Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) shares exclusive visit with FOTB leadership
 
Senator Cory Gardner held an exclusive conference call with the three leadership teams of Friends of Traditional Banking on May 22. Sen. Gardner is one that our organization helped in 2014. He is a champion of financial regulation reform and defeated the credit union's number one go-to senator, Mark Udall. 
"Thank you, thank you for your work! It was heartwarming to have thousands of bankers from around the country help this kid from Colorado make it to the US Senate," he told the group. "You helped send me over a half million dollars, which was critical to defeating an incumbent who was from a family that is the equivalent of the Kennedys in Colorado--Mark Udall."
Sen. Gardner discussed bi-partisan efforts he is working on to empower states regarding marijuana and banking, the Enhancing Credit Opportunities in Rural America (ECORA) Act, and efforts to curtail the "bureaucratic superpower" of the CFPB.
 
Sen. Gardner also gave his prediction on tight Senate races for 2020 that we should keep an eye on. In addition to Colorado, he said to look for battlegrounds in Arizona and Maine, and possibly Georgia, North Carolina, and Iowa.
"Friends of Traditional Banking truly did make the difference and was like the cavalry coming over the hill at the critical point in my race," he said.
 
If you are interested in being part of our Nationwide Banker Board to participate in these sorts of leadership events, please contact mike@friendsoftraditionalbanking.com for more information.
FOTB Member Warns of CECL Disaster 

William Isaac, an industry veteran and one of the earliest members of Friends of Traditional Banking, penned an op ed in The Hill recently with Thomas Vartanian. 
"The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) continues to forge ahead with its plan to require banks to forecast and book current expected credit losses (CECL) over the life of loans without even an offsetting credit for expected interest income," they wrote. "Bank regulators should not follow FASB down this dangerous path much as they did two decades ago." 
Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) has introduced H.R.3182 - CECL Consumer Impact and Study Bill of 2019, which is already gaining bi-partisan support to halt the implementation of the expected credit loss standard of CECL until an impact study can be completed.Please encourage your representatives to co-sponsor!
What are FOTB's Nationwide Banker Board members saying?

Most states have a representative on Friends of Traditional Banking'sNationwide Banker Board (if your state is not represented, let us know if you'd be interested in serving). As some of our industry's top leaders, they get it! Here are what a few of them are saying:
"I'm proud to support economic development in our region, advocate for our customers and their businesses and ensure all of our employees are engaged and committed stewards of their communities."
 
JAMES BECKWITH
President & CEO
Five Star Bank
Representing CALIFORNIA with FOTB
"I have been in banking for forty-four years and have loved every minute.  Helping people with life changing decisions is extremely rewarding."
STEVE BIANCO
Senior VP & Senior Lender
Savings Bank of Walpole
Representing NEW HAMPSHIRE with FOTB
"I am proud to be a banker associated with FOTB because it very effectively identifies and supports candidates that share the values traditional banking stands for."
 
MIKE OLSON
Vice President
Lincoln Savings Bank
Representing IOWA with FOTB
"As bankers we owe it to our customers, employees, and shareholders to be engaged in the legislative and regulatory process. Engagement takes many forms, and Friends of Traditional Banking is a critical effort for promoting candidacy at the national level of individuals that see banks for the positive partners they are in the communities they serve." 
JIM RIENIETS
President & CEO
INSBANK
Representing TENNESSEE with FOTB
"The banking industry is vital to every community we serve; we must preserve it."
 
ROGER SHUMWAY
Executive Vice President
Bank of Utah
Representing UTAH with FOTB
 

SILVER FRIENDS
 
Bankers Bank of the West
Central Bank
Colorado Bankers Association
Guaranty Bank & Trust
Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company
Independent Bankers Association of Texas
Indiana Bankers Association
Kanza Bank
Oklahoma Bankers Association
Seacoast Commerce Bank
Texas Bankers Association

BRONZE FRIENDS
 
Bank of Advance
Bank of Southside Virginia
Bank of the Pacific
Bank of Utah
Campbell, Kyle
Choice Financial
Community Bank & Trust
Decatur County Bank
First Bank & Trust
First Community Bank
First State Bank
Goudge, James
Illinois Bankers Association
JD Bank
Legacy Bank
Lone Star State Bank
Main Bank
Michigan Bankers Association
Missouri Bankers Association
Monroe Bank & Trust
New Jersey Bankers Association
Oregon Bankers Association
Security Bank
Star Bank Minnesota 
Tennessee Bankers Association
Union Bank
Valliance Bank
Webb, Michael
Western Bankers Association
Wyoming Bank & Trust

Learn about how you or your organization can support our operations here: 
 
PAID for by Friends of Traditional Banking. NOT authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Friends of Traditional Banking is a non-partisan grassroots effort organized by bankers in 2012 to improve the political and regulatory environment for the traditional banking industry in the U.S. FOTB is the inverse of a PAC--instead of spreading a little bit of money to a lot of campaigns, they focus a lot of money on a couple of key campaigns. 
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Friends of Traditional Banking, 175 South Main Street, Ste 1420, Salt Lake City, UT 84111