Pub. 1 2012 Issue 6

6 l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s KBA 2012 CEO & senior management forum and Annual Meeting T he KBA 2012 CEO and Senior Management Forum and Annual Meeting was a great success with 350 registrants and guests at the Broadmoor hotel and resort, located in southwestern Colorado Springs, Colorado. United States Senator Jerry Moran gave a Washington update that included points on the state of the US economy. “Deficit and fiscal matters are the most threatening issues to our nation,” he stated. Senator Moran also noted that many of the regulations in place are unduly burdensome for community banks stating, “A one size solution is not a solution when it creates more problems.” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Esther George followed Senator Moran to kick off the conference with a note on the economy stating that “Until businesses see some clarity from uncertainty, hiring will not happen.” Noting that banks are suffering from the limita - tions coming fromWashington she added that, “Unintended consequences are as important as intended consequences.” She was referring to the effects of QE 1 and QE 2 and the potential for QE 3. President George said two key issues facing the banking industry right now are new capital requirements that are being considered for banks and activities of banks that are supported by a public safety net. It’s Still the Economy Stupid was the general theme of TomDeFrank’s prognostication for this fall’s presidential race. Sharing his political insights with Kansas bankers, the former Newsweek journalist blended colorful stories of the last twelve Presidential elections he has covered with his take on the current race for the White House between president Barack Obama and Republican-nominee Mitt Romney. DeFrank kicked off his speech with the question: Can Obama snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? He subsequently outlined the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate and reminded CEO Forum attendees that the state of the U.S. economy is the most important factor impacting this election. DeFrank shared that no president has been re-elected when unemployment was 8% or higher and the current unemployment rate of 8.3% spells trouble for the current president. He added that while Romney has struggled to seize the upper ground on the economic debate, support will likely turn his way if unemployment numbers fail to improve this fall. DeFrank encouraged bankers to watch for the ever-so-important November 2nd job numbers announcement as an indicator of what will happen at the ballot box on November 6th. In a presentation focusing on team building, Juli Lynch recounted her experiences as the leader of a four-person team participating in KBAOfficers (from left) Chuck Stones, President; John Lehman, Past Chairman; Frank Carson, Chairman; Leonard Wolfe, Chairman-elect; Bob Leftwich, Treasurer.