Welcome to the final 2022 edition of the MIB Community Banker Magazine. Where has this year gone? The speed with which this year has passed reminds me of the following Nathaniel Hawthorne quote: “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”
In keeping with the passage of time theme, as of the annual state convention meeting held in July, MIB has a new president guiding the MIB ship. Tim Schreiber of Farmers State Bank stepped into the President’s role. Tim takes over from Andrew West of Eagle Bank, who did an outstanding job as MIB President. As such, with this change of leadership at the top, this edition of the Community Banker contains a Q&A article with Tim, designed to introduce you, the reader, to who Tim is and what he is all about in terms of championing Montana’s community banking interests. I think you will find the article quite informative, and I encourage you to take a few moments to read all about the man guiding the Association for the next two years.
The best way to keep time from catching up with you is to stay busy. And staying busy has been no problem for MIB. In the fall, MIB hosted its annual University of Montana football tailgate party at Washington-Grizzly stadium. The party was well attended, with over 40 folks stopping by the MIB tent for snacks, beverages and good conversation. And, the best part, the mighty Griz defeated South Dakota by a margin of 24-7. You will also find photos of the tailgate party within this edition of Community Banker.
Also, in early October, the Association hosted the annual FDIC Community Bankers Workshop. The Workshop was held in Bozeman, bringing in attendees from across the Treasure State. The workshop was interactive in style and covered a wide range of timely topics. Topics included – among others – cybersecurity, the risks and rewards of deploying excess capital and liquidity, and consumer protection considerations in the era of rapidly changing technologies. The workshop was both informative and insightful for those MIB members who attended.
In November, MIB is offering another great member benefit: hosting a Women in Banking Conference in Bozeman. The conference will be held November 16-17 at the Springhill Suites in Bozeman. The Association has arranged for a great lineup of presenters, including Montana’s Secretary of State Christi Jacobson, motivational speaker Linda Cohen (see article here: https://mib-community-banker.thenewslinkgroup.org/a-conversation-with-linda-cohen-the-kindness-catalyst/), SBA Lead Lender Relations Specialist Rena Carlson, and Angie Murdo, among others. (As of the day I write this in early October, the conference is sold out. This is a testament to the quality of this and other programs sponsored by your community banking association.)
The annual MIB Bobcat football tailgate party will be held in Bozeman on November 19 at 10:00. This party will be held before the annual Brawl of the Wild – the ever-exciting Cat-Griz matchup. This is a game and tailgate you will not want to miss. Therefore, bring yourself and your bank colleagues down for some pre-game festivities in November.
Finally, the Association is pleased to announce the dates when we will be hosting our biannual state legislative advocacy meeting. MIB has scheduled Jan. 10-11, 2023, as the dates for the membership to come to Helena to meet with their legislators and banking colleagues to advocate on behalf of Montana’s community banking industry. As we get closer to that date, the Association will provide more details on the legislative dinner and associated advocacy activities. In the meantime, make sure to mark those January dates on your calendar and make your plans to meet us in Helena at the Delta Colonial Hotel.
With this being the last edition of the MIB magazine for the year, I will use this article as an opportunity to remind you that MIB member renewal notices for 2023 will be hitting your mailboxes from late December 2022 to early January 2023. We here at MIB understand things are tight financially for Montana’s community banks, particularly given the burden placed on your institutions by excessive regulation. That is why we do our best here at the Association to ensure you receive the maximum value for your dues while also gaining extensive support in the areas that matter. When you receive your renewal notice, we at MIB hope our efforts over the last 10 years to tighten the Association’s belt while expanding member services and programs will be foremost in your mind.
Thank you again for being part of the biggest little community banking association in the West. We are glad you are a part of the MIB team and thank you for all you do on behalf of your customers and the Montana communities you serve.
See you next year, if not sooner.
James Brown
Executive Director
