Pub. 4 2015 Issue 3

The CommunityBanker 6 Chairman’s Message M E S S A G E President’s Message By John Caldwell VACB Chairman The Farmers Bank of Appomattox By Steve Yeakel, CAE VACB President & CEO Fall 2015 Continued on page 13... Continued on page13... ith today’s ever changing environment which shapes community banking, the need for quality education remains strong. We find our educational focus at the forefront of our efforts to address the overwhelming wave of regulations. And yes, at times it does feel as if we are battling the waves in this ocean of compli- ance…one hits us and we are not able to adjust before the next one arrives. We are burdened with the task to educate ourselves, our fellow employees and our customers in the latest changes aimed to protect those we serve. Policies and procedures must be reworked or new ones introduced. We find ourselves dedicat- ing many hours of our employees’ precious time and a great deal of the bank’s resources to remain well informed. With compliance being our objective, edu- cation remains our constant friend. In addition to the investment we make in compliance education, we also remain committed to education related to developing our employees and directors. They are the ones on the frontlines seek- ing to meet the challenges of tomorrow. We owe it to them and we owe it to our institutions to keep them informed, motivated and well versed in the changing bank landscape. One of my favorite quotes from Will Rogers reads, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” This is so true… we cannot remain complacent when it comes to educa- tion. We must be proactive to meet the demands of W nce again, our VACB Chair has done a superb job of highlighting one of VACB’s three major areas of strength: a diverse and robust education program. VACB offers a compelling combination of regular semi- nars in major areas like compliance and internal audit, special seminar offerings in the hot topics of the mo- ment, and a very popular array of webinars that covers a wide range of timely topics. Our annual convention also contributes to the strength of our education offerings. Again this year, an energized group of volunteers working together as a Convention Committee has built another great event to share with you. The speakers are strong, as usual, so if it’s education you want, you’ll find it. In addition, there are also great events awaiting, including a chance to tour a winery, shoot some sporting clays or sail on a schooner! And as you may have seen, there are deep discounts in registration fees available for many bankers. Haven’t been to a convention in a while? There’s a discount for that. One of several coming from your bank? Discount! And the longstanding discount for first-time attendees is There’s Much to Enjoy This Year in Williamsburg—Join Us! O