As I write, we are closing in on the halfway point of the state legislative session. Between the biennial budget lawmakers must craft and a number of other bills that could impact our members, it has been a busy session already, but your Association has kept you in a strong position.

I am so proud of our team, the reputation they have built as one of the most trustworthy at the Statehouse over decades of high-quality work, and the way they passionately speak for our members both in and out of Session. They have already made progress this year in neutralizing problematic legislation and building an alliance for bills we are actively supporting to create the best business environment for the Indiana banking industry — and by extension, the communities our members serve.

Dax Denton and Ross Teare gave our members an in-depth look at those bills at our annual Legislative Briefing and Reception on Feb. 4 and again for our Future Leadership Division on March 4. Read more about the Briefing in this issue and FLD Day at the Statehouse in our May/June issue..

Looking to the future, remember that our annual Cyber, Fraud and Physical Security Conference has moved from the fall to the spring this year. Join us April 16-17 at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville to get the mitigation strategies and topics your bank needs to combat the next generation of fraud. Meanwhile, Mega Conference is a bit later than normal, May 27-29, and our host hotel this year is the JW Marriott. Learn about this year’s keynote speakers and how to register in this issue.

And we are excited to celebrate Lucas White at ICBA LIVE for his work this past year as chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America. This was only the second time in IBA history that one of our members served as chair of a national trade, and Lucas was more than deserving of the honor.