Steve Keen: With the nation recognizing Small Business Month in May, the House last week approved pro-community bank legislation to strengthen the Small Business Administration 7(a) program.

Rebeca Romero Rainey: Today is particularly special because we have taken another step toward meaningful community bank regulatory relief by delivering our S. 2155 petition to the House of Representatives.

On March 14, the Senate passed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155). The bill is now in the hands of the U.S. House of Representatives. ICBA staff and community bankers across the country are working diligently with lawmakers to get this bill passed and onto the desk of the president to sign into law.

Tina Giorgio: The opportunities presented by financial technology are ripe for the picking but sorting through them all to find the solution that delivers the most value for your bank and your customers can be challenging.

​Thank you to all of those who stopped by the ICBA Community Banker University booth to drop off your “pink card” and chat with us. During our time at the Expo hall, we were able to show what our Online Training system looks like and demonstrate the ease of use to those whom have not yet seen it by utilizing giant touch screens.

With the 2018 ICBA Capital Summit just weeks away, I’ve never been more impressed by the strength of community banks!

Tina Giorgio: With threats continuing to emerge, I sat down with ICBA’s cyber expert, Jeremy Dalpiaz, assistant vice president of cyber and data security policy, to discuss what community banks can do to thwart cyberattacks. Our conversation uncovered three important tips for banks in navigating today’s cyber landscape.

​A big “THANK YOU” to all who completed our online training survey in January! The information shared is extremely valuable to ensure ICBA’s Community Banker University Online Training Center is moving in the right direction.

We’re just a few short weeks away from next month’s ICBA Community Banking LIVE® national convention—the biggest show in community banking in the world! And to top it all off, it will be my last as ICBA president and CEO.