Your IBANYS Team: 
Working Together To Make 2016 A Great Year 
For New York C ommun ity Banks !
 
In This Issue

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Have You Contributed to NYSIBPAC This Year?
If not...now is the time! We need your help in this statewide election year to support candidates and committees who understand community banks' needs. Can we count on you?
CLICK HERE for our 2016 PAC contribution form. Help support IBANYS' political action efforts in New York State.

Partner
March 23, 2016

NEWS FROM IBANYS
   
Announcing Fast, Simple Online Loans  
From Excelsior Growth Fund 
IBANYS is pleased to announce a new partnership with Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF), a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution formed by New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC). EGF has been endorsed by IBANYS as the exclusive online lending partner for association members. EGF provides innovative financial solutions and business advisory services to underserved small businesses in New York State through a fast, simple and secure online lending platform. Its core product is the EGF SmartLoan , which features amounts up to $100,000, approvals within 1-to-2 days, as well as disbursements within one week and importantly, interest rates a fraction of those typically offered by online lenders. EGF offers banks a unique customer retention solution when a customer does not qualify for a bank's loan offerings, or is seeking the fast, transparent process available through online lenders. To facilitate retention, EGF shares performance information on the referred loan portfolio on a quarterly basis and offers the opportunity for the bank to purchase referred loans at par at any time.    "We are proud to be partnering with IBANYS to offer access to our online product through referrals from IBANYS member banks. We think this is important and timely for their small business customers," said Pat MacKrell, CEO of Excelsior Growth Fund and NYBDC. "EGF not only provides a solution that helps more small businesses acess affordable online capital, but a tool to help banks build strong customer relationships." IBANYS President & CEO John Witkowski added: "We are pleased to announce this partnership with EGF and the NYBDC to provide this exciting new program, which we believe will benefit both New York community banks and their small business customers. We look forward to working together to enhance small businesses throughout our communities."    
Details on the EGF SmartLoan, including eligibility criteria, will be available at the following site:
http://excelsiorgrowthfund.org/egf_smartloan/.
Details on mechanics of referring will be available soon.
   
Join us in Washington Next Month For  
Policy Summit, Key Meetings "On Hill"
New York community bankers: Now is the time to register with ICBA for next month's Washington Policy Summit (Sunday evening, April 24 - Wednesday morning, April 27). Preliminary agenda includes speakers and regulatory agency breakout meetings:  
  • FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg;
  • Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Comptroller Thomas Curry;
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray;
  • U.S. Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet;
  • Senate Banking Committee Member (and strong community banking supporter) Jerry Moran (R-KS);
  • Federal Reserve Board Associate Director/Banking Supervision & Regulation Kevin Bertsch, and Managing Counsel of Supervisory Policy & Outreach/Division of Consumer and Consumer Affairs Amy Henderson;
  • Renowned political analyst Larry Sabato, Director of University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Please note: IBANYS will be scheduling meetings "on the hill" with members of the New York Congressional Delegation. We will be advocating for community bank priorities and issues, including regulatory relief through ICBA's "Plan for Prosperity" platform which IBANYS supports. We'll also urge reform of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and its mortgage regulations, oppose costly new accounting standards, and urge the end of the credit union industry's federal tax subsidy and the abolition of the Farm Credit System. Please join us for this important event. Register for the summit through ICBA, and email IBANYS' Steve Rice ([email protected]) to participate in our hill meetings!  

 

IBANYS' 2016 events may be viewed online
at www.ibanys.net under education/upcoming meetings. They provide CPE credits, and offer New York community banks the latest information and tools for profitability and success, feature unique networking opportunities and afford our preferred providers, partners and associate members valuable sponsorship & exhibiting opportunities.  

 
 
 
Regional Compliance Conferences
IBANYS' Regional Compliance Conferences will be held on  March 30 and 31 in Rochester and Albany, respectively. Designed with input from our IBANYS Compliance Peer Group, these sessions bring together banking regulators, consultants and community bank compliance officers themselves to examine the "hot button" compliance issues and trends of 2016, and to discuss best practices and practical approaches and solutions. 

Please note:  Unfortunately, we have been informed that the NYS Department of Financial Services is unable to send a representative to speak at our compliance sessions.  Instead, "Enforcement Action Focus" will be presented by Pam Perdue, EVP of Regulatory Operations-Continuity.  The session will provide an overview of what regulators focused on in 2015, and what we can expect in the year ahead.  2015 saw the highest levels of enforcement in history. This session we will cover what the focal points were -- and will be -- for each of the agencies.  Tips will be shared on how to "bulletproof" your institution's compliance program against criticism and concerns.

Registrations are filling up fast for both regional sessions. . .we have 25 people signed up for Rochester, and 21 for Albany. REGISTER TODAY!    
Our speakers will include:
  • Deborah Hermann (NBE - NED Compliance Lead Expert, Northeast District, Syracuse Field Office, OCC)
  • Michael Goldstein (Supervising Examiner, Federal Reserve Bank)
  • Lisa Borio (Supervisory Examiner, New York Territory, FDIC)
  • Lon Coon (Senior Compliance Examiner, Syracuse Field Office, FDIC)
  • Gerald Gagne (CPA, CISA, Wolf & Company)
  • Pam Perdue (EVP of Regulatory Operations, Continuity)
  • Banker Roundtable moderated by Stephen King (JD, AMLP, Wolf & Company)
The agenda will include:
  • Cyber security and risk management
  • CRA/fair lending/community development loans
  • Flood insurance
  • HMDA, BSA/AML
  • Complaint management, including portal systems
CLICK HERE to register.
 
   
 
IBANYS' Regional Bank Directors Conferences
Can Help Solve The Puzzles
Board members of New York community banks face growing challenges in the aftermath of the latest banking and financial crisis. As the number of community banks have declined nationally, the burdens imposed by federal and state regulations had increased. So too has the cost of doing business and serving our customers and communities. Now, with serious issues related to cyber security, pressure on earnings and the current interest rate environment, banks must ensure their directors, officers and senior management teams are fully informed and prepared to cope with these challenges with the tools and strategies they need to survive and thrive. IBANYS' Regional Directors Conferences April 13 and 14
in Rochester & Castleton (Albany) will update your bank's board members on a number of important and timely issues and trends.    
 
Our agenda will include: 
  • Shareholder Succession: Is This The Way Out Of Consolidation?
  • How Banks Should Make The Decision To Buy Or Share
  • Making Sense Of A Nonsensical World
  • CECL & The New Capital Impacts Facing Community Banks
  • Cyber Security: The Challenge Of IT Governance
  • Strategic Planning: It All Begins & Ends 
  • A Question & Answer Session
Our Speakers Include:
  • T.W. Shannon (Managing Director, Premier Consulting Partners)
  • Heather Archer Eastep (Partner, Hunton & Williams)
  • Michael Jamesson (Principal, Jamesson Associates)
  • Randy Rabe (Director, Credit Risk Management)
  • Jordan Pike (Director of Security, ncino)
  • Karl Nelson (Founder & CEO, KPN Consulting)
 


CFO/Senior  Management Conference  
May 9-11 at the Harbor Hotel, Watkins Glen
This conference was developed with the input from IBANYS' CFO Peer Group and reflects the key topics, issues and challenges important to our industry.   Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Presidents, and Senior Managers, Bank Directors and ALCO teams should attend this event. Our program was designed to help CFOs and Sr. Management gauge the potential impact of higher interest rates, prepare for the final guidance on the FASB's current expected credit loss model, change the culture surrounding enterprise risk management and gain insights on how to approach key strategic issues including cyber security, credit stress testing, and succession planning. P articipants can earn up to 11 CPE hours (1.0 in taxation).     
 
There will also be an an opportunity for members to golf, and to network during breakfast, lunch, cocktail receptions and dinners -- including a reception/dinner cruise on Seneca Lake. It also offers an opportunity for your company to sponsor an event, and to be recognized throughout the event. The links below provide program, registration and sponsorship information.  
             
Please note : A block of rooms have been reserved at the Harbor Hotel Watkins Glen.  Reservations can be made by contacting the Harbor Hotel Watkins Glen directly at (607) 535-6116. Refer to group: Independent Bankers Association of NYS: CFO/Sr. Management Conference.  Room cut-off:  April 15. (We cannot guarantee room availability and pricing after this date.)  Single/Double rate: $159 ++village view/$179++ lake view.  We strongly recommend you make your hotel reservations early. Rooms will sell out; we cannot guarantee availability and pricing after this date. Any  cancellations must be made seven days prior to arrival. 

The Program Will Feature: 
  • Monday Evening Dinner Keynote Address by John Edelen, SVP & Chief Risk Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York
  • Economic & Capital Markets Update, by Gary Keith, Chief Economist with M&T Bank
  • Deposit Analysis: Crucial Element In Understanding Your IRR Problem, by Al Forrester, CEO, FICAST Data Corp.
  • Succession Planning: Developing The Next Generation Of Community Banking Leaders, by Flynt Gallagher, President, Compensation Advisors 
  • Revenue Enhancement: It's Not What You Think, by Lawrence Pruss, SVP & Revenue Expert, Strategic Resource Management (SRM)
  • Historical Tax Credit Deal-Is This Something Our Bank Should Invest In? by Roger Upton, MS Consultants
  • Credit Stress Testing: What Examiners Expect, and Steps To Deliver, by Shawn O'Brien, President, Qwickrate 
  • The New ALLL: A CECL Primer For CFOs, by Peter Brown, Senior Consultant, Sageworks
  • Managing Your Investment Process: Best Practices For Assuring Consistency & Success, by Greg Roll, Senior Vice President, Investment Strategies, Vining Sparks
  • Public Funds: Enhancing Your Deposit Business In 2016, by Joe Hooker, Managing Director & Kevin Hamilton, Regional Director, Promontory Interfinancial Network
  • Bank Cybersecurity: State Of The Threat Landscape, by Alex Hernandez, Vice President, Customer Solutions, Praesidio
  • Strategies for Successful Partnership Between Internal Audit, ERM and the Business -- How To Maximize The Value From Your Risk Functions, by Larry Hessney, CIA, CISA, PCI, QSA, Director-Risk 7 Technology Consulting Servixes, Freed Maxick
  • We'll have networking opportunities at refreshment breaks, breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
 
Click HERE for sponsorship opportunities.
 
 
 
IBANYS' Second Annual  Lending Conference
Join us June 28-29 at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa in Fa irport  (Rochester) for our Second Annual Lending Conference, which is co-sponsored by T.Gschwender & Associates. Who should attend? Loan Officers, Mortgage Officers, Consumer Lending Officers, Commercial Lending Officers, Credit Officers, CFOs and other members of the bank's management team involved in there credit and lending process. The program  will review all aspects of the lending process, with presentations and discussions on loan review, risk, sales, portfolio management and the impact of CECL. 
 
Presentations will include: 
  • Outlook for Credit & Bank Profitability,
    with Chris Nichols, Chief Strategy Officer, CenterState Bank
  • Credit Stress Testing: What Examiners Expect, and Steps To Deliver, with Shawn O'Brien, President, QwickRate
  • The New ALLL -- A CECL Primer For Lenders, with Emily Bogan, Director of Consulting, Sageworks
  •  The Loan Portfolio Dilemma: Funding Fixed Rate Products, with a representative from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York
  • Mortgage Pipeline Management Best Practices, with Robert Perry, Managing Director of ALM First
  • The Role Of Risk Tolerance and Risk Culture In Managing Portfolio Credit Risk, with David Ruffin, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Credit Risk Management Analytics
  • Friend Or Foe: The Rise Of Peer Lenders & What It Means For Banks, with Armistead Boyd, VP of Product Marketing, nCino
  • Managing Credit Risk, with Bharpur "Bo" Singh, President & Owner, T.Gschwender & Associates
  • The Loan Participation Puzzle: The Key To Diversification, with Lori Betting, Executive Vice President, Alliance Partners
  • Navigating The Headwinds Of Change: Lessons Learned From The Great Recession, with Karl Nelson, Founder & CEO, KPN Consulting
Watch for additional updates on speakers, further details on program agenda and registration information.
 
 
IBANYS Annual Convention: Oct. 3-5, 
The Turning Stone
IBANYS' 42nd Annual Convention -- our premier educational meeting and business show of the year -- will be held at The Turning Stone October 3-5. We'll have a full menu of top notch speakers and presenters, including Steve Greenberg, a veteran political analyst and commentator who will preview the critically important 2016 election for community banks. With every member of the New York State Legislature and New York Congressional Delegation up for election, and control of the State Senate expected to be hotly contested, it will be a timely presentation.    
 
We'll also hear from keynote speaker Ray O'Conor. Ray, the former President of Saratoga National Bank & Trust and a former Chairman of IBANYS, is author of
She Called Him Raymond: A True Story of Love, Loss, Faith and Healing. The book is a candidate for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction.
Ray has also been a newspaper columnist, Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Border Patrol Agent. His presentation will share the story behind his book, and provide a look into the true tale of two ordinary people who led extraordinary lives during the most tumultuous of times.
Plus, we'll also hold our business show, silent PAC auction and much more! Watch for program details and sponsorship opportunities.
 
IBANYS Members: Take Advantage
Of These Initiatives
Last year IBANYS introduced two exciting new initiatives to benefit member banks, We encourage you to take full advantage of them. 
  • The "My Wellness Resource Card" offers a low-cost, non-traditional program to help community banks to save time and money. It helps provide on demand health care from U.S. board-certified doctors who provide diagnosis, treatment options and necessary prescriptions via unlimited telephone medical consultations. The My Wellness program offers discounts and significant savings on a variety of medical and dental products, and is designed to improve productivity, decrease absenteeism and boost morale without straining your bottom line. It's an exciting new way for community banks to provide health care benefits, reduce cost and retain employees. For more information, contact Alan Justin, Managing Partner at (716) 907-5500. 
  • We also joined the "Cure the Blue" effort to raise funds and awareness regarding prostate cancer in New York State. We are partnering with the Buffalo Bills Alumni Foundation, and hope to see a number of IBANYS members participate. Please join us in supporting this worthwhile cause. Visit www.curetheblue.com to get involved!

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATES

new york state capitol
IN ALBANY 
  • The focus of the Legislature continues to be primarily on the state budget, which must be approved by April 1. Two issues proposed in the Governor's budget  have been of concern and interest to IBANYS members: The proposed minimum wage increase, and the proposed family leave provision. Each chamber passes its own one house budget proposal in response to the Governor's original proposal, then negotiations continue. The Assembly's one-house budget proposal includes both measures. The Senate version does not include the minimum wage increase, and includes a family leave provision with significant revisions to the Governor's original proposal.
  • Three issues of interest to IBANYS (drafted by IBANYS, and part of our 2016 legislative agenda) are included in the State Senate's one-house budget proposal. They are a) exempting banks with up to $1 billion in assets which have received at least a satisfactory CRA rating from their federal regulator in the most recent CRA exam from the State Department of Financial Services CRA examinations; b) extending from 12 to 18 months the examination cycle, similar to what federal provisions did recently, and c) establishing community bank service corporations. This is a positive sign of the Senate's intentions. If these issues are not included in the final negotiated budget agreement, IBANYS intends to continue to advocate for each as stand alone bills, and seek support in the Assembly as well.
  • The Senate version would also increase the ceiling of deposits from $250 million to $350 million that the State may deposit in each bank participating in the Community Bank Deposit Program. The Senate is considering allowing credit unions to participate in the Community Bank Deposits Program, which allows the State to deposit funds in the banks. Credit unions would only be authorized to participate "in regions where there is no community bank presence". IBANYS would be concerned this could constitute the "nose under the tent" theory, and also that the issue of "under banked regions" is ambivalent. There is no indication the Senate is considering allowing credit unions to participate in municipal deposits at this time. 
  • IBANYS continues to pursue our effort to define "lease" as an allowed deduction under the Qualified Thrift Deduction. While the State Tax Department has clarified it satisfactorily in the instructions, we believe it would be prudent to clarify it in law. The State Division of Budget is examining the issue.

IN WASHINGTON
  • There is a new push in Congress to use appropriations legislation as a vehicle to pass regulatory relief measures. One example is the move to attach QM provision (for mortgages held in portfolio) to an appropriations bill, on the assumption that the appropriations bill would be harder to vote against or veto than a stand alone bill. QM legislation passed the House last fall. Among the members supporting this effort is Rep. Peter King (R-NY), and ICBA is supporting this initiative.
  • House Financial Services Chairman Hensarling (R-TX) is pushing legislation that would loosen regulations if banks meet certain capital requirements, reform the Fed, and require regulators to take into consideration the cost impact of their proposed regulations. ICBA is monitoring and reviewing this situation. 
  • ICBA is working with the credit union industry on the ongoing FASB CECL initiative.
  • ICBA is also urging Senate Banks Chairman Shelby (R-AL) to move longstanding nominations for positions in Treasury and on the Federal Reserve Board.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

FDIC Community Banking Conference: 
"Strategies for Long-Term Success" 
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will bring together community bankers, regulators and others for a conference on community banking on April 6 in Arlington, Virginia as part of the FDIC's Community Banking Initiative. The conference will explore strategies for long-term success in the community banking sector. Speakers will include FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg and Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig. Panel discussions will focus on successful community bank business models, key regulatory developments, opportunities and challenges in managing technology, and ownership structure and succession planning. Chairman Gruenberg noted:"Community banks play a vital role in the U.S financial system and economy, providing critical banking services in small towns, rural communities, and urban neighborhoods across the nation. . .This conference is about looking forward to the challenges and opportunities facing community banks and strategies for success." Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the meeting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the FDIC's L. William Seidman Center, 3501 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22226. To register, see an agenda, or learn more, go to https://www.fdic.gov/news/conferences/com.  
 
March 2016 "Economic Outlook"
by Alan Blinder, Vice Chairman & Co-Founder, Promontory Interfinancial Network
 
(Following each meeting of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), Promontory co-founder, former vice-chair of the Fed, and Princeton economist Alan Blinder provides an analysis of the proceedings and implications for future policy and economic activity.)

"We learned something important on Wednesday: we have a more dovish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) than we knew. That's highly relevant as we peer into a future in which the federal funds rate will gradually rise at some unknown pace. If you were worried that the Fed would take rates up too fast, you should relax. If you were worried that the Fed would be too slow on the draw, you should fret even more.

Going into the March 15 - 16 meeting, there was both a plausible dovish case (leading to the expectation of no more than 50 bps of tightening in 2016, maybe less) and a plausible hawkish case (leading to the expectation of 75 bps of tightening, maybe more). Let's review the essence of these two cases.
 
With wages showing only weak signs of acceleration, doves believe there is still a fair amount of slack in the U.S. labor market despite the 4.9% unemployment rate. Implicitly, the doves must also believe that net job creation can continue at or near its recent pace (235,000 per month over the past six months) for some time yet, even though "trend" growth these days is more like 80,000 - 90,000 jobs. Some doves--most prominently, Governor Lael Brainard--have been emphasizing the weakness the U.S. economy might import from abroad. There are also dangers that financial markets, addicted to super-low interest rates for years, might suffer severe withdrawal symptoms.
 
The hawks look at the same labor market data and see slack as already gone or disappearing quickly; they read the hints of wage acceleration as confirming that view. The hawks have also noticed, to put it mildly, the recent upticks in inflation. Implicitly, they also worry less about the dangers from abroad and from financial markets. Perhaps most fundamentally, the inconsistency between a federal funds rate near zero and an economy at or near full employment gives hawks profound headaches.
   
Prior to the latest meeting, we knew that this debate raged inside the FOMC (notice that Esther George of the Kansas City Fed dissented) and even within the Board of Governors itself (contrast the dovish sentiments from Brainard with the more hawkish commentary from Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer). What we learned on Wednesday is that the dovish faction is firmly in control, at least for now.
 
In her press conference, Chair Janet Yellen explicitly endorsed the view that slack remains in the labor market, pointing to minimal wage pressure as evidence. (Consistent with that, the FOMC lowered its estimate of the so-called natural rate of unemployment.) She also questioned the staying power of recent increases in core inflation. She chose Brainard over Fisher, if you will.

Perhaps most surprisingly, at least to me, the FOMC statement emphasized "global economic and financial developments" as major downside risks. Yes, such risks are present, though I think the Fed gives them too much weight. But the big surprise was the strong spotlight the FOMC shined on them.

Recall that the FOMC had surprised a lot of people in September 2015 when it included the following sentence in its statement: "Recent global economic and financial developments may restrain economic activity somewhat and are likely to put further downward pressure on inflation in the near term." These words were widely translated as: we can't raise rates while there are ructions in China and a sagging U.S. stock market. So when the FOMC statement dropped this sentence entirely the very next month, many observers concluded that the Committee saw it had made a mistake in September and rectified it in October. Apparently not.

The main concrete news the FOMC delivered on Wednesday was that it was reducing its projected tightening during 2016 by 50 basis points relative to its December projection. Most observers, including yours truly, had expected only 25 bps. (Yes, a 25 bp difference is a big deal in this context!)

It's true that the Fed downgraded its near-term forecast a bit, but not enough to rationalize a 50 bp change in monetary policy. So maybe the market pessimists convinced the Fed--or scared it. Or maybe the FOMC majority has decided to run another 1996-style experiment to see how low the unemployment rate can go without raising inflation. Or maybe both. We'll see.

(Alan Blinder is Professor of Economics & Public Affairs at Princeton University, and a former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve.)    

Is YOUR Bank Participating In
IBANYS Webinars?   

 
New York's community banks cope with a wide array of challenges. Your bank's officers, board members and employees know their responsibilities and potential liabilities are not about to diminish. Are you doing everything you can to ensure that they have access to the very latest information and tools they need to meet their responsibilities, and to properly prepare the bank for the future?  One way to do so is by signing them up for IBANYS' webinars. Our programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of community banks, and are both effective -- and, cost-effective. Your bank's officers, directors and employees can participate directly from their offices. There's a good reason  why a rapidly growing number of your industry and association peers are taking advantage of these webinars.

Review  our upcoming programs by clicking the link below:
https://ibanys.fed.financialedinc.com/store/webinar 

IBANYS Spotlights
 
. . .The Bonadio Group 
Founded in 1978, and with offices in New York State and Vermont, The Bonadio Group provides a complete range of financial and consulting services, from auditing and tax, to multidimensional accounting, business advisory, and financial services. They understand it's a new world in banking and finance. Banks are under more scrutiny than ever. The Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and others are determined to improve efficiency, in part by preventing and detecting fraud, waste and abuse. From banks, to mortgage and finance companies, to broker-dealers and credit unions, Bonadio understands the specialized services financial firms require. They offer impeccable financial statement audits, but their extensive offering covers every issue a financial institution faces, such as:  
  • Risk management services, from IT audits to IT penetration testing
  • Loan reviews and fraud investigations
  • Bank and federal reserve regulatory filings
  • Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
  • Initial public offerings
  • Private placements memorandums
  • Mergers and acquisitions
The Bonadio team is best known for its combination of practicing to the highest standards and taking a proactive approach with banking industry clients. Between Bonadio and their Moore Stephens North America member firms, they provide services to hundreds of financial institutions-including SEC registrants-ranging in size from de novo status to $24 billion in total assets.
For details, contact Jamie L. Keiser, CPA and Principal:
(315) 422-7109, e-mail [email protected], or visit their website a t www.bonadio.com.
  DID YOU KNOW. . .
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created by the 1933 Banking Act after the Great Depression. The insurance limit was initially $2,500 per ownership category. Post Dodd-Frank, the FDIC insures deposits in member banks up to $250,000 per ownership category. 

New York community banks play a key role in our state and local economies. Help spread the good news among your customers, business and elected leaders and media!

Click here for quotes from Governor Cuomo and DFS Superintendent Lawsky extolling the performance and value of New York community banks.

Click here for the full NYS Study on community banking.

Click here to read IBANYS President & CEO John Witkowski's comments on the new tax changes and benefits for New York community banks as approved in the 2014-15 State Budget.

 

Click here for IBANYS' letter to the Editor of Consumer Reports Magazine correcting failure to mention community banks as an alternative to using "big banks."

_________________________________
John J. Witkowski
President and Chief Executive Officer
 
Stephen W. Rice
Director of Government Relations and Communications

Linda Gregware
Director of Administration and Membership Services 

William Y. Crowell, III
Legislative Counsel