Noah Wilcox: This industry is in my blood Apr 01st 2020 12:04am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight Noah Wilcox: This industry is in my blood Apr 01st 2020 12:04am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “As a fourth-generation community banker, this industry is in my blood. It’s not just what I do; it’s part of who I am.” It couldn’t be more fitting that I’m penning my first column as chairman during Community Banking Month. As a fourth-generation community banker, this industry is in my blood. It’s not just what […]
Preston Kennedy: We won’t stay on the sidelines Mar 01st 2020 12:03am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “ICBA is loud, proud and unwilling to stay on the sidelines.” It is hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I addressed ICBA LIVE 2019 in Nashville, Tenn., as the incoming chairman. What an honor it has been to serve as chairman of the only national association dedicated exclusively to representing the interests […]
Preston Kennedy: We’re not OK with just being OK Feb 01st 2020 12:02am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “As community bankers, our bars are set high. We’re not OK with just being OK.” A television commercial debuted late last year in which a patient in a hospital bed asks a nurse about his doctor’s credentials. With a shrug of her shoulders, she responds, “He’s OK.” The look of horror on the patient’s face […]
Preston Kennedy: Take up the call of advocacy Jan 01st 2020 12:01am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “Working together, we will ensure the vitality of community banks far into the future.” Every January, I cast an eye toward what’s heading our way in the coming months. And, as I look at this year, I can sum it up in one word: growth. Community banking opportunities will grow in 2020, and we, as […]
Preston Kennedy: ‘Tis the season of giving Dec 02nd 2019 12:12am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “’Tis the season of giving, and no institution exemplifies that holiday spirit more than a community bank.” ’Tis the season of giving, and no institution exemplifies that holiday spirit more than a community bank. For example, for more than a decade, my bank has hosted a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. We started it to draw […]
Preston Kennedy: We need to innovate, even when we’re unsure Nov 01st 2019 12:11am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “We are creating a new world, one in which financial technology grows to meet and exceed customer expectations.” This summer, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. Half a century ago, we blasted into space and landed on the moon—powered by calculations completed on chalkboards and measured with slide rulers! Back then, technology hadn’t […]
Preston Kennedy: Our regulatory successes Oct 01st 2019 12:10am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “I look forward to the compliance and regulatory achievements to come.” Back in the 1980s in my home state of Louisiana, we were faced with a lending crisis that coincided with an oil bust, real estate declines and bank closings. Regulators took a hardline approach back then, which led to very contentious relationships. But that […]
Preston Kennedy: You can’t afford not to be a member Sep 01st 2019 12:09am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “The value of ICBA membership extends beyond dollars and cents.” Over my 40-plus years as a community banker, I have developed countless budgets, and they still come down to this fundamental principle: We must efficiently allocate our limited resources. Take ICBA membership. When I first became the CEO of a community bank 25 years ago, I […]
Preston Kennedy: We’re not resting on our laurels Aug 01st 2019 12:08am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight “We’re not going to rest on our laurels. We have other objectives to advance.”
Preston Kennedy: The pendulum has swung in our favor Jul 01st 2019 12:07am on Columns, From the Chairman, Industry Insight
