Nearly 1,000 community bankers and industry advocates gathered in Washington on April 28, 2015 for the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) annual Washington Policy Summit, which runs through Thursday. Community bankers from across the nation will meet with regulators and their members of Congress to discuss issues that impact community banks, local economies and the customers they serve on Main Street. Key issues include regulatory relief for community banks, data and cyber security, and repealing taxpayer funded subsidies for credit unions and Farm Credit System (FCS) lenders.

In addition to meeting with their policymakers, community bankers will hear remarks from speakers including Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Chairman Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas), and Federal Reserve Governor Daniel K. Tarullo. Community bankers will also meet with the directors of key regulatory agencies, including Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt.

“Community banks nationwide are the bright spot in this country’s economic system as they create local jobs, fuel local economies and help entrepreneurs and small business thrive,” said ICBA Chairman Jack Hartings, president and CEO of The Peoples Bank Co., Coldwater, Ohio. “We’re looking forward to meeting with our members of Congress and regulators this week to move the ball forward on issues that are vital to our communities’ well-being.”

The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for more than 6,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services.