In May, Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), will hold an exclusive Zoom visit with leaders of Friends of Traditional Banking. The House Financial Services Committee member has long been a friend of FOTB, and was one of their past endorsed candidates. Barr is the chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy and also a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions.

"We always look forward to hear from our friend Andy Barr," said FOTB immediate past chairwoman and fellow Kentuckian Joye Hunt. "He has been a Congressman that always keeps an eye out for issues affecting our industry and always gives us the straight scoop of what is really happening in Washington," she said.

Rita Lowman, Bank Board Lead Director of Encore Bank and former president of Pilot Bank, has been selected to represent Florida on Friends of Traditional Banking's Nationwide Banker Board. Lowman has previously represented Florida with FOTB, and has also served on the American Bankers Board of Directors, holding the position of Vice Chair of its Government Relations Council and Community Council Board.

In 2017-2018, she was chair of the Florida Bankers Association. She served as the chair of the 2020-2022 ReliaQuest Bowl and contributed to various other boards.

Lowman has been recognized as the Tampa Chamber of Commerce 2019 Outstanding Leader and the Working Women of Tampa Leadership Award. In 2021, she was recognized as Tampa Bay’s Woman of Influence. In 2022, she was honored as Gracepoint’s Guy King Mental Health Champion, and in 2023, she was named a Living Legend by Florida Trend.

Scott W. Meier, president and CEO of the Wyoming Bankers Association since 2020, has accepted an invitation to join Friends of Traditional Banking's Advisory Council. A Wyoming native with substantial experience in estate planning and business planning, Meier has been a a Certified Public Accountant since 1985, and is very familiar with banking, business, estate and individual tax issues.

Meier has served in leadership roles with the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, LEADS, Rotary Club, LCCC Foundation, the Old West Museum, the Cheyenne Depot Museum and the Wyoming Bar Foundation. He has accounting and law degrees from the University of Wyoming.

Unlike a PAC that distributes a few thousand backs to many candidates, Friends of Traditional Banking picks just two (sometimes three) candidates each cycle. This allows us to encourage our 25,000+ members to donate what they can directly to these few key races, providing money bombs that can help tip the scales in a close race!

FOTB Advisory Council members (made up of state banking association leaders) met earlier this week, and FOTB Nationwide Banker Board members (made up of a bank executive from each state) will meet next week. These leaders are coming up with a list of potential candidates that will be closely watched in the months ahead. The list is then winnowed as follows:

APRIL - Initial brainstorm list created by Advisory Council & Banker Board

JULY - List pared down to the Top Ten races to watch

AUGUST - List distilled to a Final Four key candidates

SEPTEMBER - Final two endorsements made and members encouraged to donate

The leaders are looking for either challengers or incumbent members of Congress that are stalwart friends of banking, that have opponents that would be bad for our industry, and that are in close races where our involvement could really make a difference.

IF YOU KNOW OF CANDIDATES FOR THE U.S. HOUSE OR SENATE THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL AND LET US KNOW!