Bank club directors gather for annual HCI meeting

Albert "Kell" Kelly, Jr., vice chairman of the American Bankers Association, gave bank club directors from across the country a straight forward overview of the banking industry. He was the keynote speaker for the annual meeting of Heritage Clubs International, the association of bank club directors, which met March 24-28 in Oklahoma City. About 125 people participated in the meeting.. Kelly is president/CEO of SpiritBank of Bristow, Okla., with $1.3 billion in assets and 12 branches across the state. Kelly discussed industry developments over the last two years. He said bank clubs continue to offer banks "enormous opportunities." The clubs, which attract and retain core deposits, play an important role in community banking, he said.. Valerie Kelsey, assistant vice president at D.L. Evans Bank, Burley, Idaho, completed her two-year term as chair of the Heritage Clubs advisory board. Elected chairman by her peers for the next two years was Ruth Rogers, director of the Passport Club at First National Banking Company of Ash Flats, Ark. The advisory board keeps the association on target for causes important to club directors.. Also addressing bankers was Lyn Hester, creator of the Medical Institute for Recovery Through Humor (MIRTH), who presented a workshop on stress management. Additional opportunities for participation arose in the concurrent sessions: "Ask the CVB" for bankers and "Ask the Banker" a session for travel industry partners.. Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Jari Askins opened the meeting with a greeting at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.. Next year's meeting is set for Dubuque, Iowa, March 23 – 27.