Pub. 4 2016 Issue 2

7 Winter 2016 The Community Banker to be especially beneficial to our participating banks. This program provides up-to-date information on compliance issues and federal banking regulations through biannual seminars, quarterly webcasts, monthly e-newsletters, online forums, and a toll-free helpline to compliance experts. MIB shares the cost of this program so our members can receive the lowest registration rates in the nation. Other member benefits that have been added over the last four years include: • Free quarterly board training packets, in- house training, biannu- al banking roundtables, and 10% off all services by Anderson ZurMue- hlen & Co, P.C.; • Revenue-generating insurance policies through PayneWest Insurance; • A Dell product dis- count program for our members through the Dell-ICBA-MIB Member Purchasing Plan; • Discounts for members on AMP Loan soft- ware fees by Montana company eFinancial Solutions, Inc; • Discounts for our mem- bers with companies like Verizon, Expedia, and Staples Advantage through National Pur- chasing Partners; and • An opportunity for member bank staff to apply for a $2,500 scholarship to the graduate-level banking school of their choice. Information on these mem- ber benefits and other bene - fits offered by the Association can be found on our website, www.mibonline.org/member- ship/benefits. One member benefit that is often overlooked is the opportunity for our members to interact with other Montana community bankers at our annual state convention and during our board meeting dinners—the latter of which are held in various locations throughout the state. We have greatly improved the quality of our meetings, presenters, and presentations. And by attending these easily accessible functions, you can build personal rapport with your peers and colleagues in the banking industry. Our members consistently tell us that these personal interac- tions add immeasurable value to their professional careers and may be the single most important benefit offered by the MIB. As I have attempted to de- tail in this article, the Associa- tion does its best to maximize the use of member dues in order to accomplish both the mission of the Association and to provide value to your bank. In this vein, the Association is always encouraging Montana’s community bankers, from the bank president to the teller, to take an active interest and role in our organization. We believe the MIB can be a valuable tool for you, both personally and professionally. If you are interested in joining us at one of our events, at one of our public policy events either in Washington D.C. or in Helena, or if you are interested in learning more about the services and benefits offered, please feel free to contact us. MIB very much values your membership in the Associa- tion. Laura and I have enjoyed serving you these past four years. We look forward to seeing you in 2016 and we promise to keep our New Year’s resolution, which is to make the MIB even stronger in this coming year. And, that’s no small goal given that www. statisticbrain.com estimates that only about 8 percent of people keep their resolutions all year long.