Impact through action

In last month’s edition of Texas Banking, I wrote about the upcoming election and TBA’s conviction that “hope is not a strategy” for success. We do not discount the virtue of hope. We just know that it takes more than aspiration to bring about change — it takes action.

Elections have policy consequences. In recent years, Federal banking agency leaders, without proper oversight, have become more ideological. It is sad that TBA had to sue them for gross overreach and disregard for the law in two of the last three years. To see reform and accountability, we must elect representatives who will fight the politicization of our industry to ensure a fair, safe and sound banking system. 

This is a significant undertaking, so we asked for your help in implementing TBA’s multi-prong strategic campaign. Banks of every size have stepped up to raise funds to implement the plan and elect pro-business and pro-banking candidates. Here are a few examples. 

In Northeast Texas, CEO Joe Nichols at State Bank of De Kalb ran a BankPac campaign, and his employees contributed over $12,000! TBA Chairman Jan Mills of First National Bank of Winnsboro has led by example. The staff at her $160 million community bank with 30 employees raised $5,400. And out to the west, bankers at Texas Bank chartered in Brownwood, contributed over $16,000 with creative motivation from President Greg Dodds. 

These results were not fueled by so-called “high dollar” donations. The difference? Personal contributions made by Texas community bankers who know their customers and simply want the best for the small businesses and families they serve. Your support is huge in Texas. But you also helped TBA make the largest-ever state contribution to ABA BankPac to elect pro-bank candidates across America. Texas leads the way! 

This is inspiring but not surprising. Making an IMPACT THROUGH ACTION is what TBA member banks do in their communities every day. 

We are in the final stages of TBA’s election plan: Getting bankers, their families and friends to the polls! November 5 is literally days away. The CEO of each member bank has received information about the TBA-initiated www.TXThrives.org Get-Out-The-Vote program. Please use the voter information, messages and graphics to encourage your bank employees to vote! Need help? Have questions? Just drop us a line at [email protected] or call us at TBA. 

Thanks to each member bank participating in BankPac and the Texas Thrives Get-Out-The-Vote campaign. Your IMPACT THROUGH ACTION gives us real hope for the future!