Pub. 3 2013 Issue 3

4 www.azbankers.org J UST COMING OFF THE CONVENTION IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO TAKE STOCK BOTH OF HOW FAR WE’VE COME AS AN ASSOCIATION THIS YEAR AND WHERE WE’RE GOING. The year began with several bankers travel- ing to Washington, D.C. to meet with freshman members of our congressional delegation. We had very productive meetings with U.S. Repre- sentatives Matt Salmon, Kyrsten Sinema, Ann Kirkpatrick, Ron Barber, and Senator Flake’s chief of staff. In April, we returned with more bankers to meet with Senator Flake personally, as well as Representatives David Schweikert, Paul Gosar, Ed Pastor, again with Ann Kirk- patrick, and Senator McCain’s banking staff. We make several of these trips each year as they are extremely valuable in moving our federal agenda, as well as very reward- ing to the bankers who attend. Our next trip is planned for the beginning of October where, in addition to meeting with members of our con- gressional delegation, we will meet with senior regulators at the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). I strongly encourage bankers and directors to participate in these missions. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in being part of the October trip. In late January, a remarkably successful Bank- er Day at the Capitol began with fifty bankers participating in an agency briefing with senior regulators from the alphabet soup of agencies: FDIC, CFPB, OCC, AZ DFI, and The San Francisco Federal Reserve (FRB), followed by meetings with committee chairmen, legislative leadership, and senior members of the Gover- nor’s staff. The day concluded with a reception and dinner at El Chorro where we were briefed on the current state of play of the Dodd Frank regulatory environment by a representative from the American Bankers Association. Our roundtable series with public officials began in April as we brought U.S. Representatives David Schweikert and Spencer Bachus together for a roundtable discussion of issues facing the Fi- nancial Services Committee in the U.S. House. In late June we had U.S. Representatives Paul Gosar and Mick Mulvaney for a lively discussion of eco- nomic and banking issues and Rep. Matt Salmon was on tap for a similar discussion on July 1. We accompanied U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema on a field trip to a bank branch in her district this spring. It was a great opportunity to demonstrate to a Member of Congress how the decisions they make in Washington impact their constituents outside the beltway. Rep. Sinema is the only member of our congressional delegation serving on one of the house banking committees. We gave her a 90 minute walk through some of the new compliance hurdles imposed on the industry and showed her how they impact access to credit by consumers and small businesses in her district. Our annual meeting and convention in early June at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana offered a top notch program with speak- ers who were not only very informative, but also compelling and entertaining. Among others, we heard from former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, nationally renowned economists Elliot Pollack Busy Year… Q President’s Message | continued on page 11 Our annual mee Ɵ ng and conven Ɵ on in early June at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana o ff ered a top notch program with speakers who were not only very informa Ɵ ve, but also compelling and entertaining. BY PAUL HICKMAN, PRESIDENT & CEO A MESSAGE FROM THE PRES I DENT