Pub. 5 2016 Issue 5

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 14 T HE KBA BANK Leaders of Kansas (BLOK) Class is a 12-month leadership program with the primary goal of preparing bankers to play an active, positive role in molding the future of the KBA and the Kansas banking industry. The 2016 class met for session three as they marched on Washington, June 12-16. An evening monument tour kicked off the session with stops at Iwo Jima, the National WWII Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the Korean War Memorial. Prior to receiving a special legislative staff-guided tour of the U.S. Capitol Building, members of the BLOK class and their spouses received a rare behind the scenes look at the role of the staff teams that support each member of Congress. Todd Novascone, Chief of Staff for Senator Jerry Moran and Mark Kelly, Chief of Staff for Congressman Tim Huelskamp outlined how diverse a typical day as a congressional staffer can be in Washington, D.C. Novascone and Kelly described the many roles on their staff teams, ranging from policy development, to communications and constituent services. They also described the most rewarding and frustrating parts of being the Chief of Staff for a member of Congress, and both agreed that helping guide a piece of federal legislation from introduction to the President’s desk for signature is very rewarding for not only the member of Congress, but for his or her entire staff team. The class had an opportunity to network with the KBAFederal Affairs Committee at a dinner at Top of the Town in Arlington. Everyone took in a fabulous panoramic view of D.C. from a rooftop terrace as they got to know the seasoned bankers who lead this advocacy trip every year. The BLOK class experienced very early mornings, as they had education sessions in the morning, before the Federal Affairs Committee’s activities began. Prior to the general session at the ABA, the BLOK class met in a 5th floor meeting room of the ABA. This special session outlined the many resources that the staff experts at the ABA can assist them with. They also reviewed the ABA structure with 200 committees and working groups that are banker driven. The class was able to participate in the Federal Affairs’ activities including preparatory meetings, sessions with regulators, and appointments on Capitol Hill. BLOK CLASS MARCHES ON WASHINGTON Pictured left to right- Bobby Young, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka; Brandon Nordhus, Community National Bank, Seneca; Ben Drouhard, Citizens Bank of Kansas, Wichita; Layne Hoops, Astra Bank, Scandia; Maria Pfizenmaier, United Bank & Trust, Clay Center; Colby May, Andover State Bank, Andover; Janel Burch, The Farmers Bank of Osborne, Osborne; Patrick Melland, Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC; Deanne Engstrom, Bank of the Prairie, Olathe; Tim Krueger, VisionBank, Topeka; David White, Intrust Bank N.A., Wichita; Traci Overpeck, First National Bank of Elkhart, Elkhart; Janet Lowell, Central National Bank, Concordia; Andrew Chaney, Equity Bank, Wichita. Thank You to BLOK Program Sponsors! Bankers’ Bank of Kansas Central States Capital Markets, LLC INTRUST Bank, N.A. KBA KBA Insurance, Inc. K-Coe Isom Professional Bank Consultants, LLC Schools of Banking