Florida Banking July 2022

FBA STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Name: Kenneth Pratt Title: Senior Vice President of Government Relations At FBA since: 20011 College: Morehouse College and Florida State University College of Law Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

Describe your role for the FBA. My role at the FBA revolves around advocating for good public policy and legislation that will allow our bankers to serve their clients well. I also have the pleasure of advocating for the trust division of FBA. These bankers have a specialty of assisting high net worth individuals to execute financial planning and strategies. I truly enjoy working on these complex financial issues. Favorite thing about the FBA? My favorite thing about FBA is the everyday comradery of working with a small team of dedicated professionals. Just like family, we have our disagreements sometimes, but we all keep in mind that we have a job to do. Each new year has brought new circumstances to tackle and I enjoy playing my part on this team to help us rise to meet whatever challenge is presented. How did you get started in banking? FBA has been my start in banking! When I started, I could barely understand some of the financial experts discussing the financial markets on television. But, I’m proud to say that I can follow them concept by concept now.

How do you spend your free time? I try my best to give back by serving on the boards of several local community and business groups that I believe do really rewarding work in our Tallahassee community. As a native, I am doing all that I can to make this a better place for all our residents and the generations to come. What’s your favorite book? Hemingway, Shakespeare and Langston Hughes are some of my all-time favorite authors. Recently, I just finished former Congressman John Lewis’ last book, Carry On-Reflections for a New Generation . I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Lewis and staffing him several years ago. He was truly a courageous American hero. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? One of our past FBA Chairmen, Jorge Triay, and his sweet wife, Lourdes, gifted my family a book on the many small villages in Spain. The pandemic (and kids) have caused me to pause my travel abroad, but I still have a strong desire to see Spain and use some of the elementary Spanish I can still speak.

The FBA Career Center is a valuable resource for both job seekers and employers in the banking industry. Promote and advertise open positions to a targeted p l of qualified applicants seeking a career in banking. h pool HAVE A JOB OPENING? Visit www.floridabankers.com for more information.

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM JULY 2022 — 29