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.