Pub. 9 2020 Issue 3

Pub. 9 2020 Issue 3 7 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 to the industry as a whole. For the first several weeks of the crisis, state association and ABA leaders held daily conference calls to discuss what banks were reporting from the front lines, identify solutions and relay needed policy fixes or guidance to policymakers. The flow of information was equally important in reverse. AMERICA’S BANKS WEREN’T JUST DEEMED ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES BY GOVERNORS IN STATE AFTER STATE; THEY BECAME ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN DELIVERING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RELIEF. ABA’S EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CRISIS, LIKE YOUR STATE ASSOCIATION’S, HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON ENSURING YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING YOUR INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH THESE EXTRAORDINARY TIMES. Sometimes the clarity we all needed from Washington was slow to arrive, but policymakers understood and appreciated that our appeals were solutions-focused and made in good faith. In fact, our most effective advocacy often involved direct phone calls, emails and texts to lawmakers, regulators and top Treasury and SBA officials, with public finger-pointing taking a back seat. ABA’s efforts throughout the crisis, like your state association’s, have been focused on ensuring you have what you need to continue supporting your institutions, customers, and communities through these extraordinary times. We deeply appreciate all of your efforts and are committed to supporting you as we work to rebuild the economy. Because every hero needs a sidekick, and we are proud to be yours.