February 14, 2023

As 2023 hits full stride, I think it’s important to reflect on a very important prior year policy victory that reminded us how effective our industry can be in thwarting harmful federal legislation if we simply stick together. Legislation proposed by the Merchants Payment Coalition (MPC), which is funded largely by the deep pockets of

Do you remember in grade school how the dot-to-dot pictures magically formed on the page? Seemingly unrelated dots connected to reveal a picture. As the state’s housing finance agency, we at Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) often describe ourselves as “dot connectors.” We don’t provide housing directly to Kansans; instead, we connect communities to the

Now in its seventeenth year, the Bank Leaders of Kansas (BLOK) Program is a leadership development program coordinated by the Kansas Bankers Association. The BLOK program is designed to improve the leadership skills of Kansas bankers and it accomplishes that goal through four primary objectives: To increase the individual banker’s understanding and knowledge of the

There’s a saying that “everything old is new again,” and that’s certainly an adage you can bank on in Washington, D.C. — especially when it comes to poor public policy proposals. A textbook example of this unfolded during the 117th Congress when our industry found itself once again facing a bad idea that we thought

About two years ago, a new generation entered the workforce: Generation Z (Gen Z). With a new generation comes a new way of training and communicating. One of the core roles an L&D department has is to help employees find their dream job and provide them opportunities to take their careers to the next level.

Going into a new year, inflation continues to be a key topic for individuals. But are your business customers keeping pace? Insurance to Value is not a new concept. Each year leading up to renewal, it’s one of the many items on an underwriter’s checklist — to update values for a business. Often, insurance customers

Martha Martinez, Bank of Prairie Village, Celebrates 50 Years in Banking Congratulations to Martha Martinez on her 50 years in banking! She started her career as an Executive Assistant to the Regional Trust Department EVP John Owen from 1970-1994 at Commerce Bank in Kansas City, Kansas. From 1994-2000, Martha was then the Executive Assistant to

Frederick W. “Bill” Beckmeyer 1930-2023 Frederick W. “Bill” Beckmeyer, of Salina, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. He was born in Medford, Oklahoma, on Jan. 19, 1930, to Fred and Irene (Sheeran) Beckmeyer. Bill graduated from Chapman, Kansas, High School in 1948, where he was involved in various sports. He graduated from Kansas State

New Faces at KBA Alana Seelbach Receptionist/Special Projects I’m excited to be a part of the KBA staff! I have a BA in Speech Communications from Washburn University. I was previously employed at the Kansas Bar Association for 18 years. I have substantially gained a wealth of knowledge from the Bar Association, which I am

Kansas ag bankers are investing in research and fueling the success of Kansas wheat farmers. Last year, KBA’s Kansas Ag Bankers (KAB) Division contributed a lead gift of $10,000 toward research being conducted at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center (KWIC) in Manhattan. The lead gift has paved the way for member institutions to join in

Will 2023 be the year we see an explosion of Fintech and community bank partners beginning relationships? The crackdown on revenue streams related to overdraft programs and consumer service fees may have financial institutions (FIs) thinking of generating alternate streams of noninterest revenue. How does a community bank begin to explore the horizon of a

Bank balance sheets were adversely affected in multiple ways by the speed and magnitude of the rising rate environment in 2022. Most noticeable was the effect on investment portfolios which experienced significant depreciation in market value, some to the point where capital became severely stressed and liquidity access was restricted. The problems had nothing to

In the past few years, a record number of ransomware attacks have hit the banking industry. Banks, both large and small, continue to be prime targets for cybercriminals due to the large amounts of sensitive customer data they hold. To protect this data, as well as maintain compliance with strict regulations, banks must have a