Pub. 4 2015 Issue 4

The CommunityBanker 8 V F E A T U R E ACB members gathered in Williamsburg for their 38th Annual Convention and Trade Show at The Williams- burg Lodge & Conference Center, October 18-20. Be- ing in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg at the height of fall was a delight for attendees. The fall weather was perfect for creating a memorable occasion and a truly successful program! Once again, the key elements of a VACB Con- vention were successfully interwoven: checking the pulse and sensing the trends in the current banking environment, exposure to the latest offerings from our Associate Members and the chance to network and connect with friends from across the Commonwealth. Our two Business Sessions were full of great informa- tion, insight and inspiration. At the beginning of the Monday session the membership approved the slate of officers for 2016. Entering into the process of “moving through the chairs” is another great banker, Lyn Hayth from Bank of Botetourt. Once the election and other association business had fin- ished, Dr. Anirban Basu from the Sage Policy Group provided an energetic and entertaining economic update and overview. Dr. Basu’s economic update covered global growth in output and how America ranked, which is currently far behind India and China who are outpacing the rest of the world by large margins. He then touched on employment numbers in the U.S. and warned which states were in the crosshairs of a recession watch. Dr. Basu then shared insight into the nation’s housing and noted that multifamily construction is outpacing single family homes and even though rates remain low, home owner- ship is at its lowest point since the early 90s. Dr. Basu’s closing was cautiously optimistic, there are challenges ahead still both at home and abroad, but things are moving in the right direction. Dr. Basu was followed by JP O’Sullivan of SNL Finan- cial, who shared insight into how community banks can use little data to have meaningful impacts on their business. He also shared what tools are available to banks to harness the data and get a better understanding of its data and how those tools can help community banks leverage their information and remain competitive. Our Monday session ended with David Peterson from i7strategies who shared how strategic leadership and effective decision making can make or break a critical situation. David shared his true story of having been shipwrecked off the coast of Florida and wove it into a tale of two historical shipwrecks and how each survived, and how successfully they survived, by the decisions they made while stranded on an uninhabited island. Monday afternoon, attendees had a choice of three excur- sions. Options included lunch and a tour of the Williamsburg Winery, an afternoon on the York River on a private schooner tour, or a trip to Old Forge Sporting Clays for an afternoon of shooting. Of course, enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon in Colonial Williamsburg and shopping at Merchants Square was another popular option. As the afternoon turned to evening, attendees gathered to celebrate our 2015 Chairman, John Caldwell at the Chairman’s Reception and Banquet. Dinner guests were welcomed by our colonial master of ceremonies, who toasted our Chairman, our group and our meal. Dinner was a true Colonial feast and featured dishes that would have typically been served in the late 18th century. At the end of our historic meal, John Caldwell passed the gavel to Mike Ewing, President & CEO of Oak View National Bank in Warrenton, who became the 2016 Chair of the Association. Following another round of appreciation for our supportive Associate Member sponsors, our evening entertainment got under way at our Olde Country Faire featuring magic, caricatures, games and prizes. At Tuesday’s member breakfast, guests enjoyed hearing from Colonial Williamsburg’s Currency Curator, Eric Gold- stein, who shared an historical perspective of currency and finance during revolutionary times. The second Business Ses- sion began immediately following breakfast with ICBA Chair- man Jack Hartings. Hartings spoke to delegates on the state of community banking and brought them up to speed on the ICBA Chairman Jack Hartings, VACB Chair John Caldwell, McNeill Wells with ICBA Securities and VACB President Steve Yeakel VACB 38th Annual Convention October 18-20, 2015 The Williamsburg Lodge & Conference Center