Pub. 4 2016 Issue 2

6 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org Executive Director’s Report W elcome to our 2016 MIB Convention edition of The Commu- nity Banker. I write this article immediately on the heels of the closing dinner at our annual event. And, I am pleased to re- port the convention was a great success and enjoyed by all. MIB was fortunate to have Scott Heitkamp, the incom- ing ICBA Chairman, join us in Kalispell for the full conven- tion. Scott provided a fun and informative keynote during our Saturday banquet. He spoke to the continued partnership between MIB and the ICBA and the benefits both associ - ations provide to Montana’s independent banking industry, not the least of which includes the $60,392.23 in royalties ICBA and its subsidiaries contributed to MIB in 2015. We are truly appreciative of ICBA’s support over the years. Scott also recognized former MIB president and bank founder Jack King, who joined us in person at this year’s event, for his many, many years of unpar- alleled service to community banking in Montana. As Scott pointed out, next year’s ICBA convention will be held in San Antonio, the same location where in 1984 Jack King began his term as Chairman of ICBA. It was an honor to have Jack be with us. MIB was also fortunate to have a great lineup of education speakers this year. The educa- tion sessions were well received by those in attendance, as the topics presented, including eco- nomic forecasts, HR and identity theft, were timely and relevant to today’s challenging commu- nity banking environment. In addition to our great list of speakers and education presentations, the tradeshow and prizes night was a great success. Our 20 member banks in attendance were joined by 28 companies this year, including 22 exhibitors, most of whom are faithful associate members of the MIB. They have become like family, and we enjoy seeing the same faces every year. The success of this year’s convention is also directly attributable to the fact that we received record sponsorship from our associate members. We at MIB are thank- ful for the many contributions our partners in the banking industry provide. So, let me take a moment to thank our as- sociate members and sponsors for always playing such a big role in the success of our annual convention. Please be sure to check out the page listing these sponsors in this issue and thank them with your business. One of the best takeaways every year for me is to view the photographs memorializing our time together. That’s why you will find this edition packed with pictures of the 2016 MIB convention. I encourage you to turn to those pages and see yourself and your friends featured. Turning to the other big MIB event of the last three months, the MIB took another trip to Washington D.C. this past April for the 2016 ICBA Washington Policy Summit, which is also another way MIB partners each year with ICBA to benefit Montana’s community banks. The Summit is the community banking industry’s best oppor- tunity to make issues important to the industry directly known to Washington policy makers, namely Montana’s congressional delegation. Following in the footsteps of Jefferson Smith, MIB adherents in attendance were A.J. King, Amy Quarles, Pete Johnson, Jeff Koski, and Ken Walsh. During their time in Washington, the group met personally with all three members of Montana’s congressional delegation: Senators Tester and Daines, and Representative Zinke. The meeting with Representative Zinke was particularly excit- ing as Representative took extensive time out of his busy schedule to personally escort the group through the U.S. Capital Building, through the Speaker Paul Ryan’s office, and out onto the Speaker’s balcony