Week of March 9

In This Issue…

• All OBA events currently remain on schedule
• OBA coronavirus webpage gives up-to-date information
• Nominations open for OBA first vice chairman
• Interested in leading our Emerging Leaders?
• OBA education corner …
  

All OBA events currently remain on schedule

The health and safety of our event attendees is always a priority for the OBA. Our staff continues to track developments regarding the coronavirus by staying in close contact with federal and state government and public health officials.

At this time, all our conferences, seminars and other OBA-hosted events remain on schedule and unchanged. We will be taking proactive steps at each of these events for the safety of our participants, and we will be prepared to adjust should the situation change and will keep all our attendees notified.

Any attendees or potential registrants with questions should feel free to reach out to the OBA directly by emailing Janis Reeser in our education department (janis@oba.com) or calling (405) 424-5252.

Please refer to the below story for more information on how the OBA is assisting its bankers in keeping up coronavirus information.

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OBA coronavirus webpage gives up-to-date information

The OBA has created a coronavirus resource page for our member access to quickly reach ACCURATE information and the latest RELIABLE news sources concerning the coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 illness.

Oklahoma banks have always been leaders in their communities, particularly in smaller towns across the state where the local bank sometimes has more resources to reach the public than the city halls or local governments. The OBA has created this page to particularly help those banks get accurate information to its customers, as well as all bank employees.

The OBA coronavirus resource page can be accessed in the drop-down menu under the “News” tab at the top of any OBA.com page, or by clicking here. Bookmark and check back to this page frequently over the next few days and weeks.

In light of the coronavirus fears in communities across the nation, we’re continuing to get as much information to member banks as possible.

Monday, the OCC put up a resource page to help banks deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some helpful links:

• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) OCC Resource page
• Agencies Encourage Financial Institutions to Meet Financial Needs of Customers and Members Affected by Coronavirus
• These issuances were sent last Friday, March 6, 2020:
• OCC Bulleting 2020-13: Pandemic Planning: Updated FFIEC Guidance
• FFIEC Highlights Pandemic Preparedness Guidance
• Interagency Statement on Pandemic Planning

Here’s more information for bankers from the federal regulatory agencies, just in case you missed it.

Federal financial institution and state regulators have encouraged banks and other financial institution to meet the financial needs of customers and members affected by the coronavirus. These agencies recognize the potential impact of the coronavirus on the customers, members and operations of many financial institutions and will provide appropriate regulatory assistance to affected institutions subject to their supervision.

Regulators note financial institutions should work constructively with borrowers and other customers in affected communities. Prudent efforts that are consistent with safe and sound lending practices should not be subject to examiner criticism.

The agencies have told us they understand many financial institutions may face current staffing and other challenges. In cases in which operational challenges persist, regulators will expedite, as appropriate, any request to provide more convenient availability of services in affected communities.

The regulators also will work with affected financial institutions in scheduling examinations or inspections to minimize disruption and burden.

Here are some media contacts in Washington, should you need more information:

FDIC — Julianne Fisher Breitbeil — (202) 898-6895
CFPB — Marisol Garibay — (202) 435-7170
CSBS — Jim Kurtzke — (202) 728-5733
Federal Reserve — Darren Gersh — (202) 452-2955
NCUA — Ben Hardaway — (703) 518-6333
OCC — Bryan Hubbard — (202) 649-6870

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Nominations open for OBA first vice chairman

Notice to the membership:

Pursuant to Article 6.3 of the By Laws of the Oklahoma Bankers Association, notice is hereby given of the appointment of a nominating committee for the office of first vice chairman of the Association. The committee is chaired by the immediate past chair, and consists of four additional members of the OBA’s Board of Directors. It was approved at the February board meeting.

This year, Sandy Werner, CEO, First National Bank & Trust, Elk City, will serve as chair of the nominating committee. The other members of the committee (including contact information) are as follows:

Don Clark                                Mark Londagin
CEO                                          EVP
First State Bank                     First National, Grove
Anadarko                                Grove (Branch of Vinita)
(405) 247-2471                      (918) 786-7775
donc@fsbanadarko.com      mlondagin@fnbgrove.com

Priscilla Cude                         T.W. Shannon
President & CEO                   CEO
First Bethany Bank              Chickasaw State Bank
Bethany                                  Oklahoma City
(405) 789-1110                      (405) 946-2287
Pcude@firstbethany.com   tw.shannon@bank2.bank

Any active officer of a member bank or holding company is eligible to serve as first vice chairman following his or her election at the Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention. If you have an interest in seeking this office, or know of someone who has an interest, please contact any member of the committee to let them know of that interest.

For questions, please call Roger Beverage (405) 424-5252 or email him at roger@oba.com.

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Interested in leading our Emerging Leaders?

The OBA is looking for bankers interested in serving as chairperson of the OBA Emerging Leaders Division.

Any OBA Emerging Leaders who are currently enrolled in the OBA Emerging Leaders Academy or have previously graduated from an OBA Emerging Leaders Academy or OBA Leadership Academy are eligible for the position.

The Emerging Leaders chair will serve a two-year term and will work closely with OBA staff to continue to build and direct the OBA Emerging Leaders program. The chairperson will also serve as a voting member on the OBA Board of Directors.

Are you interested? If so, download the Emerging Leaders-Chair Interest Form by clicking here!

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OBA education corner …

• Legal Liabilities When Check Fraud Occurs, March 18, webinar — Check fraud losses are estimated to exceed $18 billion each year. A recent nationwide counterfeit check operation is projected to have caused over $9 million in losses. With more and more counterfeit checks flooding financial institutions, this number is sure to increase.
• 25 Safe Deposit Compliance Issues, March 20, webinar — At this workshop, you will receive current information about all of these issues and an in-depth explanation about how they impact on your financial institution and your safe deposit box renters.
• 2020 Vendor Management Seminar, March 24, Oklahoma City — Susan Orr has assisted numerous institutions with developing their Outsourced Third Party Risk Management Program and will share her insights into developing an effective program in this full day seminar. We will do a deep dive into specifics of the Outsourced Third Party Risk Management Program and examiners expectations. Bring your Program so you can review it as we discuss what the Program should address.
• 2020 Fair Lending, March 24, webinar — While the rest of the industry is focusing on TRID, Flood Insurance and HMDA, the regulatory agencies, the Department of Justice and plaintiff attorneys are focused intently on the issue of fair lending.
• Basic New Accounts Seminars, March 25-Oklahoma City; March 26-Tulsa — This program will provide an overview of state law requirements in the area of new accounts, plus federal requirements for beneficial ownership, disclosures, basic TIN compliance, CIP, anti-money laundering and deposit insurance.
• Three Key Risk Assessments In Your ERM Program, March 30, webinar — This webinar will first take you through a basic review of what is ERM and the basic steps to develop strong risk assessments to address key areas of your institution.
• 2020 Bank Directors Training Seminars, April 1-Tulsa; April 2-Oklahoma City — Informed and engaged bank directors are key for a community bank’s success. These sessions broach on compensation, evaluations, and strategic planning along with other timely issues facing bank managers and their boards. The workshop is designed to assist bank directors and executive management with carrying out their duties and responsibilities.
• HR Seminar, April 16, Oklahoma City — We will provide you with the latest issues in the legal and legislative matters impacting our business from both the federal and state level. Understand compliance and regulatory issues which will affect how you perform your HR duties in 2020.
• Essential Teller Seminar, April 27-Oklahoma City; April 28-Woodward; April 29-McAlester — The program zeroes in on six modules that remind your tellers of the importance of what they do, how they do it, what they say, and how they deliver customer service.

Also, the OBA is proud to promote the recognition of bankers who have devoted 50 or more years of service to the banking industry. All eligible nominees will be honored at the 2020 OBA Convention on May 18-20 at the DoubleTree Warren Place in Tulsa.

Finally, several scholarships are now available to bankers from OBA-member banks for various graduate schools of banking. Applications should be submitted to the OBA’s Janis Reeser by email (janis@oba.com), regular mail (643 N.E. 41st St., OKC, 73105) or fax (405-424-4518). The scholarship recipients will be selected and announced no later than April 22.

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