Pub. 8 2013-2014 Issue 1

May | June 2013 7 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. Government Must Get Out of the Way for Growth John Stinner , Chairman, Nebraska Bankers Association and President & CEO, Valley Bank & Trust Co., Gering I HAD A GREAT CHILDHOOD AND A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH my dad, who served in World War II. His service to our country was cut short, when he was shot off a moun- tain and broke his back in six places. Once recovered, he came back home, married my mom, and I became the oldest boy–one of 7 children. Needless to say, we had quite a bit of discipline in our house when I was growing up. My dad taught me many lessons, but the core beliefs I learned from him were: 1) Always tell the truth–even if it hurts, and 2) Always do the right thing–even when no one is looking. It’sprettyevidentfromreadingthenewspapersthesedaysthat not everyone grew up like I did. Stories are filled with examples of shameful behavior, decliningmorals, and failures in ethics. In the business world, think Enron, withmisdeeds so onerous that the legislators’ response was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. That bit of legislationleft industrywithsomeof themost strident, restrictive, and punitive rules and regulations ever passed. Themost recent and vivid example of failing to “do the right thing” in the business world was the mortgage crises. Now we have the Dodd-Frank Act, which supposedly will fix our bank- ing system. But since Dodd-Frank was enacted, 475 banks throughout the nationhave gone out of business, and in fact, no new banks were chartered last year. This is a sad commentary since the great majority of all the problem foreclosures leading up to the mortgage crises were created outside the community banking structure in a faraway place called the “shadow bank- ing system,” where private trading of complex instruments occurs and new products are created that are very difficult to understand and even harder to value. Through my travels throughout the state this past year, it’s clear to me that Nebraska bankers don’t live in the “shadow banking” world. Nebraska bankers understand the same lessons my dad taught me–we appreciate the importance of infusing ethics and integrity throughout our organizations, of working hard, of helping our customers realize their dreams, of bettering our communities. “Always doing the right thing” is 233 South 13th Street, Suite 700 Lincoln, NE 68508 Phone: (402) 474-1555 • Fax: (402) 474-2946 NBA Board of Directors NBA Editorial Staff George Beattie NBA President & CEO george.beattie@nebankers.org Joni Sundquist Vice President of Communications joni.sundquist@nebankers.org John P. Stinner NBA Chairman (2013-2014) (308) 436-2300 Valley Bank & Trust Co., Gering Craig G. Brewster NBA Chairman-Elect (2013-2014) (402) 775-2271 Butte State Bank, Butte Steven L. Anderson (402) 845-6565 Bank of Doniphan, Doniphan Kelley Ayres (308) 832-2030 First Bank & Trust Co., Minden Robert A. Balfany (402) 434-1035 U.S. Bank, N.A., Lincoln Nicholas W. Baxter (402) 602-1839 First National Bank of Omaha, Omaha Cory A. Bergt (402) 434-4122 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Lincoln John E. Bothof (402) 334-0300 Northwest Bank, Omaha Alan L. Fosler (402) 323-1272 Union Bank & Trust Co., Lincoln Mark W. Hansen (402) 434-3462 West Gate Bank, Lincoln Stephen J. Hatz (402) 918-1567 Bank of the West, Omaha Kristie K. Holoch (402) 363-7431 Cornerstone Bank, York Michael J. Homa (402) 351-4248 Mutual of Omaha Bank, Omaha Douglas G. Johnson (402) 329-6221 Midwest Bank, Pierce Jeffrey C. Johnson (402) 562-2108 Columbus Bank & Trust Co., Columbus Timothy E. Keller (402) 375-2043 F&M Bank, Wayne John F. Kotouc (402) 399-5088 American National Bank, Omaha Kevin J. Larson (402) 372-5147 CharterWest National Bank, West Point Garold G. Leggott (402) 363-6688 York State Bank, York Brian D. Lierman (402) 475-0521 Great Western Bank, Lincoln Barry J. Lockard (402) 434-2225 Cornhusker Bank, Lincoln Donald E. Moore (308) 345-4994 First Central Bank McCook, McCook Dudley C. Oltmans (308) 532-5936 Adams Bank & Trust, North Platte Kimberly A. Schroll (308) 534-2861 NebraskaLand National Bank, North Platte Ryne D. Seaman (402) 643-3636 The Cattle National Bank & Trust Co., Seward James H. Varney (877) 860-2266 Custer Federal Savings & Loan Assn., Broken Bow Kendell G. Holthus NBA Past Chairman (402) 363-7414 Cornerstone Bank, York Clark D. Lehr NBA Past Chairman (402) 563-3656 First Nebraska Bank, Columbus CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE Q Chairman’s Message — continued on page 8