CBA CONNECT Delivered

John McNair

President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia

No matter how successful something or someone is, changing dynamics require constant evaluation and action to raise the bar and stay ahead of the competition. A perfect example is the University of Georgia football team. Having just won the national championship, Coach Kirby Smart is now faced with a new set of challenges ranging from new players, coaches, and a whole host of competitors that are laser focused on taking down the national champions. If the DAWGS are to win again, Coach Smart and his team cannot just do what they did last year, after all, life and business are not stagnant. Winners and achievers of great things know that the only constant in the world is change. It is with this mindset CBA took on the challenge of planning the 2022 CBA CONNECT.

To accomplish anything grand, a team of people dedicated to an objective is needed. For CBA, the objective was clear- put on a convention that was unique, educational, and relaxing for all. Job number one in this process was to assemble a convention committee that would guide the CBA team towards this goal. For this year’s convention, the committee consisted of several bankers including Chair Richy Everly, Chris Cochran, Jane Lawson, and Mike McGahee, along with longtime CBA partners Corrie Hall, and Matt Mingenback. This dedicated group took a comprehensive approach to building out a program that provided top quality education, informative and inspirational speakers, all with a business casual environment that fostered the opportunity for all to re-CONNECT with old friends and make new CONNECTions. After reading the survey responses, I am pleased to report that their efforts exceeded all expectations! Throughout this issue, we will highlight many of the great events, educational seminars, and partner firms that made this event so special for our bankers and guests.

Moving forward, CBA CONNECT will be in early June. Our 2023 event will be at the beautiful Charleston Place, SC and in just a few short weeks, convention Chair Neil Stevens will begin to assemble another all star team of bankers and partner firms to direct CBA staff in all facets of the program. As you reflect on this last convention, please let us know what additional feedback you may have to help the committee conduct another event that will provide the experience you are looking for. If you missed this year’s program, I strongly suggest you mark your calendar for June 7-11, 2023, and make it a point to attend the 2023 version of CBA CONNECT. As always, please contact me with any comments or questions. THANK YOU for your support of CBA!