Florida Banking June 2023

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

LOOKING BACK ON A BUSY YEAR AS YOUR FBA CHAIR

BY BILL PENNEY, FBA CHAIR

I n 1969, Gary DeCarlo’s song “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” become a No. 1 hit on the radio. As I finish out my one-year term as your Chair, it seems an appropriate reference to end on. Where has the year gone? It’s hard to believe that my year as Chair has come to an end! We have been busy defending our industry on all sides. It has been a true honor to represent you, our membership, in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., and at the FBA’s many events. Serving as Chair is not a passive role. It’s exciting to have a front-row seat to the advocacy process,

us to lawfully bank the cannabis industry. These are just a few of the key issues we’ve advocated for in our meetings with policymakers. I want to thank our team at Marine Bank for their support and encouragement during my time as Chair. I also want to thank our fearless leader, FBA CEO Alex Sanchez, and the FBA team for their hard work in planning and executing these advocacy opportunities. It’s no secret that our industry has faced challenges in the past year… I’m especially grateful for the FBA’s leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian — jumping to the aid of our banks in Southwest

participating in the FBA’s efforts to build relationships with representatives and educate them about the impact of legislation and regulation. What has my year as Chair looked like? Highlights have included multiple trips to Washington, D.C., and White House briefings with Bharat Ramamurti, visits to Tallahassee, the Gubernatorial Debate in Fort Pierce, and our leadership luncheons for FED

Florida who faced significant losses — and also amidst the increased media scrutiny due to the bank failures. In my leadership role as Chair, these experiences were opportunities to learn and to be a voice for our Florida banking industry. I’m proud to pass the baton to Incoming Chair Jose Cueto, a colleague and friend who is just as passionate about championing our industry. I

“IN MY LEADERSHIP ROLE AS CHAIR, THESE EXPERIENCES WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND TO BE A VOICE FOR OUR FLORIDA BANKING INDUSTRY. ”

Governor Michelle Bowman and Sen. Rick Scott. We have met with an impressive lineup of leaders and policymakers, including Senators Marco Rubio and John Cornyn in addition to Sen. Rick Scott, as well as Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu and FDIC Chair Marty Gruenberg, among others. We spoke out about ESG regulations and the burdensome compliance costs of having banks act as the “climate police” to enforce federal environmental policies. We have advocated against the ILC charter loophole and the outdated tax loophole benefitting credit unions. We have urged representatives to support the SAFE Banking Act which would allow

have said it before, and I’ll say it again… As bankers, we are leaders within our communities. The more that you get involved, the more you realize that you can make a difference. How do you get involved? Attend our events. Answer our calls to action. Serve on one of our boards or committees. Each of us has an important role to play. We need everyone in our membership to support the FBA and our efforts to keep the industry strong. Though my time as Chair may be up, I will continue to fight for our industry! Thanks for a great year, here’s to another. I’ll close out by quoting Porky Pig… “tha tha tha that’s all folks!”

4 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING