State Meetings

Iowa regulator updates industry, touts succession planning

Though 96 percent of the 275 state chartered banks in Iowa have a CAMELS rating of 1 or 2, there’s been a slight increase in the number of 3-rated banks in Iowa in the past two years. “You may think this increase is expected because of the current ag environment,” said Ron Hansen, Superintendent of Banking for Iowa. “I would tell you it’s as much caused by a decrease in the management component of the CAMELS rating as it has been by the asset quality component.” [Continue]

CBAI bolsters policy independence, urges reg relief effort

With a vote of the membership, the Community Bankers Association of Illinois strengthened its resolve against a merger with another banking association. The vote took place during CBAI’s annual convention at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Springfield, Ill., Sept. 14-16. The CBAI unanimously approved an amendment to its constitution making it significantly more difficult to change association policy on bank structure or to merge with another association.

Previously, only 60 percent of the member banks in attendance needed to approve any change, but the amendment raised that figure to 80 percent. Proposed changes to matters of policy consistent with CBAI precedents still need only 60 percent approval.

“It elevates the threshold on issues of that magnitude,” outgoing CBAI President Bob Wingert said, leading the final convention of his 43-year career. “In other words, there has to be a meaningful consensus to take that course of action.” [Continue]

Strategies on tax reform, credit unions discussed at IBA convention

Leaders of the Iowa Bankers Association articulated the group’s top priority: gaining tax parity with credit unions. David Nelson, CEO of West Bank, West Des Moines, and Kurt Herbrechtsmeyer, president and CEO of First Security Bank & Trust, Charles City, focused on credit union taxation during their respective speeches at the 131st annual IBA convention. The meeting, which attracted nearly 600 bankers, vendors and guests, took place Sept. 17-19 at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. [Continue]

Pawlenty, Kashkari offer echoing assessments of reg relief likelihood

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari addressed bankers gathered Aug. 10-12 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Bloomington for the 55th annual convention of the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota. Both relayed similar messages about a consensus on the necessity for reg relief but skepticism about the likelihood of it coming any time soon.

“There is a consensus in Washington,” said Pawlenty, CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable. “They can’t always act on it, but at least they have a sentiment that community bankers, first of all, are very valuable, and second of all, need relief in terms of regulation,” he said. “The details of that and what form that takes is still a work in progress, but there is certainly political across-the-aisle consensus around it. [Continue]