June 12, 2019


In This Issue: 
Message From The President

By John Witkowski, President & CEO
___________


IBANYS' 2019 Convention A Major Success - THANK YOU!

This week, IBANYS held our 2019 Annual Convention at The Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York. Attendance was high and included IBANYS preferred partners, associate members, exhibitors, community bankers and a wide array of exceptional speakers. The Convention consisted of three days comprised of our signature exhibitor tradeshow, educational presentations, PAC Silent Auction, networking opportunities, keynote speeches and recreational activities. 

Our business tradeshow took place from Monday, June 10 to Wednesday, June 12 and offered exhibitors the chance to communicate with potential business prospects about their products and services that are specifically  designed to help community banks' operations, strategies and bottom line. The variety of companies represented at the tradeshow provided attendees different solutions to issues facing community banks each day. 

2019 Exhibitor Tradeshow

The education portion of the Convention took place on Tuesday, June 11 and Wednesday, June 12. Presentations were given on timely and relevant topics such as  Intelligent Automation For Banks of Any Size, Creating Your Social Media Mix, and Balance Sheet Strategies For 2019: Active Loan Portfolio Management. Intriguing and insightful speakers such as Cindy Miller (Former LPGA Pro-Golfer), Bryan Doxford (Excelsior Growth Fund & NYBDC), Fabio de Sant'Anna (Strategic Resource Management), Preston Kennedy (ICBA & Bank of Zachary) and more shared their knowledge on these various subjects. Attendees to these educational sessions also had the opportunity to earn up to 12.0 CPE credits. 

Tuesday, June 11, Presentations

Tuesday, June 11, Presentations

The PAC Silent Auction took place on Tuesday, June 11. We had an assortment of outstanding items thanks to your donations. Items donated included a Sonos One Speaker, a Signed Mariano Rivera Hall of Famer Picture (With Authentication Certificate), a FitBit Charge 3 Activity Tracker, and more. View the 2019 PAC Silent Auction video to see all of this year's items. Your donations helped raised significant funds for our  political action efforts in New York State, which help protect and advance the interests of community banks. 

The Convention also featured two keynote speakers: Cindy Miller, Former LPGA Pro-Golfer, and Preston "Pres" Kennedy, ICBA Chairman & President/CEO of Bank of Zachary (LA). Thank you to both, as they gave fantastic speeches to our attendees.

Cindy Miller (left) & Preston "Pres" Kennedy (right)

Although the 2019 Annual Convention agenda was packed, attendees had time to enjoy recreational activities: golf and the After-Dinner Party & Band. The golf outing took place on Monday, June 10 at Kaluhyat Golf Course, with beauttiful weather for most of the day. The After-Dinner Party & Band, sponsored by S.R. Snodgrass, P.C., featured the Beadle Brothers Band. Both were a big hit and well received by attendees. 

Thank you to all attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers for help making this convention the best one to date.  More convention information will be released soon, along with speaker presentations. In the meantime, we look forward to sharing this experience again next year and continuing our mission of advancing and protecting the interests of community banks in New York State. 

____________________________________ 


Contact Your State Legislators: Oppose Credit Union Participation 
In Municipal/State Deposits Business

In addition to our 2019 Annual Convention, IBANYS was also working back in Albany this week continuing to closely monitor activities in the State Senate and Assembly. The 2019 state legislative session is in its closing days - after today, there are just five scheduled session days remaining. The Legislature continues to consider bills that would permit credit unions to engage in the business of municipal and/or state deposits. IBANYS has issued a  "call to action" legislative grassroots outreach to oppose legislation that would allow the tax-exempt credit unions - which are also not subject to any CRA mandates - to hold such deposits. These bills would make an already uneven playing field even more unfair. Learn more.

Lastly, we need your support at the federal level. As a member of ICBA's Federal Delegate Board I am encouraging you to submit comment letters in support of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposal to raise the coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) to 100 loans. The deadline to comment is today!  Learn more.

Today's newsletter provides more details on all these updates below. Please read these updates carefully and take appropriate action.

_____________________________________  

SocialMedia
Follow IBANYS On Social Media!

 Connect With Us Today!


 Facebook: @ibanys1 | Twitter: @ibanys1

Instagram: @ibanys1 | LinkedIn: @ibanys

2019 Meetings

Attend One of Our Educational Meetings! Meetings2019


Our 2019 Meeting dates and locations are now available! These educational conferences cover various subjects that are important within the community banking industry, spoken by the experts. T hey are also a great opportunity to network and earn CPE credits. Here is what we have planned for 2019:


Banking Executive SymposiumBankExecSymposium

September 9-11, 2019
200 Riverside Drive
Clayton, NY 13624

CPE Credits Available  = TBD

__________________________________________________________________

Have an idea for one of our meetings? Want to see a meeting or forum on a different subject? We want to hear from you! 
Contact Linda Gregware or John Witkowski with your thoughts and/or comments.

2019 Annual ConventionConvention19

  
When:

June 10-12, 2019


Where:

5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY 13478


________________


Our 2019 Annual Convention at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino was a success and we can't thank everyone enough for attending and participating! Special thank you to our exhibitors, sponsors, donors to the PAC Silent Auction, and speakers. Here is a recap of this week's events:

Monday, June 10, 2019

The first day of Convention was filled with people from across the nation gathering at Turning Stone Resort & Casino to set-up their exhibitor booths, prepare their presentations, and network with fellow attendees. The golf outing took place on Kaluhyat Golf Course where golfers enjoyed beautiful weather for most of the day. Thank you to our golf sponsors: Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Heilbronner Consulting, LLC, Sandler O'Neill + Partners, Steuben Trust Company and The Bonadio Group. 

Exhibitor Tradeshow - Monday, June 10

After the golf outing was the opening of the exhibitor trade show and accompanying cocktail reception. Convention attendees had the opportunity to observe and network with vendors while waiting for opening remarks by IBANYS Chair Tom Amell of Pioneer Bank and the keynote dinner speech that was delivered by Cindy Miller, Former LPGA Pro-Golfer.


Tuesday, June 11, 2019

The second day of Convention was a busy one. The morning began with a networking breakfast. Michael Jamesson of Jamesson & Associates then kicked off the morning as our first speaker of Convention. Engaging and knowledgeable speakers followed such as Fabio de Sant'Anna of Strategic Resource Management, Richard Garabedian of Hunton Andrews Kurth, Bart Smith of Performance Trust Capital Partners, Pat Howard of SHAZAM, Anthony Burnett of Level5, Greg Roll of ICBA Securities and Preston "Pres" Kennedy of ICBA & Bank of Zachary (LA). The speaker's presentations will soon be available to view/download from our website. In addition to speaker presentations, there were eight 6-minute drills sponsored by Freed Maxick, Compliance Anchor, COCC, Pentegra Retirement Services, T. Gschwender & Associates, Homestead Funding, Promontory Interfinancial Network and Travelers.   

Speaker Presentations - Tuesday, June 11

After some downtime, the exhibitor tradeshow opened for the night. The PAC Silent Auction also took place. This popular convention feature offered organizations the opportunity to showcase items from their region while contributing to an essential committee that focuses and advocates for community banks in NYS legislative affairs. 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. We received numerous unique items from areas across NY and the nation, bringing both variety and a story to the donated items.  Items donated included a Dooney & Burke Janine Crossbody Bag in Gray, a Skaneateles Lake Tour provided by Mid-Lakes Navigation, 1 Set of Yankees vs. Red Sox Tickets & 1 Set of Mets vs. Phillies Tickets, among many more. Thank you to all donors who helped make this event a success.

The night continued with dinner sponsored by Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) and speeches by Tom Amell, President & CEO of Pioneer Bank and IBANYS Chair, and Preston "Pres" Kennedy, ICBA Chairman & Bank of Zachary President/CEO. The After-Dinner Party, sponsored by S.R. Snodgrass, P.C., concluded the evening and featured the Beadle Brothers Band.


Wednesday, June 12, 2019

The final day of Convention was just as packed and exciting as the first two days! The educational aspect of our program continued with dynamic speakers such as Bryan Adler of Vetter, Kevin Gulledge of Abrigo and Tom Stebbins of Lawsuit Reform Alliance of NY. In addition to the presentations were our last two 6-minute drills, sponsored by CloudBnq, Inc. and Accume Partners.

Wednesday Speakers (from left to right): Bryan Adler, Kevin Gulledge & Tom Stebbins

The day ended with closing remarks and a lunch sponsored by Compliance Anchor. Thank you to all attendees, sponsors, exhibitors and speakers. Our 2019 Annual Convention was a success thanks to all of you and we are looking forward to sharing the experience again next year.
IBANYS Education/WebinarsWebinars
  WebinarSchedule2019

Have you reviewed our 2019 Webinar Calendar? The Independent Bankers Association of New York State (IBANYS) partners with CBWN to bring you more than 150 webinars each year covering compliance, lending, regulations, security, operations, new accounts, collections, fraud, security and other topics. Even better, each time you purchase a webinar, you support IBANYS, because a portion of your registration comes directly to us. Thank you!  

You can view the 2019 Webinar Schedule here or by category here. In addition, CBWN has made some recent updates to provide better service to its consumers. Unfortunately, some changes may have caused you to miss important webinar announcements. Please read the IBANYS letter to view the updates and ensure that you do not miss another webinar.

NEW WEBINARS ADDED FOR 2019NEWWebinars19

CBWN has added more than 140 webinars to the IBANYS webinar calendar, covering all the essential topics. Start the new year off right by gaining the knowledge and tools to make 2019 the best year yet! 


CBWN and IBANYS thank you for your continued support of the education in the community banking industry. 

Government Relations
AlbanyAlbanyGR

  

Contact Your Legislators: 
Urge Them To Oppose  A.3262/S.6079: Allowing Credit
Unions To 
Accept Municipal Deposits CreditUnionDepositsAlbGR

IBANYS continues to monitor developments regarding legislation that would  allow credit unions to enter the public deposits (state and/or municipal deposits) business. We have testified and submitted memos in opposition on these initiatives, and have asked member banks to reach out to local members of the State Senate and Assembly to urge their opposition as the bills would seriously impact community banks and the municipalities and customers they serve. 
  • A.3262, Zebrowski/S.6079, Sanders would amend the general municipal law and the banking law, allowing credit unions (and savings banks, savings and loan associations and federal savings associations) to accept and secure deposits from municipal corporations. Chairman Sanders held the bill in the final Banks Committee meeting, but remains generally supportive. The Assembly has not decided on a course of action. With the 2019 session heading into its final days, this legislation remains under consideration. Read IBANYS' Memo in Opposition.
  • S.3312, Sanders/A.3320, Zebrowski would permit tax-exempt credit unions to participate in the State Business Development District (BDD) Program. Credit unions continue to seek expansion of their powers without accepting the burdens associated with taxes and additional regulation. The BDD program was established in 1997 to provide incentives for banks to establish bricks and mortar branches in areas with a demonstrated need for banking services. The incentives include the ability to accept municipal deposits, and a real property tax exemption for ten years. Assemblyman Zebrowski's bill has been reported to the calendar for passage in the Assembly. Senator Montgomery's Senate bill on Banking Development Districts has been amended and is now identical to the Zebrowski bill, and is currently on the calendar in the Senate. It will be ready for passage on Thursday. Read IBANYS' Memo in Opposition.
Credit unions are putting on a full court press in support of these bills.  Please write to your local State Senators & Members of Assembly and members of the State Assembly and State Senate Committees on Banks and Local Government. 
  • Share your own bank's perspective;
  • Urge them to vote no on this legislation; and
  • Explain the impact of allowing credit unions into the municipal deposits business would have on your bank and your community. 
You can access individual legislators and committee members at:

NYS Assembly                   NYS Senate



Wild Card Law On Move
 
  • A. 7604 (Buttenschon)/S.5411 (Sanders) - which would extend the banking "wild card" law until September of 2024 - has now passed the Assembly and is pending in the Senate. The law, which allows the State Department of Financial Services (DFS) to maintain the viability and competitiveness of the New York State banking charter vis-a-vis the federal banking charter, is due to expire this September.  
  • A. 6909A (Weinstein)/S.4827A (Thomas) to enact the "Credit Consumer Fairness Act" has been approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The bill would shorten the statute of limitations for consumer credit transactions from the current six years to three years and extinguish the debt after that time. 
  • A. 5635A (DenDekker)/S.5575A (Thomas) would expand the current data breach notification requirements and include a limited exemption for banks that notify of breaches under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to avoid duplicate obligations. The bill has passed the Senate and was reported by the Assembly Ways & means Committee. 

 


Cuomo's Favorability Up, But Voters Oppose A Fourth Term

A new Siena College Poll released this week found that while Gov. Cuomo's favorable rating is at its best since March 2018, a majority of New Yorkers do not want him to seek a fourth term.   Cuomo indicated he plans to run for a fourth term in 2022. He was re-elected to his third term last year over Republican Marc Molinaro.   The poll found 58% oppose his running again, while 37%
Governor Cuomo
support the idea. Opposition was strongest among upstate and suburban voters; in New York City, 49% were supportive. Support was even weak among Democratic voters, who only narrowly backed the idea of a fourth term by 48% to 45%. If Cuomo wins a fourth term, he would be the longest serving governor since Nelson Rockefeller and would surpass his father Mario Cuomo, who served three terms. Cuomo's favorable/unfavorable rating was at 52% to 42%, his highest in more than a year.

Meanwhile, the poll also found that voters in New York support marijuana legalization by a margin of 55% to 40%, which is up slightly from a 52 % to 42% margin in an April Siena College poll. Respondents also strongly supported tightening vaccination requirements, but opposed granting driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants,

Washington, D.C.WashingtonGR



CECL Study Legislation In House & Senate

Legislation has been introduced in the House (supported by ICBA and IBANYS) that would require regulators to study the impact of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) standard and delay its implementation by one year.
The bill, sponsored by  Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) is the House companion bill to Senate legislation recently introduced by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). 

These bills require the study to assess CECL's impact on consumer and small-business credit availability, smaller institutions, regulatory capital, and other parameters. The report would also include recommendations for changes to CECL to eliminate or mitigate any negative effects identified in the study.



House Financial Services Action On Two Key Bills
Advocated By IBANYSHouseFinancialServicesBillsIBANYS

The House Financial Services Committee today was scheduled begin marking up two bills strongly urged by IBANYS and ICBA: Legislation on beneficial ownership, and reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program.  Rep. Carolyn Maloney's (D-Manhattan) "Corporate Transparency Act" (H.R. 2513) would require certain small businesses to disclose their "beneficial owners" to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network when they are formed, relieving community banks of the burden of collecting this information from their customers. IBANYS met in Rep. Maloney's office this spring and discussed and advocated for the bill.

Meanwhile, the  "National Flood Insurance Program Administration Reform Act of 2019" (H.R. 3111), introduced by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) is a bipartisan compromise that would reauthorize the NFIP through Sept. 30, 2024, and reform program affordability, mapping, and mitigation. IBANYS also met in Rep. Velazquez's office to urge action on reauthorizing the NFIP.



Bipartisan AML Reform Effort Underway In Senate



Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators have unveiled draft legislation to reform anti-money-laundering requirements. The legislation would modernize the current scenario, which bankers consider outdated. The bill is sponsored by Democratic Senators Mark Warner (VA) and Doug Jones (AL) and GOP Senators Tom Cotton (AR) and Mike Rounds (SD) and would require companies to disclose to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) their beneficial owners and create a comprehensive federal database for beneficial ownership information. 



T ell The CFPB To Raise HMDA Thresholds  CFPBCommentThresholds


As noted above, Today is the deadline for community bankers to submit customized comment letters supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposal to increase Home Mortgage Disclosure Act thresholds. As a member of ICBA's federal delegate board I am asking IBANYS member banks to support our industry by submitting comment letters encouraging the CFPB proposal to raise the coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) to 100 loans. Even if this particular change would not directly impact your bank today, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to increase the number of community banks that will receive a complete exemption from collecting and reporting HMDA data.

You can use ICBA's "Be Heard" grassroots action center to tell the CFPB that increasing the threshold will help provide relief from the significant cost and time required for smaller institutions to collect and report HMDA data. The sample comment letter provided also urges the CFPB to make permanent the 500 open-end-lines-of-credit threshold instead of reverting back to 200 in 2022. HMDA collection and reporting would only discourage these loans, which help consumers pay for home improvements, college tuition, and other important investments. Please note: You will need to personalize the letter in several areas. This will dramatically increase the effectiveness of your letter.



FDIC Approved Simpler Risk-Based Capital Rule
For Community Banks

The FDIC board has approved a simpler risk-based capital rule for community banks that hold mortgage-servicing assets, deferred-tax assets, and insignificant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions, such as trust-preferred securities.

Under the new rule (which takes effect April 1, 2020), community banks will only have to deduct from their capital MSAs, temporary difference DTAs, and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions like TruPS if they individually exceed 25% of the bank's common equity tier 1 capital.  The OCC and Fed are expected to quickly approve the final rule, which is nearly identical to what was originally proposed.  



Treasury Cracks Down On SALT Cap Workarounds


The U.S. Treasury Department dealt the final blow to programs in states like New York  designed to help residents circumvent the $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local taxesPreviously, the rules included programs that allowed taxpayers to create charitable funds and get a tax credit in exchange. The new federal regulations issued Tuesday prohibit workarounds that would allow residents to create charitable funds for a variety of programs where donors can get a state tax credit in exchange, effectively removing the state and local tax, or SALT, limitation. The new regulation says taxpayers may receive a write-off equal to the difference between the state tax credits they receive and their charitable donation.



Philipson To Replace Hassett At CEA?

Tomas Philipson

According to press reports, President Trump is expected to choose Tomas Philipson to replace Kevin Hassett as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Philipson, a former economist at the University of Chicago, is considered an expert in health care policy and is currently one of three members on the Council of Economic Advisers. If nominated, he would need to be confirmed by the Senate. Hassett announced he was leaving the position last week. He had served as Chairman since 2017. Larry Kudlow continues in his role as Director of the National Economic Council.

Industry Trends & Updates

The Economy By The Numbers

  • According to a recent survey by Fannie Mae, the majority of consumers currently think it is much harder to qualify for a home loan than it actually is. The GSE recently surveyed of more than 3,000 people, and respondents generally thought they needed much higher credit scores and bigger down payments than necessary. Nor did most know about the minimum debt levels lenders require. 
  • How much are millennials saving for their future?  CNBC asked Fidelity , the nation's largest retirement-plan provider, for an update.  For 20-somethings with 401(k) plans, their average balance through the first quarter of 2019 stood at $11,800. Fidelity also found that this group contributes 7% of their paychecks and their employers match, on average, 4%, which puts their total savings rate at 11%.
  • The U.S. Labor Department reported that job creation decelerated strongly in May. Nonfarm payrolls up by just 75,000 even despite  the unemployment rate staying at a 50-year low. The decline was the second time in four months that payrolls increased by less than 100,000. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected a gain of 180,000. Overall, payroll gains have averaged 164,000 in 2019, a sharp decline from the 223,000 for all of 2018.
__________________________________________
 

Industry Updates


ICBA Task Force On Large Credit Unions 
Purchasing Community Banks ICBATaskForceCreditUnions

ICBA has formed a new task force on the disturbing trend of large credit unions buying up community banks. The move continues ICBA's long-standing call for policymakers to re-examine the credit union industry's tax and regulatory subsidies.  ICBA noted the asset disparity of institutions involved in these deals underscores their inequities, while the acquisitions add to the nearly $2 billion federal cost of the credit union industry's tax exemption. ICBA also noted that the National Credit Union Administration continues to act as an advocate for the industry it is charged with regulating.  

Rebeca Romero Rainey
The Task Force announcement followed a new
American Banker op-ed by ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey on the issue and last week's ICBA call for Congress to investigate the NCUA's role in the taxi medallion scandal that was exposed by The New York Times. Romero Rainey noted  large credit unions are increasing their taxpayer-subsidized footprint by buying up smaller, taxpaying community banks, and warned the trend is contributing to banking industry consolidation, reducing tax revenues, and furthering the credit union encroachment into full-service banking. She concluded her op-ed by stating:  "It's time for Washington to take action on this unbalanced arrangement and join many other countries around the world in leveling the financial services sector's tax and regulatory responsibilities."

ICBA has released a customizable op-ed (and talking points) for community bankers to use to oppose the disturbing trend of large credit unions buying up community banks. The custom resources cite the asset disparity of institutions involved in these deals and the rising cost to taxpayers of the credit union industry's tax exemption. You can access them at icba.org under the advocacy tab.



Survey: Bankers View Marijuana Industry as Growth OpportunityPromNetworkSurveyMarijuana


In the latest Bank Executive Business Outlook Survey report from Promontory Interfinancial, more than 8 in 10 respondents said the federal government should allow banks to serve businesses that sell marijuana commercially. The report provides details on this and other news, such as  banker projections for the economy, thoughts on breaking up the nation's tech giants, and projections regarding loan demand, deposit competition, funding costs, and more. Read more from the survey.



FHFA Pressure To Overhaul Fannie & Freddie


Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria is trying to bring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back to the private sector, a decade after they were placed under government control. Calabria signaled he plans to send ideas to Congress to overhaul the two GSEs as soon as this week. He noted: "If I do nothing and don't push, then I'm fairly certain Congress will do nothing. They have a lot of priorities, so how do I knock this up a few levels in the priority chain for Congress?"

__________________________________________

BondAcademy
The Bond Academy

Learn Bond Basics with your Peers!

When: October 21, 2019

Where: Embassy Suites
1022 S. Shady Grove Road
Memphis, TN  38120

The Bond Academy is designed to provide community bankers with the basic knowledge needed to help plan and create effective investment portfolios.
A high performance investment portfolio can provide a noticeable increase to your bank's bottom line. The learning objectives of Bond Academy are aimed at providing you with the tools to understand how debt instruments work and their overall role in complementing the entire balance sheet.

This all new curriculum has been specifically designed to equip a new portfolio manager with basic portfolio management issues. Specifically, fundamentals of bond pricing, valuation, and selection will be covered extensively.  You'll learn the basics of the bank portfolio investment process. There is also an opportunity to earn up to 12 CPE credits!

Who Should Attend?

CPAs and those new to their roles as investment officers, cashiers, controllers, and internal control professionals will benefit the most from Bond Academy. New directors serving on the investment or asset-liability committee will also find this course beneficial. No advance preparation is necessary.

You Will Learn:
  • Bond basics, including bond pricing, duration, and price volatility
  • Bond types, including agencies, municipals, mortgage securities, and floating rate instruments
  • The composition of a high performing portfolio
  • How to understand the rate market: yield curves, spreads, monetary policy
  • How economic data affects the bond market
  • The impact of interest rate risk on portfolio management
  • Portfolio strategies of laddering, barbells, riding the yield curve
  • Day-to-day portfolio management techniques
  • Evaluating investment portfolio performance
Fees:

  • ICBA Members - $595 / session
  • Nonmembers - $695 / session
  • Members & Non-Members: Save $150/session for each additional registration from your bank.




__________________________________________



New York Community Banks: Have You Taken The Survey Yet?


New York community bankers: Participate in a survey from state regulatory agencies and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) on a range of topics for research purposes. CSBS has begun the annual process of surveying community banks on their economic condition, regulatory impacts and business plan. The goal is to get a more accurate understanding of how bankers are feeling about the future and to help provide an important barometer of the state of the industry. Survey results will be presented during the Community Banking in the 21st Century Research and Policy Conference, slated for Oct. 1-2 in St. Louis. Responses are due June 30. 
 

Banking News

Further Your Education at Barret Graduate School of Banking BarretGradSchool


Barret and IBANYS are aligned with a common interest: to represent the interests of the industry through effective advocacy and high quality educational offerings.

Located in Memphis, TN, Barret Graduate School of Banking offers a comprehensive graduate learning program for professionals in the financial services field. IBANYS has established partnerships with key industry educators including the Barret Graduate School of Banking. The school provides community bankers with an opportunity for a graduate degree in banking. 

We are currently endorsed by ICBA, ICBA Securities, Arkansas Community Bankers, CBAofGA, Indiana Bankers Association, CBAofKS, MIBA, CBAofOH, CBAofWV - with a couple more on the way. 

To learn more about Barret Graduate School of Banking, please visit   www.barret.ws.

__________________________________________


Meghan Rodwell Joins Tompkins Bank of Castile's
Commercial Lending Team MRodwellTompkinsCastile

Meghan Rodwell
BATAVIA, NY  Tompkins Bank of Castile is happy to announce the appointment of Meghan Rodwell, vice president, commercial banking relationship manager.
 
With more than 18 years of experience, Rodwell will focus on establishing new customer relationships and deepening existing ones with Tompkins Bank of Castile's commercial clients, particularly in the agricultural and agribusiness arena.
 
"Meghan's experience in agricultural lending and responding to customer needs will be valuable assets to our company," said John McKenna, President & CEO. "We are thrilled that she's joined the Tompkins team and are excited to begin introducing her to our customers."
 
Rodwell holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology Agricultural Business and an Associate's degree in Animal Science, both from SUNY Cobleskill. Rodwell is actively engaged in the community as a board member of the Livingston County Farm Bureau, is a board member of the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers with dozens of events and organizations.
 
Rodwell is regularly recognized for her accomplishments in the agricultural industry, having been awarded the SUNY Cobleskill Outstanding Senior Agricultural Business Award and the New York Farm Bureau James Quinn Award. 
 
  Meghan resides in York with her husband and two children. She will be based out of Tompkins Bank of Castile's Warsaw office and will support clients across Livingston, Wyoming and Genesee Counties.   
 
About Tompkins Bank of Castile:


Tompkins Bank of Castile is a community bank with 17 offices in the five-county western New York region. Services include complete lines of consumer deposit accounts and loans, business accounts and loans, and leasing.  In addition, insurance is offered through an affiliate company, Tompkins Insurance Agencies. Wealth management, trust and investment services are provided through Tompkins Financial Advisors.  Further information about the bank is available on its website, www.bankofcastile.com.

__________________________________________


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 contact Bryan Doxford, SVP, at bryan.doxford@excelsiorgrowthfund.org at at (212) 430-4512.

Convention Spotlight of the WeekConventionSpotlightofWeek

Convention Sponsors

Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (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. 

The mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York is to advance housing opportunity and local community development by supporting members in serving their markets.  The FHLBNY meets our mission by providing our members with access to economical wholesale credit and assistance through our credit products, mortgage finance program, housing and community lending programs, and correspondent services to increase the availability of home finance to families of all incomes. Learn more.



Wolf & Company, P.C.

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




NYBDC


New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC) promotes and advances the business prosperity and economic welfare of New York State by providing small business loans. Throughout its 60-year history, NYBDC has provided thousands of small businesses, including start-ups, mature businesses, and minority- and women-owned businesses, with access to loans when they do not meet the requirements for traditional financing. Learn more.



Strategic Resource Management

SRM (Strategic Resource Management) has been selected by more than 700 financial institutions to advise in areas such as payments, digital banking, core processing, and operational efficiencies. 

The company has unlocked billions of dollars in value and improved the competitive advantage of its clients with a reputation for industry-leading subject matter expertise, a proprietary benchmark database, and proven negotiating skills.

Their team of subject matter experts cover a broad list of critical areas including payments, digital banking, core processing, application of emerging technologies, and M&A. This expertise, combined with the firm's proprietary benchmark database and proven skills in areas like strategy development and negotiation, give SRM the ability to repeatedly add value to the bottom line of leading banks and credit unions. Learn more.



The Bonadio Group

Founded in 1978 and led by active, engaged partners, The Bonadio Group brings a passion and approach to our work that distinguishes us in our field. Each client assignment begins with the close attention of a senior partner, who continues to watch over and advise the relationship as it proceeds, to ensure we optimize the outcome of our services.

We are a nationally ranked, top 40 CPA firm that brings an integrated world of resources to every client, large or small. We have developed relationships with a diverse range of organizations - from private sector to public, tax-exempt to individual. And we are continually expanding our range of offerings and geographic footprint to ensure your growing needs are consistently met. Learn more.



COCC

COCC was created by a cooperative of financial institutions to deliver real banking technology. At COCC, we feel strongly that our carefully crafted mission statement, vision and corporate values are reflected in everything we do.

Our mission is to be a trusted partner, delivering secure, quality solutions that drive the success of financial institutions, while providing a challenging and rewarding workplace for our employees.Our vision is the hope that by embracing our business priorities and living our values, we will become the preferred technology provider in our industry.And our values are embraced company-wide and held up as a standard for quality in our industry.



Steuben Trust Company

On August 28, 1902, the Bank of Steuben was opened in the City of Hornellsville under the direction of then President, William Richardson, as a New York State chartered bank. Originally located in the former Babcock building on Main Street in Hornell, the Bank was built to accommodate the booming railroad village founded on the lumber, fur and farming industry of the region. This attention to regional industry and the communities served has stayed a primary focus to this day.

In 1914 the bank built its main office at 82 Main St. in Hornell, which the bank called home for the next 85 years. In 1920 the Bank of Steuben officially changed its name to, Steuben Trust Company as it began offering trust services.  Today, Steuben Trust Company, with assets over $550M, operates fifteen full service branches and one representative office across six counties in Western, NY and the Southern Tier. On September 17, 2018 Steuben Trust opened its doors at its first full service branch in Erie County in the Town of Clarence, NY. In addition to the Bank, Steuben Trust Company also operates Steuben Asset Management, for wealth management and trust services and Steuben Financial Services, a subsidiary offering insurance services. Learn more.




Accume Partners

Accume Partners is a trusted advisor that assists clients by delivering integrated Risk, Regulatory, and Cybersecurity solutions to help manage uncertainty and drive business value.  We focus on both emerging and established Financial Services, Commercial, and Education sectors.  We have over 25 years of experience, a local & national presence, and currently advise over 500 clients.

Accume Partners has a long history of providing internal audit, regulatory compliance and risk management services to banks and financial institutions. As the level of regulatory and business complexity has surged, so has the need for specialized knowledge and focus.
Learn more.



S.R. Snodgrass, P.C .

S.R. Snodgrass, P.C. was built on a strong foundation of stability, integrity, and high-quality customer service. 

Since 1946, their independent accounting and consulting firm has assisted clients in the ever-changing world by taking a consultative approach. S.R. Snodgrass, P.C. professionals provide vast expertise in the areas of auditing and assurance, internal audit and regulatory compliance outsourcing, information technology, consulting, enterprise risk management, and tax management. Learn more.



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. Their commitment is to commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, foreign branches and agencies, multinational organizations and other firms requiring a third party assessment of loan portfolio quality and process. Learn more.



CloudBnq, Inc.


CloudBnq.com turns Community lenders into Digital lenders. CloudBnq.com is a loan origination solution that enables all lending product types with no upfront capital or IT investment, does not change the lending policies in place today & reduces the cost/time across all loan origination. Learn more.



Metropolitan Commercial Bank

H eadquartered in New York City, Metropolitan Commercial Bank is a full-service commercial bank with banking centers in Manhattan, Boro Park Brooklyn and Great Neck, Long Island.  The bank is known for its white glove personal service. 

Combining the relationship-driven banking experience you would expect of a community bank with an extensive suite of products and services. They not only have the capabilities and capacity to meet your needs, but also have the ability to craft highly innovative solutions to your precise challenges based on an intimate familiarity with your business. Metropolitan Commercial Bank professionals are prudent lenders who look beyond the simple numbers on a spreadsheet for the context to understand your needs and help you take advantage of the opportunities that you make happen. Learn more. 



Compliance Anchor


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



Info Agora

Founded in 2004 by Grigoris Karakoulas, InfoAgora delivers innovative prescriptive analytics, RegTech (IFRS9/CECL/IRRBB/Basel III)  solutions and risk management consulting that have enabled their clients to proactively manage risk/reward in their portfolios and increase profitability.

As a thought leader and provider of leading-edge analytics solutions, the company empowers Financial Services companies with new capabilities to understand and predict customer behavior, measure and mitigate risk under different macro and micro scenarios, at both the customer and portfolio levels, in order to gain competitive advantage.  Each of their solutions leverages proprietary machine learning technology. Their breakthrough data preprocessing and modeling techniques deliver dynamic and robust models for predicting customer behavior, such as default, loss given default, prepayment, usage, attrition, and fraud. Learn more.


Sandler O'Neill

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

Sandler O'Neill is a partnership and different by design. Since the firm's founding in 1988, its partners have sought to provide banks, thrifts and other financial services companies with an alternative to large Wall Street banking firms. Their focus has always been to enhance the franchise value of their clients. They provide clients a wealth of experience and knowledge more critical to them today than ever. Learn more.
IBANYS Spotlight Is On...



Accume Partners  has a long history of providing internal audit, regulatory compliance and risk management services to banks and financial institutions. They have over 25 years of experience, a local & national presence, and currently advise over 500 clients. They focus on both emerging and established Financial Services, Commercial, and Education sectors. 

As the level of regulatory and business complexity has surged, so has the need for specialized knowledge and focus. Accume Partners has organized to achieve that goal providing clients with deep knowledge, expertise and approaches in the following areas:
  • Internal Audit
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Enterprise Risk Management
  • Technology Risk Management & Cybersecurity Solutions
  • Operations and Process Improvement
Through these key areas of focus, they are able to stay in front of change, bring balanced perspectives and the specialized knowledge demanded by today's banks and financial institutions.  Accume Partners is a trusted advisor that assists clients by delivering integrated Risk, Regulatory, and Cybersecurity solutions to help manage uncertainty and drive business value. 

For details, contact Pamela Lipschutz at:


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?


. . .That according to 2018 figures from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), 250 credit unions in the United States had assets of more than $1.15 billion?
. . .Did you also know that:
  • 121 of those crtedit unions had assets of over $2 billion
  • 66 had assets of more than $3 billion
  • 47 had assets of more tha  $4 billion
  • 32 had assets of more than $5 billion
  • 22 had assets of more tha  $6 billion
  • 19 has assets of more than $7 billion
  • 15 had assets of over $8 billion
  • 10 had assets over $9 billion
  • 7 had assets of over $11 billion
  • 5 had assets of over $14 billion
  • 4 had assets of over $17 billion
  • 3 had assets exceeding $22 billion
  • 2 had assets of more than $27 billion
. . .and, did you know that the largest credit union in the country had assets exceeding
$90 billion?
. . .Now you know.

By the way: The purpose of the Federal Credit Union Act enacted by Congress in 1934 was to make credit available and promote thrift through a national system of nonprofitcooperative credit unions. 
 
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