning is at an all-time high. Well over 100 community bankers and partners are guiding the association’s staff regarding programs, products, services, and advocacy approach. CBA is truly a memberrun organization. As a result, CBA is providing timely and needed services and offerings tailored for Georgia’s community banking industry.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Having modernized the curriculum of core CBA educational programs, Kristi and her team continue to work with the CBA Education Committee, Convention Committee, Innovation Committee and Agriculture Committee to develop new and needed offerings for today’s community banker. Additionally, most all CBA Professional Development programs have a virtual attendance option; thereby enabling community bankers that may not be able to travel due to distance the option to engage and learn.

INNOVATION:

Following the national lead of ICBA, CBA has become the technology innovation leader in Georgia, and for that matter, the entire southeast. Lindsay and the Innovation Committee -Chaired by Chris Stanley- have forged significant relationships with Georgia’s major fintech organizations, educators, and partner firms. The Innovation Committee is highly engaged and is directing CBA’s policies, programs, and partner selection. We closed 2021 with the first annual Fintech Forum- which was an incredible success. Wait until you see what we have in store for all in 2022!

ADVOCACY:

Lori and the Advocacy Committee -Chaired by Neil Stevens- continue to lead CBA advocacy efforts not only during the legislative session, but year-round. Building on the success of our grass roots Town Hall Talks, we have decided to move away from our annual Day at the Dome trip to Atlanta and add more Town Hall Talk events throughout the year. The format allows for greater engagement between legislators, community bankers, and small business owners. Regarding small business owners, our partnership with NFIB has been invaluable and we plan on continuing it for the foreseeable future.

CBA TECHNOLOGY:

CBA’s Cassie Cornell has overhauled the CBA website, upgraded the CBA app, and has implemented a new donation app and function that will allow CBA to conduct fundraising programs year-round as well as feature online bidding as part of CBA’s silent auction at convention. CBA is firmly into the 21st century now!

CBA’s leadership bankers and staff have worked incredibly hard over the past few years to create and association featuring uncompromising advocacy, best in class partnerships, high quality education, and technology leadership. Continuous improvement is at the forefront of our minds every day and the results can clearly be seen for all. Thank you for your support and please let us know how we can serve you better.