Oklahoma Bankers Association We make bankers better!
In This Issue…
- From Adrian’s desk …
- Four inductees to make up 2025 class of Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame
- OBA, ABA other bankers associations seek rejection of proposed bill amendment
- Join fellow bankers at the food bank on Oct. 7
- OBA Oktoberfest Golf Tournament scheduled
- Updates added to Oklahoma Record Retention Guide
- OBA education corner …
From Adrian’s desk …
By Adrian Beverage
OBA President & CEO
Just some random tidbits that might be of interest to our bankers this week!
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The 2025 inductees to the Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame have been unveiled and you can read who they are and more about each in this OBA Update. On a personal note, there’s not much I enjoy more than calling up the nominators for each inductee to let them know they were selected – it’s just a pleasure to hear the joy in their voices!
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A government shutdown is looming if a deal isn’t done by midnight, eastern time, tonight. It seems to me both sides will refuse to flinch on this one and we might have our first major shutdown since December 2018 (there was a 13-hour “shutdown” in March 2024, but it was too short to really have any effects.)
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An off week for my Cornhuskers meant I could focus on the final week of Major League Baseball’s regular season and watch as my Cubbies coasted into the playoffs. While they didn’t win their division, they did rather easily qualify for the postseason, where they open with the Padres on Wednesday.
Four inductees to make up 2025 class of Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Bankers Hall of Fame announced today the four bankers who will be inducted into its 2025 class later this year.
R.S. “Brud” Baker, Sandy Bracken, Gary Huckabay and Lee Symcox will make up the 2025 class. The inductees were selected by a panel of bankers from across the state, and were voted on late last week.
The induction ceremony will be held Dec. 4 at the Oklahoma History Center. It will be hosted by the Oklahoma Bankers Association’s immediate past chair, Alicia Wade, who is COO of Sovereign Bank, in Shawnee.
Click here to read the full release and more info on each of the to-be inductees.
OBA, ABA, other bankers associations seek rejection of proposed bill amendment
In a joint letter to Senate leaders, the OBA, the American Bankers Association and 51 other state bankers associations said they are deeply concerned about a proposed amendment to a must-pass defense spending bill that would eliminate the payment of interest on bank reserves held at the Federal Reserve.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) proposed the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which he said could save the government more than $1 trillion over the next decade. But in their letter, the associations said that eliminating interest on reserves would not reduce federal spending. Rather, “it would disrupt the important work underway to bring down interest rates and disproportionately harm small banks, undermining their ability to lend into their communities.”
Join fellow bankers at the food bank on Oct. 7
Volunteer with your banking peers on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The OBA Emerging Leaders welcome all interested bankers to lend a hand during the volunteer shift that begins at 9:30 a.m. and wraps at noon.
Please email Megan McGuire (megan@oba.com) to sign up.
Bankers at the Food Bank
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 3355 S. Purdue Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73179
9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7
OBA Oktoberfest Golf Tournament scheduled
Show off your golfing skills or simply join your banking peers as a social registrant at the 2025 OBA Oktoberfest Golf Tournament on Oct. 27 at Belmar Golf Club, in Norman.
The tournament fee is $175 and the registration deadline is Oct. 20. The tournament will begin with registration and lunch. Immediately following the tournament, we will hold an awards ceremony. Sign up now to reserve your spot. We hope to see you on the course!
Not golfing? Join your banking peers as a social attendee for lunch, refreshments and fellowship on the patio. Social attendee registration fee is $50.
If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, contact Thi Pham.
Tournament Schedule
10 a.m. — Registration
11 a.m. — Lunch
12 p.m. — Shotgun Start
Immediately Following Golf — Awards
Updates added to Oklahoma Record Retention Guide
We are pleased to announce the Oklahoma Record Retention Guide has been updated and now available for purchase in print!
No more having to log into a portal! You are able to flip through the pages, make your own notes, highlights, etc.! This unique guide is designed to be a quick and easy-to-use reference on the most common types of records that banks encounter.
OBA education corner …
OK, so September ended up just being a wholly random music month, as last week we found ourselves humming along to Richard Marx. Yep, the same Richard Marx who sported a permed mullet nearly as big as he was back in the late 80s, but who had incredibly memorable songs like “Should’ve Known Better” and “Endless Summer Nights” in his repertoire. So, as you think back on some of his hits, remember the OBA will be “Right Here Waiting” for you when you need continuing education, including the following:
- The State of UDAAP: Where Are We Now With All The Regulatory Changes, Oct. 3, webinar — The terms “UDAP” and “UDAAP” are perhaps the most significant ones ever to affect financial services compliance.
- Fair Lending Essentials and Update, Oct. 7, webinar — In this session, you’ll review the key elements of an effective fair lending program, gain tactical tips for maintaining compliance, and learn to avoid common challenge areas that leave your institution open to unnecessary risk.
- Strategic Planning for your Institution: It’s All About Your Strategy!, Oct. 9, webinar — The environment for community financial institutions has changed drastically in the past five years due to shifts in interest rates, emerging technologies, evolving consumer preferences, market changes, and recent institution failures. These factors necessitate a fluid and adaptable strategic plan.
- What To Do When Your Vendor Gets Hacked, Oct. 15, webinar — In this session, learn tips on how to respond if a vendor is compromised, and how identifying and understanding cybersecurity risk gives your organization a competitive advantage in a digital world.
- Bank Fraud Investigation 201, Oct. 23, Oklahoma City — This class is designed to provide additional investigative tools and actions to aid with successful investigations, loss recovery, and prosecution of the parties responsible for criminal acts committed against our member banks.
- BSA/AML/CFT Compliance Update, Oct. 28-Tulsa, Oct. 29-Oklahoma City — Whether you’re preparing for your next exam, grappling with high-risk customer relationships or navigating new technologies, you’ll walk away with practical strategies and actionable takeaways.
- OBA/Forvis Mazars Executive Banking Symposium, Oct. 30, Oklahoma City — This event delivers timely insights on economic trends, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, regulatory developments and strategic leadership.
- 2025 Loan Structure Documentation & Compliance, Nov. 13-Tulsa; Nov. 14-Oklahoma City — Attend this proactive seminar and receive a thorough overview of commercial lending requirements from a “loan” structure, documentation and compliance perspective.