Florida Banking July 2024

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

EXCITED FOR THE YEAR AHEAD: OUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES

BY DEREK JONES, FBA CHAIR

I feel honored and excited to begin my year as your FBA Chair. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve our industry and represent my fellow Florida bankers. Thank you to Past Chair Jose Cueto for his leadership and friendship; it is so helpful to shadow former Chairs and to create a network with fellow leaders in preparation for this role. We learn a lot from one another and it is a pleasure to serve together. I have been a banker for nearly 30 years. I started my career with Wells Fargo out in California and then

The FBA is committed to improving its advocacy, education, and engagement efforts. We had the opportunity to learn more about the 2024-27 strategic plan at the recent Annual Meeting, and you can read more about it in this issue of the magazine. This plan outlines goals for streamlining communications, engaging the next generation of banking leaders, and amplifying bankers’ stories and the positive impact banks make in our local communities (among other efforts!). As members, we play a role in the implementation of this strategic plan. The FBA needs our support, and most importantly, our participation. There are many ways to get involved. For example, you could start small by sharing your thoughts through one of the FBA’s mechanisms for collecting feedback. Continue to build and nurture relationships with your local leaders and policymakers. Consider joining a committee to vocalize your ideas and inform the FBA’s plans. When you can, join us for leadership events hosted in your local area. I look forward to all this year will bring for our association and for the Florida banking industry. I am excited to serve alongside Chair-Elect Keith Costello as well as the experienced FBA team. Thanks also to my dedicated team at Wells Fargo for supporting me as I step into this service role. Bankers, mark your calendars for upcoming education events and our joint D.C. fly-in with the California Bankers Association. I hope to see you soon!

was given the opportunity to move to Florida during the Wells Fargo / Wachovia National Bank merger. I am proud to be a Florida banker; I’ve been fortunate to be in places where there has been an opportunity for growth. At the FBA, I have served on the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee, and the Government Relations Council. In that time, I have gained an understanding and appreciation for the FBA’s efforts on behalf of banks of all sizes. Our industry took some hard

“AS OUR ASSOCIATION BEGINS THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE EXCITED TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL GUIDE OUR EFFORTS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.”

hits during the 2024 legislative session. Among other challenges, we will continue to speak up about credit union taxation, IOTA, and most importantly, the regulatory overload our industry is experiencing. Of course, advocacy is just one of the FBA’s core pillars. As our association begins the new fiscal year, we are excited to implement the new strategic plan, which will guide our efforts over the next three years. This is an important step in staying relevant in this changing environment and providing value to bank members and the communities we serve.

4 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING