be conducted off-site or if examiners will adopt a hybrid format with examinations held virtually and at the bank.
What lessons would you share with future leaders? Gather all the information you possibly can from other sources to make decisions. Do not pick just one source for your information because it may lead you down the wrong path. Te information from the banking organizations helped in our decision making because it was important and reliable. Ask staff for their input in helping you to make decisions.
Pat O’Neal President and CEO, Lamar Bank & Trust Company
How did COVID-19 affect the bank? While enjoying a spring- break getaway in March 2020, Pat O’Neal and his family were watching a NBA basketball game on TV during dinner when a player was suddenly suspended for testing positive for COVID-19. Soon, the
game was canceled. “If this can happen in this short amount of time, how will this affect the bank?” O’Neal wondered.
Lamar Bank & Trust Company closed its lobby for eight weeks and divided its 35 employees into two groups that would rotate weekly shiſts at the bank. Converting customers to use internet banking services resulted in significant phone traffic to reset passwords.
O’Neal said decisions were made on the fly, and those decisions didn’t always align with bank policies. Among all the policies in place, nothing could have prepared staff for what an outbreak would entail.
What challenges did you overcome? Tere are lots of thoughts into “what ifs.” With only one location, all your eggs are in one basket because there are no other facilities for staff to work. To keep everyone safe, staff was divided into two groups and kept separate from the other group. In the beginning, the board room was maintained as “clean space” if there were positive cases.
Processing PPP loans was extremely difficult. Some staff worked from home processing applications, and in small town America, home internet access is not always stable or consistent in rural areas. Staff leaned on other bankers for the best way to process PPP applications. Tons of information was shared among bankers, and it was very gratifying to see this comradery among competitors.
What lessons did you learn? With something of this scale, you look at policies and procedures to make decisions. Sometimes, you had to make fast decisions and go with it. Te local health department was excellent in sharing information and a sounding board for the bank.
What will bankers remember 10 years from now? Te first day we were back together at the bank eight weeks aſter we closed the lobby was a joyful day because you spend so much time with co-workers … you are family.
Ron
Schepker CEO, Merchants & Farmers Bank, Columbia
How did COVID-19 affect the bank? Although every level of banking was affected to some degree, the bank’s 32 employees continued to provide financial services to customers throughout the pandemic. Te bank’s four locations closed their lobbies and encouraged customers to use the drive-thrus for their transactions or make appointments. Te bank also experienced an increase in its digital platforms.
Staff rotated shiſts at the banks and some eventually began working from home. Te bank had not implemented remote work for staff previously and found it to be quite efficient for productivity.
What challenges did you overcome? With banks in different communities and counties, some had to adhere to
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