Florida Banking October 2021

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

HOW BANCSERV BENEFITS OUR MEMBER BANKS

BY FAB BRUMLEY, FBA CHAIR

W hen it comes to selecting vendors to provide the necessary products and services for our banks, we have to do our due diligence. Researching a vendor takes time and effort, resources which are often in short supply. This is why I’d like to remind you that the FBA’s subsidiary BancServ, Inc. (BSI) exists to make the vendor-selection process easier for us bankers. Through BancServ, the FBA endorses companies offering industry-leading products, services and solutions in order to help member banks save time,

The BSI board of directors is made up of 12 C-level community bank executives who are heavily involved in the vendor selection or operations of their bank. Members of the board serve three, two-year terms. First Bank’s Carey Soud is BancServ’s current chair, having been appointed in June to follow Greg Littleton of Citizens Bank & Trust. Every 18-24 months, BSI hosts a retreat for board members and Endorsed Partners to share information about what Florida banks are looking for from vendor relationships and to learn more about the

effort and money. While many of you may be familiar with our “Endorsed Partners,” there are many bankers who have yet to learn about BancServ and its efforts on our behalf.

partners’ latest offerings. This education and networking event is held during one of the quarterly BSI board meetings. Each partner gets one-on-one access to the board, and there’s also a roundtable discussion to explore opportunities to expand the partners’ programs in the state. Most recently, the retreat took place in beautiful Key West and was co-hosted by BancServ board member Karen Sharp, president and CEO at First State Bank of the Florida Keys. Not only do banks benefit from the exclusive pricing

“ THROUGH BANCSERV, THE FBA ENDORSES COMPANIES OFFERING INDUSTRY-LEADING PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS IN ORDER TO HELP MEMBER BANKS SAVE

In exchange for their elevated status and visibility to member banks, Endorsed Partners offer discounts and other exclusive offers to bankers. BancServ currently has 16 Endorsed Partners who offer products and services across a variety of industries, including compliance, check and marketing services, investment products and services, office supplies and printing, bank security equipment and EFT solutions (just to name a few). BancServ will not endorse more than one company per product. Only the highest caliber companies with impeccable references and a solid financial background are selected to become BancServ Endorsed Partners. These companies must first undergo a stringent application process, vetted by the BancServ board of directors. Their due diligence helps eliminate hours of research for your bank.

TIME, EFFORT AND MONEY. ”

offered by Endorsed Partners, but this is a revenue generating program for the FBA. Every time a bank uses an Endorsed Partner, the FBA receives a percentage and those dollars flow back into BancServ and the FBA’s efforts to serve member banks and advocate for our industry. For more information about these programs, please call please call Pamela Ricco, President of BancServ, at 850-701-3514.

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