Wade attends D.C. banking conference

Billie W. Wade, CEO of Citizens Union Bank, recently returned from a meeting of America’s Community Bankers Council, a division of the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.  Composed of approximately 100 bankers representing all 50 states, the council meets twice each year to advise the association on issues affecting the nation’s community banks and their customers.

Council members discussed how recent legislation and regulatory proposals have impacted their local communities, including Treasury’s capital purchase program, and fair value and market-to-market accounting issues.  They also weighed in on current economic concerns such as mortgage lending and issues surrounding the government conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  In addition, the council heard reports on the recent presidential and congressional election and its impact on banking.

Wade also met with the FDIC to offer the banking industry’s views on current banking policies.

“Every community in Kentucky is in some way affected by what happens at the national level,” Wade said. “This is an opportunity to influence the big picture and also to gather information that can help us meet the challenges we face every day right here at home.”

Community Bankers Council members are from institutions generally with less that $1 billion in assets and are appointed by the ABA chairman. The first meeting of the 2008-2009 council was held Dec. 3-5 at the historic Mayflower Hotel.

Wade, who also serves as one of two Kentucky bankers on the Board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, is a past chairman of the Kentucky Bankers Association, the state affiliate of the American Bankers Association.