President Abraham Lincoln was once credited with saying “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” I couldn’t agree more with President Lincoln’s sentiment and I consider myself fortunate to work for an industry and organization that takes preparation and planning, for the short and long-term, very seriously. When I first arrived at the KBA in 2004, I quickly recognized how critically important planning, more specifically strategic planning, is for Kansas banks and Kansas bankers. Investing time and energy to chart a pathway for growth and success is fundamental for Kansas banks and I’m pleased to report the same high-level of commitment to developing objectives and strategies to move us forward is also a top priority for your Kansas Bankers Association (KBA).

The strategic plan adopted by KBA’s Board of Directors during the fall of 2018 has served our Association and its members well. During the past three years, several specific goals were achieved that made our industry more competitive, increased services provided to Kansas banks and strengthened the financial ability of the KBA to respond to threats facing our industry. Adopting tax equity legislation at the Kansas Statehouse this past spring to level the playing field with the Farm Credit System was a direct product of the strategic plan adopted by the KBA Board. Likewise, the fact that a growing number of Kansas banks continue to benefit from the legal and compliance services provided by Kansas Bankers Consulting Services is also a strategic plan investment outcome. That same strategic process also helped us achieve organizational efficiencies and financial objectives that can be directly credited to the foresight and goals established by KBA’s Board of Directors that were aggressively implemented by our KBA staff team.

KBA’s Board of Directors recently put their stamp of approval on the latest set of banker-driven goals and objectives that will guide the KBA moving forward. Banker feedback was the centerpiece of a strategic planning process held in mid-September that led to a reaffirmation of KBA’s mission statement and four objectives highlighted on the page opposite of this article. I want to thank every bank CEO that helped us launch our strategic planning process this past summer by providing us constructive feedback on the direction of our industry and association. Your input mattered, and at the KBA, so does strategic planning.