There may not be any federal elections this year, but there is still a ballot most of our banks will be asked to fill out this fall – for two seats on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.

Last year, the IBA entered new territory in endorsing candidates to fill both seats that were open in 2024. We ran an internal “primary” process calling for nominations of anyone who wanted a shot at those seats. The plan was then to send out those names for every IBA-member bank that was also part of the FHLBI network so our members could choose who they wanted to support. Those names would then receive the IBA’s endorsement and a call for all IBA members to support them in the official FHLBI election.

Only two bankers put their names forward, so they automatically received the IBA’s endorsement, and our strategy worked – Jamie R. Shinabarger and Dan L. Moore were both elected to the FHLBI board, maintaining one banker-held seat and flipping a second from a credit union back to banker control.

The FHLBI has two Indiana-based seats up for election this year, both currently held by bankers who are eligible for reelection – Larry W. Myers, president & CEO of First Savings Bank, Jeffersonville, who was first elected in 2018 and currently serves as vice chair of the FHLBI board; and J. Daniel Maddox, CEO & chair of Citizens State Bank, New Castle, who was appointed to his seat last April to fill a vacancy and is now on the ballot for his first full term.

Nominations for the IBA’s “primary” process will be accepted from March 31 through April 25. A link to the nomination form will be sent to the head(s) of every IBA-member bank in the FHLB system. Voting will then be open for two weeks from May 5-16. The top vote-getters will be announced both over email on May 21 and from the stage at the Mega Conference.

With the IBA endorsement comes:

• an announcement in the July/August issue of Hoosier Banker with a clear call from me as IBA chairman for all IBA member banks to support the top two vote-getters in order to maximize our chances to get bankers in both open seats;
• a reminder email to all IBA members who are eligible to vote in the FHLBI election ahead of the voting period; and
• 1-2 email reminders during the FHLBI voting period.

The IBA does not show favoritism among its members, but we fight to preserve the voice of banks in the Federal Home Loan Banks. It is the Board’s position that this process represents our best foot forward in doing that.