PORTFOLIO CHECKS & BALANCES An opportunity for advocacy at ICBA Capital Summit As the ICBA Capital Summit approaches, it's more important now than ever that community bankers understand what impact their stories can have on legislation. By John Coleman Minnesota community bankers meet with Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) during the 2023 Capital Summit ou've got plans for spring break, but have you made plans to attend community banking's preeminent advocacy event? The ICBA Capital Summit returns to Washington, D.C., April 28 to May 1. Every year, it gives community bankers across the country the opportunity to gather together, tell their stories to legislators and share the important message that community banks are not Y only a source of strength in local communities but also critical to the health of the nation's financial system. The ICBA Capital Summit is your chance to meet with legislators and their key staff, hear from policymakers and pundits and connect with your peers in the nation's seat of government. With the volume and pace of regulation changing rapidly, there is no better time to make the case for why community banks are more than just financial institutions. Community banks like yours are the heart of Main Street America and a source of growth and financial prosperity. Your grassroots engagement with the officials who have the power to shape the future of the community banking industry is a critical component of ICBA's advocacy. By standing up with your fellow community bankers at the ICBA 36 // ICBA Independent Banker // April 2024 Photo: Chris Williams