August 1, 2018


In This Issue: 
Message From the President

John Witkowski, President & CEO


Join Us At IBANYS' 2018 Annual Convention

"Community Banks: The Capital Advantage" is the theme of IBANYS' 2018 Annual Convention  September 25 - 27 at the Hilton Albany, Albany, New York.  Our 2018 IBANYS Convention brochure is available and contains all the important details you need,  from program details to registration forms. Included are specifics about dress attire, hotel booking, dinner choices, and convention schedule. 

Important forms to keep in mind are: 
  • Information about our PAC Silent Auction. This popular convention feature is the perfect opportunity to showcase items from your region. while contributing to an essential committee that focuses and advocates for community banks in NYS legislative affairs.

Program favorites also return to this year's convention, such as the six-minute drill, our exhibitor tradeshow, and PAC Silent Auction. We also have an impressive array of speakers who will address timely and relevant issues within the community banking world. Speakers include Maria Vullo, NYS DFS Superintendent, Susan Powell Byrd, CEO of Westover Strategy, Inc., and Rebeca Romero Rainey, President & CEO of ICBA. 


Our  annual convention is IBANYS' signature event of the year and  brings together the leadership of New York's community banks under one roof. Now is the time to sign up. Whether you're attending for one day or three, you know that our Convention will be exciting and informative. Don't miss your chance to network while also earning up to 12.5 CPE credits. So don't delay, get your information in today!

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2018 has been a record setting year for IBANYS' meetings and conferences.
We offered more educational programs than ever before, including programs for CEOs, senior management, bank directors, compliance and security officers, H.R. personnel and lending officers. Attendance has been up across the board, and feedback has been quite favorable.
We are committed to offering a number of these programs regionally, to make them as convenient as possible for our member banks. Thank you to all that have attended our 2018 programs, as we are looking forward to seeing what 2019 will hold.

We also continue to provide quality webinar programming for New York community bankers. They cover a wide range of important operational and strategic issues including human resources, compliance, lending, and more. The added benefit, of course, is the ability to participate from the comfort and convenience of your offices. I encourage you to check out our offerings if you have not yet done so as they are a terrific complement to our in-person meetings and conferences. 

As always, thank you for your support of IBANYS and all you do or community banking.

Remember: IBANYS is YOUR association. Make it work for you!

- John

SocialMedia
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2018 Annual Convention

                                                           2018 IBANYS Annual ConventionConvention1



            September 25-27, 2018
                         Hilton Albany
                      40 Lodge Street
                    Albany, NY 12207

                
                    Hotel Information
 
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Albany. Reservations can be made by the following: 


Arrival Date:
 September 25, 2018
Departure Date:  September 27, 2018

           Price of Rooms & Exclusive Deals  

           Refer to Group Code:  1IBANY

           Web:  Click Here                     
   Phone:   1-866-691-1183


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Member banks:   Share this information  with your senior management teams, officers, directors, compliance, security and human resources officers.  Preferred providers, associate members and business show exhibitors:  Now is the time to plan to attend, participate, sponsor/exhibit.  Contact Linda Gregware at  [email protected] or at (518) 436-4646.
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Convention Favorites Are Back!

Six-Minute Drill

For our 2018 Annual Convention, IBANYS is continuing with a favorite-the 6 minute drill.  This convention favorite offers our IBANYS preferred providers the opportunity - from the podium - to take a brisk six minutes and showcase their firms, products and services, and to demonstrate exactly what they can do to help New York community banks.

There is only ONE 6-minute drill left to sponsor, so don't wait!. View the sponsorship form to learn more. 


PAC SILENT AUCTION
Wednesday, September 26, 5:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Our PAC Silent Auction is back! This a wonderful opportunity to help our industry stay competitive in the political process in Albany by supporting IBANYS' state political action committee, NYSIBPAC. 

The PAC contributes to New York State candidates and officials who understand and support the vital role community banks play in our local and state economies, as well as our communities.  Donate a gift today! View the PAC Silent Auction form to learn more or to submit an item.

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Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor! SponsorExhibitor


Demonstrate your support for community banking by becoming a sponsor or exhibitor at our Annual Convention! Our Convention Trade Show provides the opportunity for exhibitors to discuss their products and services with attendees. IBANYS'  exhibitor trade show b egins Tuesday, September 25 at 5:30 pm, and concludes Thursday, September 27 at 11:00 am.
Our tradeshow is the perfect opportunity to showcase your firm, and network with attendees! 

Becoming a convention sponsor gives your organization the chance to show its continuing support for community banking in New York, and to be recognized in our printed materials, signage and from the podium.
 
These two important opportunities that will put you front and center in terms of creating a presence for your firm and providing an opportunity to network with the industry's leadership.

You can view the Sponsorship form, as well as the Exhibitor form, for all information and details.  Please take a moment to carefully review, and act soon to secure both your exhibitor booth location for the trade show and the event/activity you wish to sponsor.

Please note: Both will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.
 
As always, thank you for your support and participation.

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Don't miss any Convention news. Follow us today!

                 
New Feature!
Spotlight Bank of the Week

Spotlight Bank of the Week is a new feature that we have added to our website and e-newsletter. It is an opportunity to promote anything about your organization, such as fun facts, organization news, special events, etc. The Spotlight Bank of the Week will be featured on our homepage slider, e-newsletter, and our social media platforms for one week. So don't miss out on this exceptional opportunity to showcase your bank to thousands of people!

To apply, just fill out our registration form and email it to Natalie Rowan at [email protected].

IBANYS Education/Webinars
IBANYS Webinars


Are you participating in IBANYS' webinars? Your peers are! They provide timely, important information on subjects of interest to New York community bankers. They are valuable not only for their content, but for their convenience. Take part from the comfort and privacy of your office, without leaving the bank.  Our  Webinar Series  offers many topics in the following categories:
  • Audit & Accounting
  • Collections
  • Compliance
  • Directors
  • Frontline & New Accounts
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • IRA
  • Lending
  • Operations
  • Security & Fraud
  • Senior Management
We are always adding more programs based on needs and requests of our members,
who drive our focus!  Take a look at the various series of webinars we offer by clicking each of the links below.

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FREE WEBINAR: ICS & CDARS


What the New Law Means for Banks
Thanks to the newly signed regulatory relief bill, most reciprocal deposits are no longer brokered. This comes as banks face intense and increasing competition for deposits.

Join Us for a Webinar
Join Promontory Interfinancial Network-- the nation's leading provider and inventor of reciprocal deposit placement services-- for a free webinar that outlines key provisions of the new law and the impact ICS®, or Insured Cash Sweep®, and CDARS® can have on banks' balance sheets. The webinar will also cover how banks can use ICS and CDARS to capitalize on the opportunities at hand; presenters will discuss cost-effective ways to use the services to attract high-value relationships (even as deposit competition intensifies) and to lock-in more low-cost funding (even as interest rates continue to rise.) This webinar is a "must" for decision-makers at banks of all sizes, especially for community banks that utilize collateralized deposits and/or listing services.

Choose a date and time that works for you!

Government Relations
AlbanyAlbany

 

DFS Responds On Feds Plans For Fintech ChartersFintech

Maria Vullo
NYS DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Treasury Department's and OCC's plans regarding fintech charters:

"The New York State Department of Financial Services fiercely opposes the Department of Treasury's endorsement of regulatory 'sandboxes' for financial technology companies. The idea that innovation will flourish only by allowing companies to evade laws that protect consumers, and which also safeguard markets and mitigate risk for the financial services industry, is preposterous. Toddlers play in sandboxes. Adults play by the rules. Companies that truly want to create change and thrive over the long-term appreciate the importance of developing their ideas and protecting their customers within a strong state regulatory framework.  DFS also strongly opposes today's decision by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to begin accepting applications for national bank charters from nondepository financial technology (fintech) companies. DFS believes that this endeavor, which is also wrongly supported by the Treasury Department, is clearly not authorized under the National Bank Act. As DFS has noted since the OCC's proposal, a national fintech charter will impose an entirely unjustified federal regulatory scheme on an already fully functional and deeply rooted state regulatory landscape."


Cuomo's Big Lead In Dem Gubernatorial Primary Race

Governor Cuomo
A new Siena poll shows Governor Cuomo with a big lead over his Democratic primary challenger Cynthia Nixon. It finds 60 percent of Democrats are planning to vote for Cuomo in the
Cynthia Nixon
September gubernatorial primary, while only 29 percent plan to vote for Nixon. Cuomo's lead extends to all demographics and parts of the state. 
Cuomo's running mate, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, leads Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams by 30 percent to 21 percent. Both candidates remain little known, and half the voters are undecided. 
In the race for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General,  New York City Public Advocate Letitia James had 25 percent of the vote; Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney had 16 percent, Zephyr Teachout had 13 percent and Leecia Eve had 4 percent. Significantly, 42 percent of Democrats remain undecided in the race.

Washington, D.C.Washington



IBANYS Members: Host Your Members of Congress During August Congress

IBANYS encourages New York community banks to invite their local Members of Congress to visit their bank during the August recess that begins next week. ICBA has released an updated version of its "Meetings on Main Street" guide for community bankers interested in doing so. 

The guide provides a step-by-step process on scheduling, conducting and promoting in-district meetings with your members of Congress, including community bank visits by lawmakers and staff. It also offers social media tips and a sample letter to request a meeting or bank visit.  For information, contact ICBA Assistant Vice President of Advocacy, Joshua Habursky at  [email protected] or (202) 821-4355. 


Flood Insurance Update

By a vote of 86-12, the U.S. Senate passed legislation reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program on the day it was slated to expire. It extends the NFIP through November. The House passed its version last week.  ICBA thanked Congress for the extension

However, after several stopgap extensions and lapses in recent years, ICBA and IBANYS want Congress to pass a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP that continues to provide affordable, reliable flood insurance for residential and commercial properties.


Subchapter S Banks's Shareholders Deduction

ICBA met with staff from the White House and the Office of Management and Budget regarding Treasury's proposed regulation to implement a 20 percent tax deduction for shareholders in Subchapter S banks and other pass-through entities. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act generally provides that Sub S shareholders are eligible for the deduction on their qualified business income, although certain "specified services" enumerated in the law are not eligible. ICBA has urged a broad interpretation to ensure all community bank activities are eligible, which policymakers claimed while the law was being crafted. Treasury has submitted its proposal to the OMB before releasing it publicly. Under a new process, OMB has 10 days to review and revise tax regulations before they are published.

Other Items
  • House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), who is not seeking reelection to Congress in November, recently indicated he might be open to heading the Federal Housing Finance Agency after he leaves Congress. Current FHFA Director Mel Watt's term expires next January. The next head of the agency would likely play a major role in efforts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
  • A Treasury Department report called for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to ditch its regulation of the payday lending industry, while also pushing for a standard for national data breach notification.
  • The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will begin accepting applications for special-purpose bank charters for fintech companies. Treasury recently released recommendations for overseeing nonbank financial firms, which encouraged the OCC to move ahead with the fintech charter. The Treasury report includes a variety of ICBA priorities: enacting a federal data security and breach notification law, modernizing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and other laws, harmonizing state licensing requirements and guidance on third-party partnerships, codifying the "valid when made" doctrine, and encouraging continued Federal Reserve leadership on payments modernization. ICBA is concerned the OCC's special-purpose fintech charter would create an unlevel regulatory playing field, and believes the OCC should procure explicit statutory authority from Congress before it issues fintech charters and that any new chartered institution should be subject to the same supervision and regulation required of community banks.
  • The Senate Banking Committee is set to vote tomorrow on the nominations of Kathleen Kraninger to head the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, and Kimberly Reed to head the Export-Import Bank. ICBA has urged the advancement of both nominations. 


Innovations In Banking
Fintechs Have An Unfair Advantage. . .Or, Do They?

Bryan Adler
Vetter CEO and Co-Founder Bryan Adler writes that Fintech companies undeniably have a big advantage over community financial institutions (CFIs), particularly in lending, payments, and wealth management. They have established powerful competitive forces to banks and credit unions because they are able to use loopholes in regulations, compliance, and routine audits due to the nature of their new industry. 

Essentially, these fintechs are glossy front-ends with enhanced user experiences, leaving the hard regulatory restrictions and data collection costs to the banks. It's a term called regulatory arbitrage and they've seemed to have mastered the model pretty well. So why aren't fintech companies heavily regulated like financial institutions? Read the full article.


Small Business Owners Trust Banks 
Over Online Lenders

According to Bryan Adler of Vetter, a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that small business owners' perception of online lenders lacks trust. When asked where they would turn first for funding, business owners all preferred a traditional financial institution compared to online lenders. Read the full article.

Industry Trends & Updates

Good News for Banks: Congress Makes Way For Reciprocal Deposits

Promontory Interfinancial Network has a new article we thought might be of interest our members:

"A lesser-known provision of a new law has changed the market for deposits, and it could not have come at a better time for community banks. The provision, which is part of the regulator relief package for banks enacted earlier this year, provides that most reciprocal deposits are no longer treated as brokered. As a result, well-capitalized banks can now attract more large-dollar, local relationships, and in turn, have more cost-effective funding on hand to finance lending in their communities..."  Read the full article.



Data Breaches Reach All Time High

The number of U.S. data breaches hit a new all-time high in 2017, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. Identified breaches rose 44.7 percent last year to 1,579. The business sector topped the list with 870 reported incidents, representing more than half of the overall total. The healthcare sector was second with 374 breaches (23.7 percent), followed by the financial sector with 134 (8.5 percent).



Michigan Credit Unions Form Limited Purpose Bank

Seven Michigan credit unions are forming a limited-purpose bank to meet state restrictions on offering wealth and asset management services. Crain's Detroit Business reports that the new trust bank follows a 2016 state law easing regulations that barred credit unions from offering trust services directly to members- offering yet another example of credit unions pushing the envelope on permissible activities. 

Reportedly, the credit union group's long-term plan is to extend their trust bank's services to serve Michigan's roughly 5 million credit union customers. ICBA is reviewing the application, which the state has 100 days to formally review.



Pending Home Sales Up in June, But...

Pending home sales increased in June but remained down year-over-year for the sixth straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors. NAR's index rose 0.9 percent last month but was down 2.5 percent from a year ago. The index was up in all four major regions.

The number of people requesting home tours fell 6.1 percent annually in June, according to Redfin's index, which is seasonally adjusted and covers 15 large metropolitan housing markets. There were 15 percent fewer offers made on homes as well. The supply of homes for sale increased very slightly nationally in June, according to the National Association of Realtors. Yet, Redfin's major market index, the total number of homes for sale was 3.8 percent lower than a year ago and there were 1.6 percent fewer listings.

Banking News
Keep The Door Open For Your Small Business Customers

Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF) is NYBDC's nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution and IBANYS' exclusive online lending partner. Join the growing number of banks that work with EGF to offer their customers an affordable and responsible option when they do not qualify for traditional financing. EGF offers loans up to $500,000 with a convenient, digital process. Loans under $100,000 are disbursed within 5 business days.

EGF's experienced team can work hand-in-hand with yours to develop a customized process to make referring seamless. To learn more about offering your customers a second look through EGF please contact Bryan Doxford, SVP, at [email protected] or at (212) 430-4512.

2018 Convention Sponsors

  ThankYouConvSpon





Atlantic Community Bankers Bank (ACBB)

Owned and managed by community bankers for community bankers, ACBB has been serving financial institutions since 1983. We provide correspondent services to over 300 shareholder banks in addition to many non-shareholder banks. From our full product and service lineup to banking expertise with a personal touch, we help our customers meet the needs of their communities. ACBB can satisfy the correspondent needs of community banks of all sizes, including regional financial institutions.

Contact: 

Phone: (717) 737-9335
Website: www.acbb.com

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BlueVine

BlueVine provides funding solutions tailored to your business needs. We work hard every day to provide small businesses like yours access to capital when you need it. By combining the latest advancements in technology and security with the expertise and care of our team, we're able to serve business owners nation-wide with efficiency, simplicity, and honesty.

Contact:

Phone: (888) 216-9619
Website: www.bluevine.com

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The Bonadio Group

With offices in New York State and Vermont, The Bonadio Group provides a complete range of financial and consulting services - from auditing and tax, to multidimensional accounting, business advisory, and financial services.  At The Bonadio Group, we see the big picture. We have the highly specialized expertise and valuable resources. And we personalize our approach for you because you deserve a committed, coordinated team that can put your goals in perspective and help you meet or exceed them.

Contact:

Phone: (585) 381-1000
Website: www.bonadio.com

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CEIS Review, Inc.

The CEIS Review mission is to be the preeminent provider of independent outsourced loan review, loan portfolio stress testing, ALLL methodology validation or refinement, as well as being a provider of related commercial credit management techniques to financial institutions worldwide. 

Our commitment to excellence includes delivering clear & concise reporting, utilizing cutting edge credit and portfolio management techniques, maintaining an objective viewpoint, providing adequate flexibility to clients needs and consistently staying ahead of emerging industry and regulatory matters.

Contact:

Justin Hill, Marketing Manager
Phone: (212) 967-7380
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ceisreview.com

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CloudBnq

Providing digital lending and loan origination software that enables all your Business and Consumer lending products. CloudBnq can easily help create and manage new targeted lending product campaigns. Our digital lending platform delivers all your Consumer and Business lending products for any size community bank, regional bank, or credit union. In addition, our FastTrack program will grow you from a Community lender to an Online lender in weeks, not months. 

Credit cards, car loans, lines of credit, mortgages, business loans, insurance, education loans, refinancing, equipment loans, working capital... If you can underwrite it, we support it.

Contact: 

Phone: (800) 297-8876
Website: www.cloudbnq.com

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COCC

COCC is an award-winning client-owned financial technology company servicing financial institutions throughout the Northeastern United States for 50 years. Today, COCC is the fastest-growing financial data processing company in the United States and recognized as a leader in delivering innovation and the quality service financial institutions demand and deserve. 

COCC offers and supports a single core system, branded INSIGHT. The INSIGHT core system is a next-generation, relational database system that operates in an online real-time processing environment, encompassing all deposits and loans. The INSIGHT platform also enables COCC to integrate best-of-breed ancillary products to the core while ensuring that the Company can develop, integrate and deliver capabilities that clients need.

Contact:

Susan Salecky, Vice President
Phone: (860) 678-0444 ext. 570
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cocc.com

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Federal Home Loan Bank of NY (FHLBNY)


The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) helps community lenders in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands advance housing and community growth. The FHLBNY is part of the congressionally chartered, nationwide Federal Home Loan Bank System, which was created in 1932 to provide a flexible credit liquidity source for member community lenders engaged in home mortgage and neighborhood lending. The FHLBNY increases the availability of mortgages and home finance to families of all income levels by offering high-value correspondent and cash management services to assist our members in more effectively serving their neighborhoods and meeting their Community Reinvestment Act responsibilities.

Contact: 

Adam Goldstein, SVP, Head of Sales & Business Development
Phone: (212) 441-6700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.fhlbny.com

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ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation's voice for nearly 5,700 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. 

ICBA engages with members to address challenges faced by community banks of all sizes and charter types. We offer members: national representation, professional development, innovative products and services, and exclusive tools and information.

Contact: 

Phone: (202) 659-8111
Website:  www.icba.org

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Pentegra Retirement Services

Pentegra is a leading provider of retirement plan, fiduciary outsourcing and institutional investment solutions to clients nationwide. Today, with more than $13 billion in assets under management, we invite you to be part of our story and share our more than 75 years of expertise. Services include non-qualified plans, BOLI, qualified plans, and retirement plan services.

Contact:

Fabrizio D'uva, Regional Director, BOLI & Non Qualified Benefits Plans
Phone: (800) 872-3473
Cell: (609) 977-5891

Kevin Killian, National Sales Director
Cell: (908) 872-4801

Wade M. Connor, Regional Director
Phone: (704) 608-4563

Website: www.pentegra.com

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r&clogo Roosevelt & Cross, Inc.

Roosevelt & Cross is a municipal bond broker-dealer that specializes in tax exempt and taxable municipal bonds. We were founded by Archibald B. Roosevelt (son of President Theodore Roosevelt) and Edwin J. Cross in 1946. We are proud to stay true to our founders, with a focus on municipal bonds and upholding their guiding principles of integrity, quality customer service, and consistency. Financial services provided are research, purchase, sale, underwriting, trading, and distribution & marketing of bank qualified tax exempt securities.

Contact:

Joseph Haller, Senior Vice President
Phone: (716) 856-6950

David Wagner, Senior Vice President

William Welsh, Senior Vice President
Phone: (212) 504-9226



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Sandler O'Neill & Partners

Sandler O'Neill & Partners a full-service investment banking firm and broker-dealer focused on the financial services sector. Our clients include a wide variety of financial firms nationwide, and increasingly, around the globe.

We provide the full suite of investment banking services, including merger and acquisition advisory, capital markets, fixed income and equity trading and sales, equity research, balance sheet management, mortgage finance, and consulting services to financial institutions and their investors.

Contact:

Richard Olstein, Managing Director
Phone: (212) 466-7818

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Smith & Wilkinson

Whether you are a hiring manager looking to fill a critical role, or a top performing candidate looking to take the next step in your career, we are here to help. We are an executive search firm specializing in talent acquisition and recruitment for community and regional banks. Engagements include C-suite, departmental and business line leaders, and skilled individual contributors.

Contact: 

Cameron Boyd, Partner
Phone: (207) 289-3129

Chris Kelley, Partner
Phone: (207) 289-3135


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Wolf & Company, P.C.

Wolf & Company, P.C. is  one of the top regional certified public accounting firms in the Northeast, New York and New Jersey. Building on their tradition of unparalleled guidance, Wolf & Co. provides their clients with audit and assurance, tax, business consulting, risk management services, and WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management®.



Stephen R. King, Director, Regulatory Compliance

John Doherty. Financial Institution Audit & Tax

IBANYS Spotlight Is On...
 

 
Smith & Wilkinson  is an executive search firm specializing in talent acquisition and recruitment for community and regional banks. Engagements include C-suite, departmental and business line leaders, and skilled individual contributors.  They specialize in talent acquisition and recruitment for community and regional banks. 

Smith & Wilkinson clients run the gamut, from publicly traded commercial banks, to mutual savings banks serving rural communities. With assets ranging from $100MM to $100B, they represent the breadth and diversity of our country's banking system. What all their clients share is a commitment to hiring the best and the brightest, not just the most readily available candidates on the market.

For more information, please contact:

Cameron Boyd, Partner
Phone:  (207) 289-3129

Chris Kelley, Partner
Phone: (207) 289-3135

Or, visit the website: www.smithandwilkinson.com

IBANYS Endorsed Services
IBANYS identifies offers products and services that provide value to your banks, companies, employees communities. These brief summaries provide links for information. Please contact IBANYS President John Witkowski with questions.

Health & Wellness

My Wellness Resource & TELADOC

The health and wellness landscape continues to evolve. "My Wellness Resource" can be a nice addition to your existing benefit package. 

Teladoc can save your banks time and money, and provide real value to your employees as this testimonial from a New York community bank CEO proves:
HERE'S WHAT YOUR FELLOW NEW YORK
COMMUNITY BANKER SAYS. . .
"I wanted to let you know that some of our employees and I have been using "Teladoc" and it is one of the best things we have done for the bank. We all love it: We are saving time, avoiding waiting in an urgent care center or a doctor's waiting room for non-emergency related illnesses . . .and it is easy to use and convenient. Once you use it, you are hooked! This was a great find! Would recommend it to all banks."

Mario Martinez 
Chairman & CEO
Catskill Hudson Bank

Contact Alan Justin: (716) 907-5500. 


"Cure the Blue" Helps Banking Industry Battle Prostate Cancer!

The "Cure the Blue" program sponsored by the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation allows New Yorkers to participate in one of the most comprehensive efforts to help promote prostate cancer awareness and research in the United States.  Lake Shore Savings Bank has provided prostate cancer literature and Cure the Blue information at all eleven of its branches and their headquarters in Dunkirk. The bank also offered Cure the Blue ceramic lapel ribbon pins for a $5.00 donations to Cure the Blue to all their customers. "We fully understand the severity of this disease and the devastating effect it can have on families" said Lake Shore Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Reininga. "Our support of the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation's "Cure the Blue" initiative is something that we are taking very seriously and are proud to support." Buffalo Bills Wall of Famer and Alumni Foundation President Booker Edgerson, a two time prostate cancer survivor, said the bank has been a tremendous longtime supporter, noting: "They have really stepped up to the plate with their unwavering support of our Cure the Blue initiative." 

IBANYS urges all of our member banks, associate members and allies to join the effort. Cure the Blue" raises funds and awareness regarding prostate cancer in New York State. Visit  curetheblue.com  to get involved! Of all new cancer cases in the nation, prostate cancer represents 9.6%. In 2017, there were an estimated 161,000 new cases, and more than 26,000 fatalities due to the disease. Support IBANYS' "Cure the Blue" campaign to help New Yorkers participate to promote prostate cancer awareness and research.


Secure, Enhanced Internet Presence

The .bank program by fTLD operates trusted, verified, more secure, easily-identifiable internet locations for financial companies and  customers. www.icba.org 

Did You Know?


 . . . The first person to serve as "Chairman of IBANYS" was Robert H. Fearon, Jr. of the Oneida Valley National Bank in Oneida, New York? He served a two-year term from 1974-1976. (The position was actually called "President" instead of Chairman; the current position of IBANYS President & CEO was originally called Executive Director.)
Mr. Fearon succeeded his father as president of the Oneida Valley National Bank in 1971, and served as president until the early 1990s. 
 
New York community banks play a key role in our state and local economies. Help spread the good news among our customers, business, elected leaders and the media!



John J. Witkowski
President & Chief Executive Officer

Stephen W. Rice
Director of Government Relations & Communications

Linda Gregware
Director of Administration & Membership Services

William Y. Crowell III
Legislative Counsel

Natalie Rowan
Marketing & Social Media Assistant