Spring / Summer 2018 - Edition 2
RMA Chicago Chapter Newsletter

rmachicago@rmachicago.org

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 Fall 2018 Classes
Following are the educational programs scheduled:

November 15, 2018
Structuring Commercial Loans I 
Speaker - Jim Meals
The objective of Structuring Commercial Loans I  is to improve the probability that the financial institution will be repaid by providing participants with an understanding of the fundamental principles behind structuring seasonal, working capital, and term debt. Participants will learn to create lending structures that work!  

If there is a program that you would like to see offered please let us know.  Contact Sandy at rmachicago@rmachicago.org  .
Upcoming National Classes in Chicago

June 14 - 15, 2018

A timely discussion of current issues in commercial real estate lending including trends in new loan production loan workouts and restructures, appraisal issues, the permanent finance market, and a round table discussion with a senior representative from the regulatory agencies.

June 14 - 15, 2018

The presentations and discussions will cover topics related to commercial loan portfolios and the loan review function. The forum presents a unique opportunity for participants to meet and discuss common challenges with their peers and to identify best practices they can take back to their institution.

June 14 - 15, 2018

Stay up to date through the ongoing health care reform debate by attending RMA's annual Health Care Lending Forum. This timely forum provides lenders and other credit professionals with the latest on government health care reform initiatives and the potential impact on the health care provider community.

Our Current Board Members

Lana Fortel - President
Diana Talpa   - Board Member, Past President
Ross Succoso  - Vice President/YP Chair
Ryan Paul - Treasurer/Secretary
Mark Boksa - YP Committee
 Bill Harrington - Programming Chair
 Catherine Hickey - Education Chair / Women in Banking
Ryan Michalik - CRC Chair
Mary Letson - Communictions Chair / Women in Banking
Nicolas Sickler - Board Member 
 Kevin Trabaris - Membership Chair
Vanessa Weathersby - Sponsorsip Chair
Sandy Gruber - Administrator   

For more information on our Board visit our  website .
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RMA National Minute
  • RMA committed an additional $1,000,000 for a total of $7,000,000 to the RMA Academic Foundation for scholarships during FY 2017.
  • The RMA Foundation awarded 90 scholarships to students totaling $246,000 in 23 states and 31 chapters for the Fall 2017 application period.
  • As of 9/30/17, 62 RMA chapters were engaged with the Academic Program targeting 168 universities in North America and holding over 50 events.
RMA Credit Risk Certification - Why RMA CRC?

The CRC program measures your grasp of fundamental concepts, the application of those concepts and the best thinking on the subject.  Earning the right to use the CRC designation after your name demonstrates knowledge, professionalism, and dedication to the profession.  

To become a CRC holder, you must pass an intense multiple-choice exam  and must demonstrate several years of professional work experience in the credit and lending field.

The application deadline for the Summer 2018 testing window (July 23 - August 18, 2018) is June 12, 2018, so be sure to apply today! 

For more information visit:

 
Get Involved!
The RMA Chicago Chapter presents opportunities for individuals to get involved.

Chapters rely on the talents of volunteers to stage many of their programs, conduct membership development efforts, and promote the ideals of the Association. 

To find out more about how you can get involved in our chapter, contact Kevin Trabaris at: 

ktrabaris@culhanemeadows.com .
 
RMA Member Benefits

Are you a member of RMA?  If YES - thank you very much for supporting the organization and local chapter!  If you are not, please consider joining RMA as an Institution, Associate, or Professional member.  RMA also offers membership opportunities for Academics and Students who are focusing in majors surrounding risk management and banking.  Benefits of membership can include -
  • Access to RMA Xchange
  • Subscription to The RMA Journal
  • Exclusive regulatory updates
  • Free downloads of Industry Study Packs
  • Access to local events including chapter hosted roundtables, panelist discussions, networking opportunities, and more!
For more information on membership, please visit:
www.rmahq.org
RMA is Podcasting

RMA's podcasts are a quick and convenient way to provide you with information on specific topics important to risk management and the banking industry as a whole.

In RMA's most recent podcast, Taylor Palmer, Madeline Hurley, and Anya Cohen of IBISWorld discuss the dynamics of a changing retail sector.  Listen to The State of the Retail Sector here.
Also recently added, Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody's Analytics, discusses the current and future state of the U.S. economy as we head into the new year.  Listen to Zandi's Economic Outlook for 2018 here. 

To listen to all podcasts, please visit http://www.rmahq.org/podcasts/
President's Message
Welcome to our spring/summer newsletter. I hope you take the time to read through it and give us your comments. It is designed for our chapter members.  You will see that the Chicago Chapter has been busy with programming events this year.  We wish to thank everyone who has attended these events as it takes time planning and the hope is to create an event that is both entertaining and rewarding to all in attendance.

If you have suggestions for future topics, or if you would like to write an article for our newsletter, please let us know. The goal of this newsletter is to provide you with information you can use within your area.

Have a great, fun-filled summer!

Lana Fortel, 2018 Chapter President
 
Upcoming Local Events

June 15, 2018 - AML and the Customer Due Diligence Final Rule

The RMA Chicago Chapter is pleased to present an informative event regarding AML and the Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Final Rule.  This discussion will be led by Nick Mustafa, who is a Director in the Risk Advisory Services practice of RSM US LLP.  With the CDD rule going into effect on May 11, 2018, this discussion will provide a timely update for our members regarding issues that they should be considering for the implementation of this new compliance requirement.
 
This event will take place in the conference center at:

One South Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

This event qualifies for 2 CRC CEUs.

For more information and to register - click here.
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Summer 2018 - White Sox Networking Event

Still in Planning States - More Information to Follow

 
Recent Events

January 9, 2018 - Economic Outlook
 
The RMA Chicago Chapter recently held their annual Economic Update event with Senior Economic Advisor Bill Strauss from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.  Bill provided a detailed update to the audience of almost 60 people on the current state of the economy.  His presentation included a discussion on the job market, housing, manufacturing and many other key indicators that provide insight as to what the current status is of our economy.  After his presentation, Bill answered several questions that were posed by members of the audience.  This was an informative event for everyone in attendance, and we hope to see even more people there for next year's event with Bill, which is scheduled for January 10, 2019.  Mark your calendars and plan to join us!
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March 7, 2018 -Women in Business Breakfast

The RMA Chicago Chapter   held  a panel discussion which featured Chicago-area senior managers  in the risk management/ banking/ legal industries discussing their careers, challenges and lessons learned along the way.   The picture above is some of the attendees from this event.
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March 28, 2018 - ABC Mixer

The  Chicago Chapter's Young Professionals (YP) Committee held its annual ABC Mixer (Attorneys, Bankers, CPAs & Consultants) networking event on March 25th at Madison Tavern. YP Chair / Chapter VP Ross Succoso and YP Chair Mark Boksa were the co-hosts for an evening of great conversation and networking by the by 40+ Chicago area RMA members and non-members who attended. This is one of the Chapter's longest running networking events and a great way to meet informally with both members of the Chapter's Board members as well as professionals in the Chicago area. We hope to see you there next year!
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May 15, 2018 - Credit Analysis Management Seminar

With banks looking to achieve double-digit growth, relationship managers must continue to find business opportunities while at the same time managing portfolio credit quality. Today's relationship manager must be a generalist, with knowledge of all areas of financial services. Equally important are sales and customer service skills as well as an understanding of credit and corporate finance. This class was held at the Fred Arditti Center for Risk Management at  DePaul University. 
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May 22, 2018 - The History of Money

The RMA Chicago Chapter held a special event exploring the history of currencies, from the start of the use of money up through today's cryptocurrencies. We were guided in this discussion by Francois Velde, a Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago who focuses on researching monetary history.  The event was well attended and we received positive feedback.  Thanks go out to Francois for presenting a enlightening and entertaining session!
 
RMA Chicago Chapter Board Christmas Dinner


The RMA Chicago Chapter Board Members met in December at Nonnina.  Pictured are from left to right: Bill Harrington, Nicholas Sickler, Catherine Hickey, Mark Boksa, Kevin Trebaris, Lana Fortel, Sandy Gruber, Mary Letson and Ross Succoso.
Chicago Chapter RMA Foundation Scholarship Recipient
 
The RMA Chicago Chapter student member Antasia Glenn was one of the RMA Foundation scholarship recipients in 2017.  Antasia, who hails from Hillside, Illinois, is pursuing a B.S. in economics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.  Former RMA Chicago Chapter board president and current board member Diana Talpa, encouraged Antasia to apply for the scholarship during her internship at BMO Harris Bank (Business Banking) last summer.    Antasia said the application process was straight forward, with the most difficult part being fitting in completing the application process into her academic workload.   
 
Antasia plans to remain in financial services after her graduation in 2019. She will be interning again with BMO this summer and her career goal is to be accepted into BMO's credit training program.    We wish her the best!

Resources for College Students and Interns
 
Internship season is about to begin, and the RMA has great programs designed to help college students  interested in careers in the financial services industry after graduation. 
 
Student memberships are free to full time students with majors related to risk management  (banking, business, management, administration, finance, economics, or accounting) to help them learn more about the financial services industry.  Student memberships provide a number of benefits - access to attend Chicago Chapter and RMA sponsored events, a subscription to the RMA Journal, access to RMA's eMentor program and online resources - all perfect ways for college students to meet local financial services professionals, and position themselves as  strong candidates to potential employers in the Chicago Market.   The Chicago Chapter currently has 10 student members and would love to have your intern or college student join them!
 
Full-time student members who have completed a minimum of two years in college and meet minimum GPA requirements are also eligible for scholarships provided through the RMA Foundation.   Since 2014, the RMA Foundation offers has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to four-year college students who are interested in working in the banking industry after graduation.
 
Applications for the next round of RMA Foundation scholarships will be accepted in the fall.  For more information about RMA Foundation's Scholarship programs and other great benefits for students,  visit the  RMA's Student Resource center. 



To join our mailing list please contact Sandy at rmachicago@rmachicago.org .