Much of the discussion centered on how to have more of our membership involved in advocacy issues. After all, government affairs and advocacy are two of the main reasons cited by our bankers for their membership in the Florida Bankers Association. Lopez would like to have not one, but four trips to Washington in order to maintain a presence there. Another issue that received a great deal of attention is the BankPac. The board felt it was imperative that we increase contributions for our political action committee, BankPac.
Monetary contributions are a big part of advocacy today.
The new president is poised to address the image of banking in our state. The board felt that the general public needs to better understand and appreciate our industry's value to their communities. One new initiative the board approved is the development of an Insurance Division. The new division is the product of a task force that was chaired by president-elect Tom Dargan of Peninsula Bank. It is the result of listening to our membership and evolving with the industry.