From the “too close to the forest to see the trees” department …

You wear your community bank brand every day, and you wear it exceptionally well. You have earned it several times over, and you keep growing it, often without conscious effort. You are banking the only way you want to bank: through strong personal relationships built on trust and unceasing efforts to retain that trust.

Does this sound familiar? I’d like to think that it does. These are the first few lines of the column I wrote last year for this magazine. It rang true then with many of you, judging by the comments I received then. If possible, it is even “more true” today, given what we’ve come through since mid-March.

In the wake of the failures of Silicon Valley and Signature Banks, ICBA rallied support on Capitol Hill and among regulators for exempting community banks from the FDIC assessment. VACB was quick to follow suit with the Virginia delegation. VACB member banks submitted comment letters in support of the assessment exemption. What followed was reassuring. Support came from numerous regulatory leaders in specific comments during Congressional hearings. The media reported on the effectiveness of our advocacy. Other banking associations did not advocate for us, but our advocacy was strong and sufficient.

The change in the perception of community banks over the last two decades has been remarkable: from almost unknown to widely respected. You deserve that respect. We work together to make it happen.

The penultimate paragraph from that fall 2022 column deserves a reprieve as well: “Don’t let your brand be covered over or diluted. You are much more than a bank; you are a community bank. VACB represents your uniquely valuable brand before policymakers, regulators, the media and the public. Your continuing engagement with us, and your increasing engagement, will provide additional value to your brand.”

VACB will be giving you more opportunities over the coming months to build on your uniquely valuable brand. Just a little extra effort from every member banker can secure our brand and propel us further in the coming years. Together, we win the battles!