Pub. 3 2012 Issue 1

spring 2012 7 Advocacy – It’s What We Do As I write this, we are drawing near to the half-way point in this year’s legislative session and, as always, the West Virginia Bankers Association (WVBA) is reminded that our top priority is to be a proactive advocate for banks and bankers in the state of West Virginia. W ith our mission to be a supporting force of the West Virginia banking industry, it is not surprising that our top priority is to continue to build our leadership and success in advocacy. But what do we mean by advocacy? The formal definition of advocacy is “the act of plead- ing for, supporting, or recommending.” For the WVBA, advocacy noticeably includes lobbying in Charleston. Our members have told us time and time again that their num- ber one reason for supporting the WVBA is our advocacy for the industry at the state capitol. Our team puts exten- sive energy into our state government relations program, and I am very proud of our long and successful history of representing West Virginia’s banks on state legislative and regulatory matters. Our advocacy efforts also involve federal legislative and regulatory affairs, educational programs, financial literacy, BankPAC, industry promotion, and so much more. From my perspective, being a unified backer of West Virginia’s banking industry means that we must be a steady, positive source of factual information about West Virginia banks and the work they do to serve West Virginians, our businesses and the communities in which we work and live. In my career, I’ve never experienced a time where such advocacy was more critical. We must be proactive, help- ful sources of factual information and tell the real story of how West Virginia banks operate and serve as the economic engines in their communities. We must assure that policymakers understand the dangers of perhaps well- intentioned but misguided proposals. We must assure that West Virginia remains a place where banks can success- fully and fairly compete, innovate, and provide safe and sound services to all West Virginians. As always, thank you for supporting your association. Together we are making a difference. Q A M ESSAGE FROM THE P RESIDENT & CEO By Joe Ellison We must be proactive, helpful sources of factual information and tell the real story of how West Virginia banks operate and serve as the economic engines in their communities.