Page 12 - September 26, Bulletin

From the CORNER CHAIR

Deneen Axtman | NDBA CHAIR |Cornerstone Bank, Fargo

Two weeks ago we had a great week at the NDBA Regional Member Meetings! It was great
to connect with so many of you, learn what’s happening in your banks, and participate in
AMAZING training from Dustin James – learning to Create Everyday Excellence! Thanks to all of
you who were able to make it – we truly hope you walked away feeling AMAZING!
This week, we held the Peer Group Consortium in Bismarck, which was another WOW event put on by NDBA. We
had 190 bankers from across the state who gathered to learn more about Fraud, the value of Introverts, and of
course we found great value in the peer group sessions. It was great to observe and participate in very powerful
discussions amongst seven peer groups. It’s great to see the connections so many of you have and are making.

There are lots of great education opportunities coming up including the Ag Conference next week, IRA training,
and more. Please check out pages 10 in this newsletter to learn more.
This year, my focus is on Connections. If you were at the Peer Group Consortium or Regional Member Meetings,
you heard me talk about my challenge for all of us to Connect in four areas. In case you missed either of those,
you can find a summary of my remarks below:
1. Connect with our industry. When we do, we can make more connections with peer banks, we learn
better what’s impacting us outside of our own bank, and we work smarter for the whole industry. Banking
in North Dakota is strong – and we want to keep it that way. A great way to stay informed is by daily
reading the ABA Newsbytes, read the NDBA eNews, check out the NDBA Bulletins, and join in the monthly
NDBA Ask Kennedy webinar.
2. Connect with legislators and learn about legislation impacting banks. Some of the legislation being
introduced is scary: consider the 1071 rules that would require banks to gather 81 data points on business
customers, or credit unions being allowed to purchase banks, having banks cover any losses a consumer
incurs due to ACH/wire fraud, or the CFPB wanting to drop medical debt from credit reports.
If you have connections, please reach out. If you don’t, ask NDBA to provide you with contacts and
communication pieces. When it comes to legislative work, it’s not just for us. It’s for our customers. We
have a role to play. We all know that stronger banks mean a stronger main street, which means stronger
communities and stronger local economies.
3. Connect by doing your part. We may all be competitors but we are all part of ONE powerful industry.
Get involved – develop relationships, show up, volunteer, and attend.
VOTE. Just think about the power of our industry when every team member votes. We won’t have
regulatory reform without supporting elected officials who support and understand business and the
banking industry.
Don’t click on stuff! Cybersecurity risks keep coming at us from every direction. Community banks are
targets because the belief is our security isn’t as strong. Let’s prove them wrong! Keep connecting with
your team, your customers, and your board to train on the importance of cybersecurity and being the
first line of defense for your bank. I will say it again – don’t click on stuff! If a link isn’t familiar, don’t click
on it and we will all be much better off!
4. Connect – and take others with you. Keep going to events. There are always opportunities to learn and
connect. And don’t just go to NDBA events – go to other industry events, community events, your bank
events, and keep going. Who could you take with you to the next event?
Connection. Connection is critical for us to do our jobs better and for our industry to be successful; additionally,
and most importantly, it’s for our mental health. Did you know loneliness is more deadly than smoking or heart
disease? Loneliness isn’t being alone – it’s the feeling we have when our need for social contact and relationship
isn’t met. Let’s change that. Let’s change our industry. Let’s change our world. One connection at a time.

Fondly,
Deneen

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