Pub. 4 2016 Issue 2

4 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org President’s Address The organization had another successful year in 2015. H appy New Year! Hopefully 2016 is starting as a great year for everyone. Laura and Jim had a busy fall and continue to work diligently to keep everything at MIB operat- ing smoothly. The organization had another successful year in 2015, both financially and in the business conducted. At the end of 2015, MIB had 28 member banks and 55 associate mem- ber companies. Our member banks continue to stay strong while our associate membership grows every year, which is a testament to the strength and value the organization brings to the independent banks of Montana. The board of directors has renewed contracts with Ander- son ZurMuehlen, PayneWest, and Young and Associates. All three of these contracts offer our member banks many great benefits, including quarterly board packets that contain training information for direc- tors of Montana’s community banks, the opportunity to attend live compliance seminars and webinars and access to a toll-free hotline to speak with compli- ance experts, and discounts on bank-specific accounting and insurance coverages. In addition to the renewal of contracts, MIB signed an agreement with eFinancial Solutions so member banks can receive discounts on their AMP loan software. Details on these and other member benefits can be found by visiting the MIB website http://mibon- line.org/membership/benefits. The 2016 ICBA convention will take place March 6-10, 2016 in New Orleans. MIB will host a reception during the convention on Monday, March 7 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Ascott room at Hilton Riverside. Everyone is encouraged to attend the con- vention and the MIB reception, which provides a nice break to socialize with other Montana convention attendees. More information and registration is available at https://www.icba . biz/convention2016. Every spring ICBA holds its Washington Policy Summit where hundreds of community bankers from across the country visit with their congressional members and federal regulators. The next Washington Policy Summit is April 24-27, 2016. Any Montana banker is encouraged to come attend the meetings with our state constituents. Finally, the 2016 MIB Conven- tion will be held July 21-23, 2016 at the Red Lion Kalispell. Laura has been diligently working on the program and it promises to be another great convention. Outstanding speakers have been confirmed, including JimMathis, Melanie Hall, Patrick Barkey, ICBA Securities, and United Bank- ers’ Bank. And of course the best part is the camaraderie of being with your fellow Montana bankers! By Amy Quarles, MIB President 2015-2016 and CFO of First Security Bank of Helena Amy Quarles