Welcome to 2025! I hope you had a wonderful and restful holiday season, and your new year is off to a great start. Your association staff and leadership are already hard at work, particularly the Government Relations team who have been busy at the Statehouse as lawmakers embark on a budget session in partnership with a new governor. Legislators are considering property tax reform, infrastructure improvements, housing affordability and more, all while facing tighter financial conditions driven by reduced revenue growth. Read more about what we expect to work on in this legislative session.

We closed out 2024 with our popular Indiana Economic Outlook Luncheon. Held Friday, Dec. 6, the event drew more than 260 attendees, holding steady from its 2023 draw. The new year started out with another legislative touchpoint at our Legislative Briefing and Reception on Feb. 4, featuring a briefing on industry-related legislative issues followed by a reception with elected officials and a panel discussion featuring WFYI’s Indiana Week in Review Team. The Future Leadership Division will host its annual FLD Day at the Statehouse on March 4, giving up-and-coming leaders the chance to learn about and actively engage in advocacy.

If you have any future leaders in mind at your institution who you think are ready to take their next step, be sure to sign them up for the acclaimed IBA Leadership Development Program. LDP begins its intensive eight-month training in March. Space is limited, so be sure to act quickly to identify your best and brightest for this program. The skills developed and lessons learned can help your emerging leaders contribute to your bank’s future.

If you haven’t been getting messages from the IBA, make sure your IT team has whitelisted the @indiana.bank domain. If they have and you’re still having problems, contact our team at communications@indiana.bank, and they can help troubleshoot. If you are receiving messages for things that don’t apply to you, please fill out a brief form letting us know what you do and do not want to know about, and we’ll customize your profile to match.

Thanks once more to Ben Bochnowski for his service to the Association as its chairman last year, and congratulations to Matt Howrey on his election as chair for 2025. Welcome also to Chris Fisher, president and CEO of the new Financial Services Academy, IBA’s statewide apprenticeship program. You’ll see him at several upcoming IBA events. I look forward to working with both of these new leaders – and each of you – throughout the year!