As I write this, I can’t help but think about where our economy is right now and what the next 18 to 24 months will bring our way. We have seen a crazy run-up in real estate values that is now correcting, inflation is stubbornly high, the Federal Reserve is raising rates at breakneck speed, liquidity in the system remains high, and things just feel like they are on the verge of tipping over. With all of that, I would expect the next 18 to 24 months to present some challenges for a lot of people in our state.

At the same time, I know I am heading to Florida soon for ICBA committee meetings, and I’m not sure what to expect given the recent devastation brought on by Hurricane Ian. I planned to go down a few days early to spend some time with family members. I am currently in the process of getting my private pilot certificate, and the family I’ll be visiting are pilots who own a couple of airplanes. We had plans to take some day trips to the Florida Keys to grab lunch (because why not) and then fly back so I could get some quality flying time. However, my family informed me that we needed to find some new destinations due to the damage caused by Ian.

This is such an insignificant inconvenience that I struggle even mentioning it as it makes me sound petty, but it leads me to my point: while we may think the upcoming 18 to 24 months may bring some challenges for our local communities and community banks, try and imagine being a community banker in South Florida right now and the challenges that must present. I can’t even imagine.