Pub. 15 2020-2021 Issue 1

WWW.NEBANKERS.ORG 8 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A Testament of Commitment Richard J. Baier, President and CEO, Nebraska Bankers Association T HE RISE AND SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS HAS UNDOUBTEDLY brought significant, unplanned hardships and continued change to the Nebraska banking industry. Every aspect of our personal and professional lives has been directly impacted in one way or another. During this challenging time, we have also witnessed our industry step forward and practice what is engrained in our banking DNA: working tirelessly with our customers to help protect and build wealth and support our communities. I have personally never been more proud to be associated with the banking industry and our NBA member institutions as Nebraska bankers worked to update and implement their pandemic plans, adjust to new travel restrictions, actively alter bank operations, confront mortgage repayment challenges and possible small business closures and proactively rollout new government-approved support programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). As I write this column, Nebraska banks have initiated and funded more than 39,000 small business PPP loans totaling more than $3.5 billion. Nebraska bankers worked tirelessly, many of them day and night, to implement the PPP in support of their vulnerable small business customers. These loan com- mitments were made with little direction or clarity, knowing the loans also placed increased risks on the bank’s long-term profitability. Our member banks repeatedly stepped up and answered the call! As you probably read, Nebraska banks were recog- nized nationally by numerous news and media outlets for the early successes in securing PPP loans for their customers.