Pub. 5 2014 Issue 2

www.wvbankers.org 6 West Virginia Banker A s I write this, we are in high gear preparing for our 121st Annual Con- vention. We have over 300 WVBA members registered for convention and we have sold out our exhibit space and raised significant sponsorships from our associ- ate members. We are greatly appreciative of their support of our industry. Since our Annual Convention symbolical- ly concludes our year, I thought I would provide some highlights. Of course, the low light of the year hap- pened on January 7 when the sprinkler systems in our building froze and burst pouring thousands of gallons of water into our offices. Fortunately, we were able to move next door and remain open. I’d like to thank and praise our wonderful WVBA staff who, for the next several months, went far and above the call of duty in keeping our Association open and operating, while also working on the massive project of returning to our space once it was repaired. I would also like to thank our landlord, AF Realty, who along with Real Estate Resources, worked almost around the clock to get us back in our offices within six weeks. Finally, thanks go to all of our members for being understanding and patient while we were getting back to normal. In other news, I am pleased to report that we had a very busy and productive legislative session. We got most of our bills passed and were able to stop bills that would have negatively affected our industry. Here’s a synopsis of the 2014 legislative session: Three pieces of legislation requested by WVBA became law this year--SB 572, amending the Uniform Commercial Code as it pertains to a mortgage filed in the county records as a financing statement, to perfect a security interest attaching to “as extracted minerals” and “timber to be cut,” SB 574, concerning the handling of certified applications for cancellation of a mobile home certificate of title, when the mobile home becomes a permanent part of the real estate, and SB 414, redirecting an inventory of non-probate assets in the probate of a decedent’s estate. A fourth piece of legislation requested by the As- sociation was on the Senate floor, poised for passage, when time ran out on the final night of Session. The WVBA Education Department offers an array of conferences, schools, seminars, workshops and webinars to our members. During this past year, nearly 700 bankers attended the 27 live events sponsored by WVBA. In addition, the 67th annual West Virginia School of Banking had a total of 72 students at its 2014 session that was held in May. Two new programs we added this year included “Emerging Leaders” and “Women in Banking.” We are excited to watch these programs grow as another career-building opportunity for our state’s bankers. Whether the focus is on developing leadership and management skills, networking with peers or increas- ing knowledge about a specific aspect of banking, we will continue to offer the programs bankers need for professional development. In our continued search for products and services that ease the compliance and regulatory burden for community banks, we are very excited to announce the investment in Compliance Alliance. Compliance Alliance was developed in response to the ever-increasing workload created by the Dodd-Frank Act. Compli- ance Alliance is owned by state banking associations across the country and has a regulatory compliance team that is well qualified to assist banks in addressing the challenges of the rapidly changing regula- tory environment. Several West Virginia banks have joined the program this year and we are confident that more will follow. Finally, I would like to make sure that our member CEOs take note that our new Annual WVBA/VBA Joint CEO Forum will be held at The Greenbrier, September 16-17. Invitations and registration details will be coming out soon. As always, I would like to sincerely thank you for your support and for all you do every day in your communities around the state. I’m proud to assist you in your work to make our state a better place to live and work. Please enjoy your time at The Greenbrier for the Annual Convention. We hope you have a wonderful and productive time with your colleagues. A M essage from the P resident & CEO By Joe Ellison Thank You Members for Convention Support Association was on the Senate floor, poised for passage, when time ran out on the final night of Session. n