From the President - Todd Price

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ToddFROM THE PRESIDENT—TODD PRICE

Thanks to all of you who attended our annual Leadership Conference at the Hyatt Hill Country in San Antonio. What an awesome conference! I can honestly say that this was one of the most well-attended and focus-driven conferences ever! And a special thanks to all of our sponsors who helped to make this conference possible.

First, I want to give special thanks to Kyle Irwin for his friendship and leadership over the past year. With Kyle’s leadership, the Division reached new highs in membership, PAC giving and conference attendance. He has raised the bar, but I believe we can reach higher. I also want to thank the board members who volunteer their time and effort to make this organization the premier organization of its kind in the nation.

Second, we need to continue the growth of the Division. The Division does not exist without members. Please help us by spreading the word that the Leadership Division is the go–to group to network and learn more about keeping the philosophy of community banking alive and well in Texas. Our mission is “Building Exceptional Leaders Through Involvement.” We want our membership to be involved. We are encouraging this by asking you to consider serving on one of the committees: Leadership Conference Planning, PAC, Membership or Communications/Regional Meetings. You can read more about our vision elsewhere in this newsletter and if you are interested in getting more involved, please contact Mae Beth at mbpalone@ibat.org.

Third, we need to continue to participate in PAC fundraising. IBAT and the Leadership Division will host our annual PAC Auction in October at the La Cantera in San Antonio. We have spent years and PAC dollars expressing to the leaders of our state and country that we have been the stepchild to the “Too Big to Fail” banks. It seems to be paying off with recent legislation, and we need to keep their ear. I encourage you to donate an auction item, purchase a Dream Vacation ticket, a Steak Out Dinner ticket and play in the golf tournament.

In closing, I would like to say what an honor it is to lead and belong to such an elite group. The Leadership Division exists because of its active members. We are the future of banking because, in Dan Lumpkin’s words at the Leadership Conference, we know what is RIGHT about banking. I look forward to meeting all of you and to having a successful year. Let’s make it happen.