Pub. 4 2015 Issue 4

The CommunityBanker 6 Chairman’s Message M E S S A G E President’s Message By Mike Ewing VACB Chairman Oakview National Bank By Steve Yeakel, CAE VACB President & CEO Winter 2015 Continued on page15... ake a look at the cover of this magazine. Did you notice the word “unity” highlighted within “Community Banker”? I could end this message right there as that represents what we are all about. The strategic plan laid out by John Caldwell and last year’s board emphasizes the role of VACB in being a catalyst for organizing community bankers to pool our collective power and influence. There is a lot to be gained when community banks work together to solve the challenges facing each of the member banks. I hope you will join us this year as we work hard to unify the community banking industry in Virginia and through- out the Country. We envision a future where com- munity banks work together collaboratively to support each other and share resources and expertise for the mutual benefit of all. We can be a community of banks in Virginia, where we collaborate to achieve the econo- mies of scale that will increase profitability for all of us while RETAINING OUR INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES AND IDENTITIES. We need to re-think past operating para- digms and create collaborative approaches to problem solving. I believe community banks can thrive when we collaborate and pool our strengths and resources. T nother year is “coming to a close.” What a lovely sound the phrase carries. But the picture it paints – the slowly turning final pages in a large book, falling softly before the cover – certainly don’t match the pace of business at this time of year – in your bank or our office! It’s quite evident that banks across the Common- wealth are doing a lot of business, with the citizens of their communities and with each other. So, too, we here at VACB have had a busy quarter, and there’s no end in sight. The October convention, which you will read about within these pages, was a great success. It was good to see many new faces mixed in with the longtime conven- tion goers. The speakers were highly rated, the trade show was livelier, the activities were very popular. It was a wonderful celebration of relationships. “On the front,” in Washington, DC, there are issues galore to tackle: regulatory relief legislation to fight for, a cut in Federal Reserve Dividend payments to fight against, and a preposterous regulatory proposal to overturn that would force banks to adopt the policy “All loans are bad on the day you make them.” As for VACB Education, we’ve hosted several seminars, and co-hosted a well-attended session as late Run, Run, Run, Refresh A