Independent Banker - April 2021 - 5

FLOURISH
" Unlike our credit union
counterparts, we pay taxes,
and those tax dollars are
spent at home to ensure our
communities grow. "
Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
T
he more things change, the more
they remain the same.
As we kick off Community Banking
Month, I can't help but reflect on
that statement and the changes of
this past year. While we have been
challenged far beyond our wildest
dreams, community banks have
stayed the course in keeping the focus
on our communities. We have ensured
that when the ground beneath us
shifted, we remained firmly rooted
in our foundation as pillars of our
communities, committed to helping
the local environment flourish.
Yet, what it means to " go local " has
shifted. We now are buying online
from local retailers, ordering delivery
or takeout from neighborhood
restaurants, and corresponding
more digitally. What once upon a
time was an initiative centered on
physical proximity has now become
a movement toward a greater sense
of community. This newfound focus
on commitment to the common
good aligns with the very essence of
community banking.
While the delivery channel may
look different, the underlying concept
of going local means that the money
spent is reinvested in the community.
By focusing on our communities,
we are creating a brighter future
for them, bridging the gap so that
businesses thrive, jobs remain and
the community prospers. Going local
means that capital remains local,
providing resources for the better
of everyone.
And community banks are the
heartbeat of these efforts. We've
always placed an extraordinary focus
on our local activism, but in today's
environment, it means more than
ever before. Think of the hundreds of
thousands of small business owners
who turned to their community banks
this past year to keep their doors
open. Or the millions of Americans
who have had peace of mind because
their community bank was in their
corner through the economic impacts
of COVID-19. Or the thousands of
local philanthropic organizations that
have relied upon community bank
support to respond to the needs of
our communities.
Because when we say " go local, "
we're all in. Unlike our credit union
counterparts, we pay taxes, and
those tax dollars are spent at home
to ensure our communities grow. We
support local nonprofits, food banks
and other charitable efforts to aid
community development.
So, as we look to all that has shifted
in the past year, let's take a moment
to celebrate what has remained
the same: our commitment to our
communities. Because community
investment is the basis of a healthy
economy and is the purest form
of economic development, and
community banks are here for it.
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey
What you need to know
The 2021 ICBA Capital Summit is going virtual at the end
of the month. We hope you'll join us as we reinforce banking
locally and our advocacy initiatives with members of Congress.
icba.org/capitalsummit
independentbanker.org Q 5
Photo by Robert Severi
http://www.icba.org/capitalsummit http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - April 2021

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