Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
Last month when I finished my article, I immediately started thinking about my August column because it’s usually a little bit slower and quieter during the summer.
While the summer months gives us an opportunity get caught up on projects and ready for the fall when things really start picking up, I always wonder what in the heck am I going to put in my August column.
I had no clue July was going to be a month like any other and we might never see one like it again.
I don’t know where to start, but you should know all about everything that has happened regarding the upcoming presidential election. We are truly living in historic times, and there will be hundreds of books written, movies made and so on.
I could use this entire article going over all the events over the last couple of weeks, but you guys know the details as much as I do. You just have to watch about 15 minutes of the national news every night to be up to speed.
At the time I submitted this article, Vice President Kamala Harris looks to be the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party and will most likely select her vice president nominee in the next couple of days (if she hasn’t already by the time this issue of Oklahoma Banker hits your hands).
We all know there will be significant events take place weekly – if not daily – from now until election day. I want to remind everyone the OBA doesn’t get involved in presidential politics: never has and never will, as long as I have a say in the process.
Regardless of your party affiliation or what candidate you like or don’t like, these are historic times.
As much as I enjoy writing about what’s happening – or not happening – in regards to our elected officials, I’m going to tack in a different direction this month. Now seems like a perfect time to set politics aside and discuss something positive and uplifting.
Many of you have heard me refer to the “Alliance” in meetings or Bankers’ Night Out events. I think it’s a good time for a refresher as to what and whom the Alliance is, and what it does.
The intent of the Alliance is to increase the effectiveness of the banking industry’s state and federal government relations program. It was formed in 1982 by the individual state bankers association across the country and the American Bankers Association. This Alliance provides a forum for all associations to address broad industry initiatives and issues of common interest.
The Alliance is made up of 52 SBAs, and we work closely on a myriad of issues. We do joint calls every two weeks and have a couple of meetings each year where we all get together to work on said issues.
When the Alliance was created, it mainly focused on federal regulations and legislation. While federal issues have always been the focus of the group, state issues are now right at the top as well.
Almost every week, the Alliance along with other government relations professionals have a Zoom call to discuss state issues. This has been such a valuable tool for us at the OBA as these calls provide so much information – if there is an issue we are dealing with, you know another state is also likely dealing with the same issue or has already dealt with it.
We lean on other states for resources and strategy when dealing with legislation, and have also ourselves been a resource for other states. It’s nice to be in Oklahoma because many of the crazy legislative ideas start on either coast and by the time it is introduced here, we have already built a defense or offense, depending on the issue.
While regulatory and legislative issues are the main reason for the Alliance there are other benefits from the group. When we get together for our annual meeting, we will spend a full day just discussing best practices for association management. These talks have resulted in numerous changes over the years at the OBA that have made your association better.
Switching gears, I have an ask of all of our member banks. No, it’s not for the PAC or the Washington Visit (those asks comes later in this article!) I want to come and see you and your staff! As I go out on the road, I realize a lot of folks at your banks don’t know much about what the OBA does and offers. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with them and let them know what we do and what resources are available for all your employees.
There will not be any sales pitch or pushing a specific product or event – it’s just essentially an infomercial for the OBA.
I will go anywhere, anytime, 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., it doesn’t matter as I’ll be there.
We want to make sure your employees know about everything we do and all the resources available. We want to help make bankers betters, and in turn, make us a better association.
Here comes the aformentioned ask: We are two months out from the OBA’s Annual Washington Visit and we need you to join us. Last year, we had a group of 100 Oklahomans on the Visit, and we want to beat that number this year.
Our delegation, and even our federal regulators, are still talking about how many were on the Visit last year.
Even though there is a presidential election taking place, we still have work to do on the Visit, and the more bankers who go and share stories about how rules, regs and legislation are impacting their customers and their bank, the more it leaves an impression.
Please consider joining us this year. Who knows what the political landscape will look like six weeks before the election, but I can say without hesitation that being in Washington, D.C., that time of year should be memorable!
Should you want more information on the Washington Visit, please let me know and I’ll get you everything that you need.