Pub. 8 2013-2014 Issue 2

July | August 2013 7 Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. Join Our Army of Volunteers The Success of Nebraska Banking Rests With You George Beattie , President & CEO, Nebraska Bankers Association PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE  President’s Message — continued on page 8 T he NBA interacts with our congressional delega- tion in many ways. We communicate frequently with key members of their staffs, write letters to them regarding our positions on many issues, answer in- quiries on various matters of concern to the industry, meet with our delegation when they are in the state, AND make several trips each year as a part of an organized effort to put bankers from across the country on Capitol Hill all carrying a similar message. TheNBAmakes an additional push to reach our delegation when we take our Leadership Class and other bankers to the nation’s capital to meet with our delegation and numerous regulators. This trip serves two very important purposes. The first is to keep our agenda in front of our delegation and their key staff persons. I amsure ourmessagemust get old to them, but we leave little doubt as to where we stand on the major issues facing the industry. We also have a new U.S. Senator who is learning the ropes and becoming more familiar with banking issues. I might add that all of our representatives have outstanding staff who work with us to coordinate the visits and who listen intently and take notes to help their bosses better understand the issues. Lobbying our delegation is a process, not an event.