Independent Banker - March 2018 - 36

Grassroots
MEMBER RELATIONS
Q&A: Brandy Smallbrock
and Michael Lahr
Two of ICBA's member relations staff members explain how they live out the
association's mission to help community banks fl ourish.
Interview by Andrea Lahouze
W
IB:
ith more than
two decades of
experience serving
community
banks between
them, Brandy Smallbrock and
Michael Lahr, both based in Minnesota,
are passionate about helping
community banks grow using solutions
from ICBA and its corporate
members. As vice president,
Northwest region, Smallbrock splits
her time evenly between phone calls
and in-person visits. As assistant
vice president of member relations,
Lahr assists ICBA's entire network of
community bank members. We asked
them about their work, lesser-known
ICBA membership benefi ts and their
steadfast dedication to the success of
the industry.
How does the ICBA
member relations team
help community banks thrive?
Michael Lahr: For me, it's a matter
of helping our members connect
the dots. We offer so many member
benefi ts, products and services that
it's almost impossible for a banker to
know them all. I help members fi nd
membership solutions that benefi t
their bank as well as their customers
and employees. In the end, we want
community banks to fl ourish so they
can continue to build and strengthen
communities and keep the main
streets of America running.
Brandy Smallbrock: ICBA has
more than 30 preferred service
providers that offer ICBA member
banks discounts on their products
and services. I enjoy helping them
fi nd solutions that will help them save
money and promote their bank.
IB:
Is there one service that
you wish more member
banks knew about, or that you
feel is underutilized?
Lahr: At the moment, I'm focusing
on new members, so I remind them
of all the new member benefi ts that
they have. They have free online
training for up to a year; they have a
$500 education voucher that can be
used toward any Community Banker
University product or
service-a whole list of
items. Calling longtime
member banks, it's a
similar thing in that we
are always looking for
a more effi cient and
cost-effective way to
do things, including
our compliance and
education solutions. I
really enjoy it.
manner. It's pretty impressive.
When I was at a bank recently, they
told me they investigated a similar
solution with another provider
and it was thousands of dollars a
month. At last count, about a third
of our membership is using this
exclusive benefi t.
IB:
What " success story "
would you share from
your personal experience in
helping these member banks?
Lahr: I started with ICBA in
2000 and our focus was grassroots
advocacy and member engagement.
" By joining ICBA, [one community
bank was] able to save tens of
thousands of dollars on their new
service [from an ICBA Preferred
Service Provider]. "
-BRANDY SMALLBROCK, ICBA
Smallbrock: Something our
member banks don't fully utilize
is our social media monitoring
solution. It's a great exclusive
benefi t of ICBA membership. With
our solution, a community bank
can monitor their brand, their
voice and their reputation across
social media channels with ease.
Our social media monitor helps
our members stay attuned to both
positive and negative comments,
allowing them to respond in a timely
34 ICBA Independent Banker March 2018
I remember calling a bank in the
Midwest for a renewal, and I was
told, " Yes, we will renew; we have to
renew. If it wasn't for ICBA, policy
makers and legislators wouldn't
know we even existed. " I will never
forget that comment. It's the same
for all community banks, regardless
of their size. ICBA is very effective
at differentiating community banks
from megabanks with Congress,
regulators and even the media. In
April 2018, the President of the
United States invited 100 community
bankers to the White House for that
Independent Banker - March 2018

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