A Message From The Chairman:

Dear VACB Members: Last October at the annual convention I was elected to lead our trade association for the next year. This is certainly an honor for me and a highlight of my 37 years in banking. This role is an opportunity for me to give back to an industry that has given me so much. And what an important time to serve! Community banking is facing serious challenges associated with the down economy and congressional action on regulatory restructuring. As a member of the VACB, you already play an important part in the effort to help keep community banking strong. I applaud you for that. It is my hope that, together, at this critical time, we can go a step further. Here's how: Please make sure that each and every member of your organization understands both our plight and the importance of our fight. Then ask them to join us in working to win passage of legislation to preserve the way we now conduct business. And to defeat any legislation that may have negative consequences for community banking. Pat Satterfield and I are both well attuned to the key issues and have specific ideas on how you can make a difference in the days ahead. I encourage you to contact Pat to discuss the various options. She can be reached at 804-672-8350 or at psatterfield@vacb.org. It is hard to tell what else my year as chairman holds in store for me but I know one thing for sure; it will pass quickly. So I will say this now: Please plan on joining us at the 2010 annual convention scheduled for October 17-20 in Williamsburg. Hopefully, we will be celebrating a year of successes & positives for community banks in Virginia. Again, thank you for the confidence that you have placed in me. Sincerely, Michael O. Walker President