MESSAGES FROM THE C-SUITE Chair, Illinois Bankers Association I, humbly, became the 130th Illinois Bankers Association Chair on August 12, 2021, in Gurnee, IL. I was fortunate to be inducted by my father, Art Wilkinson, who was President (Chair) in 1996. I deeply respect the responsibility and am thankful for those before me who have successfully led the IBA and offered an ear. Michelle Gross
Executive Vice President/ COO and ISO State Bank of Bement
Since taking over the reins, I have kept busy! I represented the IBA at many conferences and returned to Washington DC to help with our efforts. I networked with peers in our state and across the nation – one of the best parts of the “job.” I have enjoyed visiting in-person with 16 banks and virtually with three from Chicago to Mount Vernon to hear their struggles and
successes. I look forward to continuing those visits in 2022 and talking with many more of you. A personal highlight of mine was a conversation with the current FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams as well as moderating the Midwest Bank Leaders Q&A session with Chair McWilliams. She is an extraordinary person. This past year and a half have been different for us all. While I believe our industry has emerged stronger, it looks different, too. Our association is working on a new strategic plan to ensure our direction aligns with yours. I look forward to the “unveiling” of the plan in June 2022 at our Annual Conference in Springfield, IL.
President & CEO, Illinois Bankers Association Entering 2021, I expected the unexpected, but have been surprised that there was more unexpected than I expected. We have made it through another challenging year that still had much to celebrate. We are more grateful than ever to be serving fantastic Illinois bankers. The lessons we have learned this past year will help us as we move into this new year. Randy Hultgren
I have appreciated the opportunity to visit many banks and look forward to seeing more of you in 2022. Our hearts were broken when we could not be together in person at our Annual Conference, but we were able to pivot in a matter of weeks to present an excellent virtual conference.
So, what were our wins? We served record numbers at many of our conferences. Our advocacy team fought to stop bad proposals, like the IRS Reporting Proposal, and have done a great job helping banks navigate challenges with regulators. BankTalentHQ had a phenomenal year of growth connecting individuals and banks with needed talent. Our membership has grown significantly this year. For all of this, we are very grateful! Our team is prepared to do everything we can to serve you in 2022. We hope to have our conferences in person but will prioritize keeping all our guests and staff safe. Know that the IBA has never been stronger and will continue to help you in any way we can.
January-February 2022 •
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