As the banking industry continues to evolve, there is increasing pressure on banks to remain competitive. To chart the course for the future, bankers must explore new pathways, seek innovative partners and motivate people--all while focusing on bottom-line performance.

The 2018 NDBA/SDBA Annual Convention on June 10-12 in Fargo will offer new ideas in new formats and an opportunity for all to engage in finding practical, real-world solutions for success in today's environment. Join with counterparts from the Dakotas for three days of learning, networking, fun and friendships. You'll go back to work with a refreshed perspective and a renewed passion for banking. 

The SDBA will appoint standing committee members for the upcoming year in May. SDBA committees are: Agricultural Credit Committee, Credit Card Committee, Legislative Committee and Trust Committee. Committee terms are one year beginning May 1, 2018, and ending April 30, 2019, except for the Legislative Committee which is a three-year term. Legislative committee members can serve two, consecutive three-year terms.

As volunteers for the Association, those who serve on the SDBA's committees are contributing to a stronger banking industry. The SDBA respects the time commitment that each committee member has made and works hard to ensure the meetings are well run and productive. Committees meet once or twice a year to initiate activities and recommend policy. 

The Graduate School of Banking (GSB) at the University of Wisconsin's 2018 school session will be held July 29 to Aug. 10 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prochnow Educational Foundation/SDBA scholarships will be awarded to two South Dakota bankers attending the 2018 school.

The scholarship amount is $1,500 for each year of the student’s attendance (approximately one-third of the annual tuition fees), for a total value of $4,500. This scholarship is for people who will be entering their first year at GSB. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is April 25, 2018. View the scholarship application. 

The deadline to register for the SDBA's Dakota School of Lending Principles has been extended to April 18, and the fee for late registrations will be waived.

Hosted by the SDBA and co-sponsored by the NDBA, the Dakota School of Lending Principles on April 24-27 in Aberdeen is a learning event with one foot grounded in the classroom and one foot in the bank. This school allows students to learn the theory and process of basic lending and then put this knowledge to work in actual nuts and bolts sessions. 

Despite the cold, snowy weather, ag producers are getting ready to head into the fields as soon as they can. Ag bankers have been working with producers to help finance their operations this year, SDBA President Curt Everson recently told WNAX Radio. 

"There has been a considerable amount of restructuring going on of operating debt maybe current year or short-term operating loans being restructured into the longer-term debt just to try and create a little better cash flow situation for producers," Everson said. "So bankers have been working on those kinds of things customer by customer."

Wells Fargo is moving 100 jobs from Aberdeen to cities in other states, including Minneapolis, according to The Associated Press. The decision affects auto finance workers and those in student loan collections.

Company spokeswoman Staci Schiller says the move over the coming months is designed "to meet the needs of customers and the marketplace." She says workers in Aberdeen who want to move with their jobs will be offered relocation assistance. Those who don't want to move will be given severance packages.

Other cities where jobs are being moved are in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina and Utah. The Aberdeen location is expected to close by the end of the year.

Banking business partners' knowledge, ideas and involvement help create a learning environment focused on the future of banking. The SDBA and NDBA's banking business partners are invited to join Dakota bankers June 10-12 at the Delta by Marriott in Fargo, N.D., to Innovate. Inspire. Ignite.

Information is available on sponsoring and exhibiting at this year's convention. 

The FDIC board of directors yesterday approved a final rule to raise the appraisal thresholds for commercial real estate transactions from $250,000 to $500,000--an increase from the original proposal, which called for the appraisal threshold to be raised to $400,000. The threshold for loans secured by one-to-four family residential properties will remain at $250,000; however, residential construction loans secured by multiple one-to-four residential properties would be considered CRE transactions. The final rule must now be approved by the Federal Reserve and the OCC; once approved by the agencies, it will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.  

ABA has long supported an increase to the CRE appraisal threshold, noting in previous comments that doing so would provide immediate relief to banks that are currently struggling with a shortage of certified appraisers--particularly in rural areas--and long appraisal turnaround times. Read more. For more information, contact ABA's Sharon Whitaker. 

On National Ag Day on Tuesday, the South Dakota Agricultural Foundation accepted a five-year challenge to raise $4 million for future support of South Dakota’s agriculture industry. Funds raised by the SD Ag Foundation will be matched by an additional $1 million in funds from the State of South Dakota and South Dakota Community Foundation.

“We take pride in agriculture here in South Dakota, and to see SD Agricultural Foundation’s commitment to invest in the future of agriculture is commendable. This challenge will ensure growth in the industry, while highlighting the need for philanthropy in agriculture,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. 

"Small, town, but not small talk" was the headline of a story published in fedgazette about Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari's visit to Pierre on Feb. 7.

"Despite its small economy, the seat of state government offers a unique stethoscope to listen to the state’s economic and policy heartbeat. While in Pierre, Kashkari met with a variety of stakeholders to hear about the opportunities and challenges faced by businesses and workers in the region and state, as well as to learn about priorities during the current legislative session. Foremost among stakeholders were Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Lt. Gov. Matt Michels and other cabinet-level officials, along with Legislative leaders from both political parties."

As U.S. Senate leaders work with the House to get S. 2155, the bipartisan regulatory reform bill, to the President’s desk for his signature, South Dakotans should be thanking the lawmakers who made it happen, especially Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune. Their support was critical to moving this legislation forward.

"We thank Sen. Rounds, who co-sponsored the legislation, successfully staking out the middle ground and helping build support for the overwhelming majority this bill secured. He is showing that Congress can get things done when lawmakers of different parties put aside politics and work together to solve real problems," the SDBA said in an op-ed sent to South Dakota newspapers today.

Ag lenders are invited to participate in SDSU Extension's 2018 South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey. The principal purpose of the survey is to obtain market value and cash rental rate information, by type of agricultural land, in different regions of South Dakota. SDSU Extension is requesting that appraisers, assessors, realtors, agricultural lenders and extension field specialists complete this survey. 

The results from the survey serve as an invaluable tool for the people of South Dakota to gain knowledge of the current agricultural land trends throughout the state. Farmers, landowners, investors, lenders, real estate professionals and public officials are the majority users of the data provided by the survey. 2018 marks the 28th annual South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to open debate on S. 2155, the bipartisan regulatory reform bill championed by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and four of his Democratic colleagues. Sen. Crapo last night released a revised version of the bill, which is thought to reflect bipartisan negotiations, includes several clarifications and a number of additional provisions. 

One clarification appears to respond to a talking point of S. 2155 opponents related to the Federal Reserve’s enhanced prudential standards and authority for foreign banking organizations with total assets over $100 billion. Additions to the bill include a set of capital access proposals that have passed the House with bipartisan majorities and new provisions related to student loan borrowers. The revised bill also includes a new provision creating a database to help financial institutions fight synthetic identity fraud and a bipartisan measure introduced in both houses of Congress that would clarify the regulatory treatment of high-volatility commercial real estate loans.

ABA staff will closely review the revised bill text as debate continues. The Senate is expected to begin voting today on amendments to the bill, which includes numerous provisions long advocated by ABA as part of its Blueprint for Growth. Read the revised version of S. 2155. 

Elections for the SDBA’s Board of Directors are scheduled for March and April. Three directors have terms that expire on April 30, 2018, in addition to a vacancy in Group 5. Elections will take place in Group 2, Group 5, Country Bank Category and Large Commercial Bank Category.

Terms for Jeff Davis, Bryant State Bank, Bryant representing Group II; Brad Seaman, First State Bank of Warner, Aberdeen, representing the Country Bank Category; and David Bangasser, Dacotah Bank, Sioux Falls representing the Large Commercial Bank Category will expire on April 30, 2018. All three individuals have served one term and are each eligible to run for a second, three-year term. The Group V seat became vacant when Shawn Rost, First Interstate Bank, Rapid City, moved into the position of SDBA vice chairman last year.

Billions of transactions per day are managed by financial institutions. Yet it’s the unique transactions surrounding some customers’ accounts that could help financial services professionals serve as a key deterrent against human trafficking.

OnCourse Learning will host the free nationally-accredited webinar “How Financial Institutions Serve as Frontline Defense in Human Trafficking Detection” at 11 a.m. CT March 20 featuring human trafficking survivor, author and social advocate Timea E. Nagy. She has trained professionals in more than 1,500 banks and financial institutions throughout North America, along with thousands of law enforcement officers.

Are your ag customers being challenged to create a positive cash flow this year? Look into the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) at your local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office. Since 2010, the CSP has been helping farmers and ranchers not only make ends meet but also implement soil health practices that pays for years and years. 

The CSP helps farmers and ranchers build on their existing conservation efforts while strengthening their operations. Whether a producer is looking to improve grazing conditions, increase crop yields or develop wildlife habitat, the NRCS can custom design a CSP plan to help meet those goals. The NRCS can help schedule timely planting of cover crops, develop a grazing plan that will improve forage base, implement no-till to reduce erosion or manage forested areas in a way that benefits wildlife habitat.

Bankers and business partners can now make their hotel room reservations for the 2018 NDBA/SDBA Annual Convention June 10-12 in Fargo.

This year’s convention will be held at Delta by Marriott at 1635 42nd St. SW in Fargo. Room prices are $92 and $105. The deadline to reserve a room from the annual convention block is May 10. To make a reservation, call Delta by Marriott at 701.277.9000.

The SDBA is offering the 2019 Scenes of South Dakota Calendar. This calendar will feature photos of South Dakota submitted by South Dakota bankers, their family members and customers. These calendars are a great opportunity for banks and associate members to thank their customers for their business and promote your bank or business.

A bank, branch or business' logo and name can be printed on each calendar to display in homes and businesses all year long. The Scenes of South Dakota Calendar is exclusive to SDBA member banks and associate members. Calendar orders are due by Sept. 1, 2018, to get the low price of $1.19 per calendar. Calendar order form. 

The SDBA, along with representatives of the ICB of South Dakota, have been actively discussing ways to better assure the ongoing accuracy of UCC filings with the South Dakota Secretary of State. 

The Secretary of State's Office has compiled a slideshow walking through the UCC verification, termination and auditing procedures that are currently available in the central filing system. The slideshow is intended to give users of the system a better understanding of how the system currently works and provides for filings as well as notifications. View the slideshow. 

The SDBA unveiled the latest results of its Banks Make a Difference Project during its State Legislative Day yesterday in Pierre. Copies of the promotional handout were provided to all attendees and to all state legislators. Copies will also be mailed to all member banks and branches.

Each January, the SDBA surveys its member banks and collects data on the importance of banks to their local communities and to the state as a whole. The annual project is just a glimpse of how banks work every day to help South Dakotans grow and prosper.