Independent Banker - March 2018 - 38

Grassroots
very reason: to hear community
bankers' perspective.
Smallbrock: Recently, I was talking
to a bank about joining ICBA,
and they were talking to us about
some of the new solutions they were
looking at bringing on. A vendor
to save tens of thousands of dollars
on their new service, which
made their ICBA membership a
positive investment.
IB:
" 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. "
-MICHAEL LAHR, ICBA
they were considering was one of
our Preferred Service Providers.
By joining ICBA, they were able
What is the most
rewarding work that
you do for community banks?
Smallbrock: I really love to
hear a community banker's
story. It's so interesting to
learn what they're doing in
their community and about
their history-it makes me
very proud to be part of
their story. I hear so often,
" If it wasn't for ICBA, we
wouldn't have the resources
to do all that's being done
in Washington, D.C., with
Congress and regulators.
We have to focus on running our
bank and know that ICBA has our
back. " I love hearing that and I
      ǫ
love hearing what they're doing in
their communities.
Lahr: I have to agree with that, too.
To me, it's personally rewarding just
to hear their stories and understand
their experience. I learn from them,
and that helps with the very next
call I make. We have an opportunity
to be in their shoes and offer solutions
to make their jobs easier, and
their banks more profitable.
IB:
In what ways do you
gauge success in the
work that you do?
Lahr: I feel successful when our
members are successful. That's our
mission, to create and promote an
environment where community
banks flourish.
Smallbrock: We both absolutely
love what we do. Sometimes, I
pinch myself and ask, " Am I really
getting paid to do this? " It's so much
fun. Yes, there's some stress with
it, but we just love what we do and
who we work for: ICBA and community
banks.
IB:
Loan Participations Structured for the Community Bank Market
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company we service rather than compete with community banks. Our loan
participations are structured for the community bank market and our current
portfolio has been participated to hundreds of community banks nationwide.
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What is one thing you
wish more community
banks would do to help themselves
be more successful?
Lahr: I wish our members would
call us more often and consider us
part of their due-diligence process
whenever they're making decisions
about products, services, training
or anything, really. We're here to
provide information, help with the
process, recommend solutions or
even facilitate engagement with one
of our subject matter experts.
Smallbrock: [I like to see them]
being their own advocate and ...sharing
their successes, whether it's with
Independent Banker, on social media
or in another way. We like to see that,
and we like to share that as well.
Andrea Lahouze is deputy editor of
Independent Banker.
Corporate Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN * Ph: 612.317.2000 | 800.227.0786
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Independent Banker - March 2018

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