Saturday, February 22, 2025

Professional Membership

You work for an OBA member bank and receive all the benefits that normally come with that privilege. But most bankers don’t clearly understand the direct connection between their jobs, their salaries, benefits and bonuses and the political process. The Professional Membership program is intended to help bankers understand that relationship more clearly. In turn, that helps us help you.

Here’s your bottom line: EVERYTHING your bank does or is prevented from doing begins in either Washington, D.C. or Oklahoma City. In order to continue to be successful, bankers need to be a part of our collective grass-roots effort to make banker views known to the people who make the rules you work by.

What does that mean? From time to time we’ll ask you to help us by sending a letter or e-mail to your Senator or Representative about an issue that affects your profession. We’ll even provide you with a draft message that you can deliver.
Making your voice heard – either in support of or opposition to legislative or regulatory proposals that affect your bank, your job and your salary – is the primary way we help shape your future. We won’t ask often, but we will ask.

Why should you join? What’s in it for you if you do?

There’s another reason to help bankers develop a better understanding of how important they are to Oklahoma’s success.

For whatever reason, you’ve chosen to become a part of the most important profession in America. Bankers don’t just perform tasks like opening new accounts, cashing checks or making loans. You’re dream catchers! You help your customers “catch their dreams” – whether it’s buying a home, sending a child to college or starting a new business.

You make things happen, and as a Professional OBA Member you have a unique opportunity to help shape the future of your profession and your job that not many other groups of professionals have.