LBA Board Knows Our Operations

Each one of the 13 members of LBA’s Board of Directors is selected by Louisiana bankers and serves according to the LBA bylaws that were drafted by a committee of Louisiana bankers. That formula isn’t infallible, but we try our best to execute our mission and be accountable to the Board and to the bankers in the state. I invite Louisiana bankers to talk to any current or former LBA board members about their experience on the LBA Board. 

I thought it would be helpful to review the LBA Board agenda for the upcoming May 10 meeting to provide some insight into our work. LBA Chairman Tom Martin of Gibsland Bank and Trust Company will chair his last meeting, and I am so appreciative of Tom for his support and his interest in keeping LBA on track with our work. The first item on the Board agenda is our 2016 audit report presentation from LaPorte CPA’s. LBA staff does a terrific job working with our auditor, and I look forward to the report and board questions. The second item is a presentation of the LBA financials through March 31 by Treasurer Pat Biglane of Concordia Bank and Trust. How LBA is performing overall and on each budget item is provided to the Board at each meeting, and the Treasurer or LBA staff address all questions from the Board. We are very close to budget and are confident we will be at year-end. 

With this board meeting held at the 2017 LBA convention, there are agenda items about the next LBA treasurer and the three new regional board members. Every year the board has new board members as the three-year regional board terms are staggered. At every board meeting, the board receives reports on state legislative/regulatory issues, the two LBA political action committees, our efforts to generate increased activity among bankers to enhance our grassroots participation, federal issues and any specific issue that needs board attention relating to our government relations work. We do not have an item this meeting on an amicus request, but the LBA will file a brief in court to voice the industries position on cases that affect banking. All action such as this requires Board approval. 

In August, the Board will meet in Natchitoches for our annual strategic planning session. Later this year, incoming Chairman Ken Hale of BOM in Montgomery will appoint a budget committee to work through each budget item and develop a budget which will then be presented to the Board at their December meeting. 

Serving on the LBA Board takes time and energy and we all, those of us at LBA and bankers across the state, appreciate and value their service.