Florida Banking December 2022/January 2023

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

GRATEFUL FOR NEW ADVOCACY EXPERIENCES AS FBA CHAIR

BY BILL PENNEY, FBA CHAIR

T he first sixmonths of representing ourmembership and industry as FBA Chair have been a whirlwind of new experiences. To quote “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)”, my favorite Three Dog Night song, “I seen so many things I ain’t never seen before.” Joint Visit to Washington, D.C., with the California Bankers Association On this important advocacy trip, we met with more than 10 representatives and key policymakers to discuss the issues impacting our industry. I, along with Steve Andrews of Western Bankers, led the Florida and California Bankers delegation to the White House to meet with Bharat Ramamurti, deputy economic advisor to the President. As free market entrepreneurs, we don’t always share the same free enterprise values with the current Administration, but this is why it’s all the more important that we engage with them. We made the point that our hardworking men and women in the banking industry help Americans make their dreams come true every day by financing that first car loan, home loan, or business loan. During this trip, we also had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion on Small Business Credit, hosted by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer and Rep. Young Kim. Representatives Claudia Tenney and Roger Williams were also in attendance. I sat on the panel alongside California bankers Josh Denney, Todd Hollander, and Rebecca Miller. I must admit it’s pretty cool to walk into a Congressional meeting room and see your name on the nameplate at the table (note to self: stay humble!). We spoke about our belief that there is too much government intrusion and regulation at all levels for the small business community. Other topics of discussion included: • Simplifying SBA authorization and approval. • Increasing the definition of an SBA small business loan from $350K to $500K. • Modernizing SBA technology. • The problem with tax-exempt credit unions buying banks.

• Scaling regulation to size and risk profile. …just to name a few. I was proud to represent you, our Florida bankers, at this meeting! Gubernatorial Debate I had the opportunity to attend the Gubernatorial Debate in Fort Pierce on October 24, thanks to the FBA’s strong relationship with the Governor’s office. I was joined by fellow banker Keith Costello, CEO of Locality Bank, Ft. Lauderdale. Keith and I witnessed democracy in action. It was fascinating to observe the crowd; while some complied with the rules prohibiting speaking and clapping, many others did not. Both sides escalated from there, and it was interesting to see how the officials handled the crowd on this live TV broadcast. I thought the moderator asked excellent questions. Unfortunately, one minute is simply not enough time for a meaningful answer. Ron DeSantis Election Night Celebration (almost) In 1967, folk group Peter, Paul and Mary sang, “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…” Mine were, too, on November 8 as I was planning to drive to Tampa to attend the Ron DeSantis Election Night Celebration. I had never been to an election party and was quite excited to have the opportunity to attend and represent you. I guess Peter, Paul and Mary did not have to deal with hurricanes, but my plans were derailed when Hurricane Nicole decided to target Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast for landfall. I wisely stayed home and watched the Governor’s acceptance speech on TV. Oh well, next time! Our advocacy never stops! It is exciting, gratifying, and humbling to be a part of the work that the FBA does on behalf of our banking industry. I am honored to represent you as FBA Chair. If the first six months of my tenure is any indication, there is much more to look forward to as we enter into 2023 and close out the fiscal year!

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