Pub. 4 2016 Issue 1

7 Spring 2016 The Community Banker Scott Heitkamp and his wife Carrie from the great state of Texas stop by our reception and introduce themselves. Scott will be our keynote speaker during the Saturday night banquet at this year’s MIB State Convention. MIB’s State Convention & Tradeshow will be held at the Red Lion in Kalispell on July 21-23, 2016. We are excited about this year’s quality lineup of speakers. In addition to Scott Heitkamp, joining us this year are popular speaker Jim Mathis, Tim Henry of United Bankers’ Bank, Dan Stimpson of ICBA Securities, Patrick Barkey of the University of Montana, Melanie Hall of the Montana Division of Banking, Angie Murdo and Callie Blan- ton of Anderson ZurMuehlen, and Don and Blayne Bennett of eFinancial Solutions. A tournament on the North- ern Pines Golf Course and a whitewater rafting float on the Flathead River will available for those looking to relax. We have also reserved a bus to take folks up to Whitefish on Friday afternoon to shop, dine, or take a side trip up to White- fish Mountain Resort. MIB’s convention is known as the biggest little banking convention in the West. In light of the quality of our education speakers and our conference events, we hope to see you in Kalispell this summer. Turning now to industry de- velopments, as you may recall from my last column, Banking Commissioner Melanie Hall has undertaken discussions about amending Montana’s Bank Act. It was Commis- sioner Hall’s desire to put together a banking act reform bill that would be available for consideration by the 2017 Montana Legislature. To that end, industry representatives have held a series of meetings over the last several months to discuss what changes are necessary to allow Montana’s community banks to remain competitive, particularly in this era of internet banking. Based on these discussions, it was agreed that the scope of the project would not allow for enough time to meet bill introduction and consider- ation in the 2017 legislative session. Therefore, Commis- sioner Hall and the working group are now shooting for a 2019 legislative session intro- duction. As a member of that working group, I am always looking for and welcome suggestions as to how to improve the banking regula- tory environment in Montana. So, if you have some thoughts along this line, please feel free to drop me a line. Further, as you may have read in the newspaper, state- wide consolidation in the industry continues to occur, and at a pace that seems to be quickening. The most recent announcement was the acquisition of Flathead Bank of Bigfork by First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. , which was announced in early April. As of the end of April, there are now 49 state-chartered banks. Some may see this trend of consolidation as a harbin- ger of bad things to come for Montana’s community banking industry. But I take an opposite, more positive view. I see the consolidation as lead- ing to a Montana community banking industry that is more financially healthy, secure and competitive. Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your continued member- ship in the MIB. Our mission here at the MIB is simple and straightforward – that is, our mission is Montana commu- nity banks, period. And the membership dues paid by our banks and associate members are the resource by which we carry out that mission. On behalf of Laura, Wilson, and the MIB Board of Directors, we look forward to serving you today, tomorrow and well into the future. By Jim Brown, MIB Executive Director Don’t miss out on our great rate! Ask your lender about MBOH loans. Ready to buy a home? We are here to help. Affordable 30-year fixed-rate Mortgages Various programs to meet your needs Down payment assistance Quality in-state servicing housing.mt.gov