Pub. 2 2013 Issue 4

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 22 W arren Buffet has said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation.” We know from our industry’s long history that many banks have been carefully shepherd- ing and enhancing their reputations for decades longer. As we pointed out in “The Business of Banking,” the publication that we distributed to policymakers on Capitol Hill earlier this year, a large number of banks have proven to be in business for the long haul. In fact, two out of every three banks in the United States have been in business 50 years or more. And one in three has been in business for more than a century. That’s a lot of years of service in support of your communities and our national economy. We think you deserve some credit for what you’ve done and what you will do. That’s why ABA is launching a new and innovative public affairs and advocacy program to help everyone enhance our industry’s reputation. The program is called Amplify. We are beginning this effort in eight states: Virginia, Oregon, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.  Over time it will be in Kansas, and nationwide in all 50 states. What is Amplify? It is a new resource to help bankers, state associations and ABA enhance the overall reputation of the industry. The focus is on the important role bankers and banks play as they invest in the customers, neighborhoods, and businesses they serve. This is an effort to make sure that what your bank does—supporting the community and the economy, as well as your creativity and innovation—becomes both better known and appreciated. Amplify is the next step in our work to improve the perception of banking in the eyes of policymakers and the public. It will take time to build out, but it is designed to provide a lasting infrastructure that can be used going forward to ensure that bankers’ contributions at every level are effectively communicated. This is a grassroots effort, because that is where you make a difference – at home, in your communities, and in your state. Together we will leverage what banks like yours mean to our communities, cities, counties, states and the nation. Our goal is for policymakers to understand your role as the cornerstone of our nation’s economic vitality, and promote a regulatory environment that helps all banks thrive. We think that’s a message that must be amplified. E-mail Frank Keating at keating@aba.com © 2013 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Amplifying What You Do By Frank Keating, President and CEO American Bankers Association Washington Update April 2013