Pub. 12 2017-2018 Issue 6

NEBRASKA BANKERS ASSOCIATION 7 President’s Message — continued on page 11 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE T HROUGHOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS LAST FALL, one of the recurring themes we observed in our survey results and heard loud and clear from every focus group was the need for the NBA to proactively reach out to and engage with the next generation of bankers. It was not surpris- ing to see this issue discussed as an organizational priority; one simply needs to look at the enrollment within our various schools, training programs, and conferences to recognize that the demographics of the Nebraska banking industry are cur- rently experiencing a seismic shift. With the strategic plan as our roadmap, your NBA teamhas initiated plans to provide new educational/training offerings and create networking opportuni- ties for these next-generation bankers. Government relations and advocacy have served as the bedrock of the NBA since our founding more than 128 years ago. To help our next-generation bankers better understand the correlation between their jobs/careers and politics/government, the NBA hosted its first Young Bankers Day at the Capitol on February 13. Twelve bankers from locations across the state joined your NBA team for a one-day orientation to the Nebraska Legislature. The event schedule included a general orientation of the Legislature, a live Unicameral legislative debate, a hearing of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, and lunch with a select group of state senators including Sens. John Stinner, Matt Williams, and Rob Clements. Sen. Ernie Chambers was even kind enough to personally thank the young bankers in at- tendance during the floor debate and offered themsome personal words of encouragement. The day concluded with a tour of the Capitol building. When we ask young bankers about what they would like the NBA to focus on, we frequently receive requests for regional meetings to offer training and networking. As a result, the NBA will host a handful of regional Networking Lunch & Learns throughout the coming year. These short but focused events will be organized and hosted by members of the Young Bank- ers of Nebraska (YBON) Committee, with every effort made to keep these programs to less than two hours and costs minimal. ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF OUR NEXT-GENERATION BANKERS Richard J. Baier, President & CEO, Nebraska Bankers Association