Pub. 5 2016 Issue 3

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 8 W E READ OFTEN about the powerful lobbying firms in Washington D.C., and the manner in which they are able to manipulate the political establishment with significant influence. We, Kansas Bankers, must realize that collectively we have an enormous amount on power; we too can change the course of events. It takes patience, practice and primarily productivity. As a unified group with common goals we make our story known, the catch is we need to tell our story in vivid detail to ensure our country’s power brokers realize the impact of onerous regulations is not simply impacting us, but our customers who also happen to be their constituents. We need your everyday examples of what impact constrictive lending regulations are having on our customers. The KBA is preparing to make its annual Federal Affairs Committee trip to Washington D.C. in June. It would be powerful to present a document to our country’s rule makers with everyday examples of customer interactions with community banks. The everyday banking examples of how community banks are being prevented from serving their customers and communities by Dodd Frank’s many new regulations are needed to shed light on this issue. I urge you to talk with your compliance staff and your lending officers to gather specific real life examples of the impact on our customers. You are more powerful than you know; you have the ability to speak up, to paint a picture in a different way, to share words and images with those who want to hear them. You have the power of connection; the power to talk to the right people and make change occur. When we combine our efforts with the KBA’s organization we create a roadmap for the future of banking. It is far easier to worry and gripe about the plethora of federal regulations and not being able to alter that course of inaction; those rule makers have, for the most part, only given lip service to community banks and the role we play. The worst course of action for us is silence. Let’s live in the moment where each of us has the power to influence. I ask each of you to become personally involved. Send the KBA your customer stories and join in BankPAC to unify the bankers of Kansas in carrying personal examples to our regulators. MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU KNOW Client: Intrust Ad Title: Correspondent - Tug O’ War Publication: Kansas Banker Pub - 4c Trim: 7.5" x 4.625" Shawn Eidson 316-383-1368 | Dan Heinz 316-383-1415 | David White 316-383-1435 | Quinton Smith 316-383-1900 We’re a family-owned, Midwest financial institution, and we’ve helped community banks just like yours provide customers with financial services to rival even the biggest banks. And because we call many of the same communities home, we’re perfectly suited to help your bank – and your community – thrive. Our roots share the same soil. Member FDIC I ©2016 INTRUST Bank intrustbank.com 33458_Correspondent_TugOWar_KansasBanker.indd 1 2/3/16 10:32 AM By KBA Chairman, Bob Leftwich, Impact Bank, Wichita