December 21, 2022

https://financialedinc.com/?a=vacb

Nationwide, every day of every year, safe deposit box rental payments become delinquent. At what point should the financial institution intervene?

In addition to all of the everyday risks banks and credit unions need to guard against, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant increase in ATM thefts across the country. The spike hasn’t been surprising due to a number of factors, but the costs and damage resulting from these attacks are often considerable. Fortunately, there are steps banks and credit unions can take to help prevent becoming a victim of ATM theft.

How would you describe your bank’s workforce? Is it robust or holding its own? Did the pandemic affect your hiring efforts, and where to look to find potential candidates? What is your bank’s process when looking to hire staff? Do you look inward when openings arise and see who in your current pool of talent would be a good fit for the position you are trying to fill? I know, I know, that’s a lot of questions, but they do have a point!

Digital transformation. Those words have been bandied about with increasing fervor, fueled by a heightened sense of urgency. Yet, while the digital movement has increased pace, it’s more of an evolution than a revolution.

Congrats to all the winners! Banc Card of AmericaBluetooth SpeakerTara Harrison, Virginia National Bank Brown Edwards CPAsTailgating Package with Table-Top Grill & AccessoriesDonnie Kaloski, Village Bank Barret School of BankingGraduate School of Banking Tuition CreditRandy Lail, Benchmark Community Bank ICBA $150 Visa Gift CardBlake Edwards, Skyline National Bank KlariVisBlanton’s BourbonDonnie Kaloski, Village Bank ProcessMakerBluetooth SpeakerJay

When my calendar flipped to November, I immediately thought of Thanksgiving and for all that I am thankful: family, friends, and my community among them. Your membership in VACB is a key entry on my thankful list, as well as your support in allowing me the opportunity to chair this great association. I am grateful to those who joined us in Williamsburg in October for the 2022 Annual VACB Convention. It was a great in-person event, and the lineup of speakers was the best in recent memory.

Between the time I write these words and the time you read them, so many important things will have happened. The “Lame Duck” Congressional session, which has not yet started, will be finished or nearly finished. A runoff election in Georgia will have determined how strong the Democrat majority in the U.S. Senate is (not a typo!), ending the most unusual off-year election season in many years. And on the personal side, we are all experiencing the unfolding of the holiday season, reaching its final crescendo, and all the joy that goes with it.