Pub. 1 2021 Issue 2

Announcements from your community bankers!

Country Banker Systems — a powerful loan analysis software company. We strive to help lenders be the best they can be.

It’s the mid-way point of the 2021 edition of the Missouri General Assembly. Spring break, a 10-day break, is underway, and as I write this article, I am hurtling down I-55 on my way for a little R&R in Mobile, Alabama, on the Robert Trent Jones III Golf Trail.

Let’s talk about cybersecurity.
Wait! Come back! I know what you’re thinking: “It’s always cybersecurity with these I.T. guys! Don’t they have anything else to talk about?”

Our Main Branch is in Odessa, Mo. We have a second branch as well that you would see driving through the downtown of Odessa at our four-way. That was our original location dating back to the late 1800’s!

As we look back on what was a truly historic year, it bears noting at the outset that the disruption and suffering that so many people experienced in 2020 can hardly be overstated. The loss of life, of human connection, of jobs, and of economic opportunities, was unlike anything we have seen in modern times.

Bankers most likely know the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) better than any other profession. Having been the vehicle for the government’s most productive economic response to the pandemic, you have helped countless small businesses stay afloat and keep workers employed.

The art of storytelling began as a way to solidify cultural history and preserve details for future generations. Yet, to be retained, stories have to trigger us to remember them; they have to elicit an emotional response. In short, stories from the heart stick with us.

This past year certainly has delivered a different experience than I had imagined when I accepted the honor of becoming ICBA chairman. I’ve been teasing Pres Kennedy, ICBA’s immediate past chairman, that when he passed the gavel to me, the floor fell out.

April is Community Banking month. It is a time to celebrate and reflect on staff members’ achievements and involvement across this great nation who serve within their communities.