American Association of Bank Directors Appoints Bankmark CEO as Head of New Bank Committee

From aabd.org

The American Association of Bank Directors ("AABD") announced today that it has named Bankmark CEO Dan Hudson its Issues Advisor and head of the New Bank Committee, in an effort to assist directors and executive officers of new banks in identifying and evaluating issues facing their institutions.

Bankmark, a California-based consulting firm specializing in de novo financial institutions, has a 100% completion ratio in capital acquisitions. Together with their community bank development team, they have successfully opened and marketed over 110 new community banks during their 15 years in business.

In addition to selecting advantageous locations and providing an objective view of the marketplace, Bankmark's team of consultants offer clients guidance in the regulatory environment, operational components that provide the best technological solutions, and extensive director workshops, which guide clients through the complicated process of submitting their regulatory applications, understanding the legal aspects of banking, and raising the required capital. Upon completion of the bank's capitalization, Bankmark also manages the marketing effort for its de novo charters.

AABD's alliance with Bankmark, and the formation of the New Bank Committee, creates a resource for directors and executive officers of banks in existence for less than five years. This resource will enable directors nationwide to have the opportunity to communicate with both experts and peers on new bank issues such as marketing, strategies, loan quality, banking trends, business development, strategic planning and management.

In addition to providing content on issues facing new banks, plans for the New Bank Committee include the development of a research mechanism to gain insight on areas of interest to directors, and a database of resources that provide continuing education.

"The addition of Dan Hudson to AABD's team will provide our members, who serve on Boards of banks and savings institutions in existence for less than five years, with a tremendous resource," Keith Dalrymple, president of AABD and president and CEO of Vartan National Bank in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, said.

"Recent studies by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Reserve suggest that new banks face greater risks in challenging times than mature banks because of concentrations in commercial and commercial real estate loans, higher interest expense, lower non-interest income and other factors. Our members will now have an opportunity to zero in on these issues, thereby enabling them to minimize risks faced by new banks."

Founded in 1989, the non-profit American Association of Bank Directors is the only trade group in the United States solely devoted to bank directors and their information, education, and advocacy needs. The Institute for Bank Director Education was established in 1993 as the educational arm of AABD. Its purpose is to act as a clearinghouse for education programs designed for bank and savings institution directors that support the nationally recognized Director Certification Program.

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