Community Bankers of Iowa Monthly Banker Update March 2014 | Page 4

From the Top

Written By: Bill Loving, Chairman of ICBA

Keep Fighting
It’s so hard for me to believe that this is my
last “From the Top” column as chairman of
ICBA. This year has flown by, and I know that
is because I’ve had such an incredible time
serving as your chairman.
I’ve so enjoyed visiting my community banking
brethren from coast to coast—in cities and
towns throughout the country. I’ve also been
so privileged to preach the community bank
business model abroad, having had the
opportunity to speak before bankers from
various countries this past fall in Tokyo.
All of these amazing places and the people
I’ve had a chance to visit along the way made
quite an impression on me. I thought I couldn’t
have been more proud when I was sworn in
as your chairman last March, but boy was I
wrong. After seeing even more of what the
great community bankers of this nation have
to offer, I’m simply blown away. It’s you who
have made me even more proud to be what I
love being—a community banker.

“It’s up to you, as a community
banker, to fight the good fight for
Main Street America.”

My speech last March was all about
enthusiasm for this great industry. And
now more than ever, I feel that energy, that
enthusiasm. From my vantage point, there’s
no doubt that community banking has a great
future ahead, and it’s bankers like you who are
helping to pave that path for future community
bankers and the communities they serve.

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CBI BANKER UPDATE | MARCH 2014

But that bright future doesn’t come without
hard work. As a community banker, you
already know what that means. You work
tirelessly to serve the needs of your customers
and communities. It’s just what you do. That’s
why I say don’t stop there. Take that same
enthusiasm and love for what you do and who
you represent to others by advocating our
important cause. Get to know your members
of Congress, and help educate them on
community banking and the issues that are
important to you.
It’s up to you, as a community banker, to
fight the good fight for Main Street America.
Nothing ever comes easy and I know you
realize that.
ICBA and community bankers have built an
impressive legacy that we need to continue
to build upon. Throughout my years of
advocacy as a community banker, I’ve
seen so many community banking industry
victories in Washington, including when we
pushed Walmart back from the industrial loan
company loophole and when we convinced
Congress to direct the FDIC to adopt assetbased deposit insurance assessments, which
are now saving community banks millions of
dollars every year. These were critical public
policy victories, and they are just some of the
few that are a lasting legacy for our industry.
I know more victories like these are ahead
of us. With the enthusiasm we community
bankers possess and the drive we have to do
what’s right for America’s communities, there’s
nothing stopping us.
So as I take off my chairman’s hat, I want you
to know that we can do anything we put our
minds to. While the winds may be challenging,
community bankers are up to the task.
Together we can accomplish anything.