What do community banks have in common with astronauts, fighter pilots and football stars? More than you might think.
At next month’s
ICBA Community Banking LIVE® national convention, community bankers from across the nation will get to see for themselves. Fighter pilot Carey Lohrenz, astronaut twins Mark and Scott Kelly, and former NFL great Drew Bledsoe will address the gathering with presentations on leadership, teamwork and overcoming adversity—concepts that are very familiar to community bankers.
But it seems to me that what these professions have most in common is an embrace of the uncertain, the unknown. Each of us must take risks in order to excel—it’s part of the job description. Now, I’ve never piloted an F-14 Tomcat, docked at the International Space Station or thrown a come-from-behind touchdown pass into double coverage, but I know what it feels like to put my business on the line to help someone else’s succeed. Community bankers know what it means to take a chance, to have skin in the game. That is what makes the industry so exciting and provides hope for the future of our local communities.
Of course, just like Carey Lohrenz and the Kelly brothers and Drew Bledsoe, community bankers have a strong support system on their side. It might not be the U.S. Navy or NASA or the New England Patriots, but our nation’s nearly 6,000 community banks are independent collections of strong, dependable and community-oriented professionals. From the frontline to the boardroom, community bankers are committed to growth at the local level, which allows them to stake out new opportunities and innovations that move local communities forward.
But the community banking team doesn’t end there. In fact, community bankers have ICBA and an entire industry of colleagues on which they can rely. And a large representation will be in attendance at next month’s convention, along with more than 60 education sessions and hundreds of innovative solutions in the Expo.
So for community bankers looking to draw on the strength, education and experience of ICBA and a couple thousand of your closest friends, I encourage you to
join us in San Antonio. In addition to the education, entertainment and networking, you’ll be able to tell everyone back home what you have in common with fighter pilots and Super Bowl quarterbacks—without even having to leave the inner atmosphere. Of course, those who depend on you for a small-business loan, home mortgage or even just old-fashioned financial advice might have already reached their own conclusions.
