Pub. 11 2016-2017 Issue 1

May/June 2016 7 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Another Great Year for the Books! 233 South 13th Street, Suite 700 Lincoln, NE 68508 Phone: (402) 474-1555 • Fax: (402) 474-2946 NBA Board of Directors NBA Editorial Staff Richard J. Baier Joni Sundquist NBA President & CEO Senior Vice President of Communications richard.baier@nebankers.org joni.sundquist@nebankers.org  President’s Message — continued on page 11 Richard J. Baier, President & CEO, Nebraska Bankers Association Jerry A. Catlett NBA Chairman (402) 353-2555 Bruning State Bank Bruning Kristie K. Holoch NBA Chairman-Elect (402) 363-7431 Cornerstone Bank York Kathryn M. Barker (402) 894-7001 Core Bank Omaha Nicholas W. Baxter (402) 602-1839 First National Bank of Omaha Omaha Cory A. Bergt (402) 434-4122 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Lincoln Alan L. Fosler (402) 323-1272 Union Bank & Trust Co. Lincoln Karl W. Gramann (402) 988-2255 Adams State Bank Adams Rex R. Haskell (402) 687-2640 First National Bank Northeast Lyons Krista K. Heiss (308) 534-2877 NebraskaLand National Bank North Platte Chris Hove (402) 420-8344 Nebraska Bank of Commerce Lincoln Dale L. Johnson (308) 452-3225 Town & Country Bank Ravenna Susan K. Koranda (402) 256-3247 Security Bank Laurel John F. Kotouc (402) 399-5088 American National Bank Omaha Brian D. Lierman (308) 217-1382 Great Western Bank Lexington Raymond M. McKenna (402) 363-7411 Cornerstone Bank York Larry E. McPhillips (402) 564-2805 Bank of the Valley Columbus Debbie R. Newkirk (402) 449-0902 Security National Bank of Omaha Omaha Ken H. Niedan (308) 368-5555 Hershey State Bank Hershey Anthony Rappa (402) 918-5442 Bank of the West Omaha Jason R. Smith (402) 372-5331 F&M Bank West Point Joseph T. Sullivan III (402) 348-6000 U.S. Bank, N.A. Omaha John C. Wilkins (402) 759-8126 Heartland Bank Geneva Lydell L. Woodbury (402) 563-3659 First Nebraska Bank Columbus Scott A. Zimbelman (308) 784-2000 Homestead Bank Cozad Michael Pate NBA Past Chairman (402) 916-1401 United Republic Bank Omaha T HE NBA RECENTLY USHERED IN THE CLOSE TO ANOTHER successful fiscal year for your banking trade associa- tion, and my first full year as president and CEO. Our membership and finances both remain strong, allowing the NBA to focus on our long-standing priorities: government affairs and advocacy, member education, communications/ marketing/outreach, and products and services. With an av- erage employee tenure of 12.27 years, the NBA staff remains committed to providing extraordinary service to our financial institution members. While bank mergers and consolidations keep our member- ship ranks fluctuating, the NBA was blessed to have 188 mem- bers as of Dec. 31, 2015. Of those members, two have deposits of less than $10 million while six have more than $1 billion in deposits. The largest category of members consists of Nebraska banks and savings banks holding between $101 million and $1 billion in deposits. During 2015, total bank employment in Nebraska rebounded to 14,693 hard-working Nebraskans. Thanks to strong educational programming and increased profits from our marketing and products and services divi- sions, coupled with a focus on administrative efficiency, the NBA finished the fiscal year with approximately $90,000 in revenues over expenses. Current assets of the organization are $1.56 million. Member equity as of April 30, 2016, was estimated at $2.4 million. The NBA’s proactive government relations efforts remain a primary pillar of the organization’s work. During the most recent state legislative session, for example, your NBA teamac- tively opposed 18 legislative bills. Seventeen of those eventually died in the Legislature. Not as visible, but perhaps more impor- tantly, your GR team stopped several potentially detrimental pieces of legislation before they were even introduced. This past year, we also found ourselves actively working to soften an abandoned property ordinance that was being considered by the Omaha City Council.